enlarge Gordon Chibroksi/Staff Photographer

N-95 masks, sold at most hardware stores, offer protection against the flu.

For all stories, links to the Centers for Disease Control and more, go to the Press Herald's complete coverage of Maine, national and international outbreaks of swine flu.

COVERING UP

You've seen plenty of them on television, in newspapers and online – but do you need one?

Paper surgical masks like those doctors wear in operating rooms are useful for people who are infected with the H1N1 virus.

More effective – but not foolproof – for healthy people in high-risk situations are N-95 masks, which fit tighter on the face. They're what contractors use when they paint or drywall a house. But should you wear one?

"You don't need to be walking around the city of Portland right now wearing a mask," said Dr. John Southall of Mercy Hospital. "If I were going to get on an airplane, then I would probably wear one because it's recirculated air. And certainly if I'm taking care of a patient with flu-like symptoms I'm going to wear one. I'm not going to wear one to the grocery store."

A better choice, he said, is hand-washing and liberal use of an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.

The number of swine flu cases in Maine grew to six in three counties Friday, as state health officials awaited the arrival of a federal shipment of antiviral drugs.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention said three patients tested positive for H1N1 influenza Friday, bringing the total to two adults in Kennebec County, two adults and one youth in York County, and one youth in Penobscot County.

Tests on a second youth in York County came back negative Friday. The youth's day-care center, The Crayon Academy in Arundel, which has been closed since Wednesday as a precaution, will be allowed to reopen Monday.

Kennebunk Elementary School, where the youth who tested positive attends, will remain closed for at least seven calendar days and possibly longer, after federal officials extended the recommended closure time Friday to 14 days.

Dr. Dora Anne Mills, director of the Maine CDC, said 50,000 treatment courses of antiviral drugs – more than the 30,000 to 40,000 originally expected – should arrive in Maine during the next couple of days. The drugs will be distributed immediately to hospitals.

Mills also said the Maine CDC received permission this week to fill the vacant position of pandemic flu coordinator.

Since the outbreak began, staff members have been pulled from other positions to help out, "and we've also asked some of our recent retirees to come back," she said.

Over the past couple of days, state public health workers have fielded about 300 calls a day from health care providers and more than 100 calls a day from the public. The public hotline number is (888) 257-0990.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is keeping health care providers and schools up to date on the latest developments locally and nationally through conference calls that can include 100 to 300 people.

"The U.S. CDC is really learning a lot about this particular virus as the infection has spread in this country and around the world," Mills said, "so the guidance about how to reduce its transmission is also changing."

Mills urged Mainers to take some time this weekend to read about the flu and how to prepare for it at pandemicflu.gov or the state's Web site at mainepublichealth.gov.

"This weekend if people are home it's a good time to take out this checklist and simply go through it as a family," she said.

Asked if the swine flu situation is being "overhyped," Mills noted that H1N1 is "a very unique virus" and most people don't have any immunity to it.

"If this is like a blizzard bearing down on us and it suddenly goes out to sea, I'll be extremely happy," she said. "I would love to be sitting here in a few weeks saying, 'Wow, we missed the big one.' But I don't think we can take a chance."

Maine's largest businesses have been making their own preparations in case the outbreak worsens. Employees are being reminded of the guidelines for personal hygiene recommended by the federal and state CDCs and the World Health Organization.

L.L. Bean has its own pandemic plan, and sends regular updates about the situation in Maine to its 5,000 employees over the Internet, said Carolyn Beem, company spokeswoman.

Shaw's Supermarkets has put together a brochure on the H1N1 virus for employees. Also, at the request of Southern Maine Medical Center, customers at the Saco store are getting a pamphlet on prevention in their grocery bags.

Shaw's has long made sanitizing wipes available to customers so they can wipe down their shopping carts.

Now the store has added bottles of hand sanitizer at each checkout for employee and customer use.

"We've also sent information to our store teams so they can answer questions in terms of pork products, to let our customers know that pork...