when is it ok?

signs meet me on hospital room doors, telling me to wash my hands, avoid going in if i'm sick, don't sneeze or cough on anyone, etc., etc. because of the recent potential H1N1 flu pandemic. so...when is it ok to not wash my hands, to go in sick, to sneeze and/or cough on people? these are things we should do (and that we do, hopefully) every day regardless of the presence or absence of a potentially serious pathogen.

i have seen this scenario played out recently in at least one other area. when the economy crashed, all of a sudden business were cutting back - no more corporate jets or flying everyone to the main office for meetings, instead they teleconference. no more frills and extras. i can't even think of all the things i've seen 'cut back' (i'm not talking about employees losing jobs here), but my point is: why were they doing these wasteful things in the first place? 

it seems that if we can, we will, then when things get tough and we can't, we're surprised. or we're mad. 

ok, now that's off my chest.