Dr. Isra Levy says officials are unlikely to restrict gatherings because of swine flu, since the disease has been relatively mild so far from a public health perspective. (CBC)People are giving up traditional hugs, handshakes and water-bottle sharing in an effort to prevent the spread of swine flu.

Dr. Isra Levy, the City of Ottawa's chief medical officer of health, said he's noticed the public taking steps to minimize the spread of the H1N1 virus.

"Every day I run into people who seem to me to be stepping back and saying, 'Well, I've got a cold right now. Maybe we shouldn't shake hands. Maybe we shouldn't hug.'"

Richard Sennott, executive director of the Ottawa District Hockey Association, said he has been warning young players to give up the longstanding practice of sharing water bottles. He said some leagues are looking at stopping players from shaking hands with their opponents at the end of a game — or at least insisting they keep their gloves on.

'We don't live in bubbles and we can't set ourselves up to live in bubbles in our society.'— Dr. Isra Levy

At the Children's Centre daycare in Ottawa, staff encourage children to wash their hands frequently and to sneeze and cough into the crooks of their arms. The centre is also being strict about cleaning door handles and toys.

But spokeswoman Silvina Alves said the daycare hasn't bought into the idea of curbing physical contact. Staff are "absolutely not" stopping children in their care from holding hands or hugging, she said.

Tom Conroy, vice-president and executive director of Scotiabank Place, which hosts Ottawa Senators home games, concerts and other large events, said hand-sanitizer dispensers have been mounted in gathering areas throughout the building.

But Conroy said he counts on staff and the public to take responsibility as well. "If you don't feel well, don't come to work," he said. "If you don't feel well, don't come to the event."

He said he couldn't speculate on whether any events at Scotiabank Place would be cancelled because of a flu outbreak. The venue would comply with whatever provincial and municipal health officials advise, he said.

Ontario can restrict gatherings

Hand-sanitizer dispensers have been mounted around Scotiabank Place in the Ottawa area. The venue is counting on staff and fans to stay home if they feel sick. (CBC)Levy said people should avoid contact with others if they show flu symptoms such as a cough, fever, or shortness of breath.

Levy has the power to close schools and daycares temporarily and restrict gatherings such as rock concerts, religious ceremonies or funerals to control the spread of contagious diseases. But these steps would only be taken as a last resort, Levy said.

"We don't live in bubbles and we can't set ourselves up to live in bubbles in our society," Levy said. "We do have germs all around us and it would be unfortunate I think if we were to significantly alter people's cultural practices and unnecessarily raise levels of anxiety."

Levy said Ottawa public health would consult the province before restricting social gatherings, but he doubts this will be necessary because of swine flu. During the first wave of the disease earlier this year, it didn't spread wildly or cause severe complications among those infected, he said.

Even if people are forced to distance themselves from others as a result of the pandemic, they won't be completely isolated, said Daniel Trottier, who is researching the rise of social media such as Facebook for his Ph.D. thesis at Queen's University.

"You can consider these technologies as enabling social distancing in the sense that people can at least partly experience what it was like to be there," he said.

The ubiquity of digital cameras, cellphone cameras and internet access makes it quick and easy to share photos and video. "It's not even a matter of going back the day after and seeing what transpired, but almost experiencing it in real time."