Is it time for face masks, vaccinations, and quarantines?
Influenza, or flu, is a highly contagious viral respiratory infection which results in fever, headache, fatigue, body aches, sore throat, and congestion. Diarrhea and vomiting may also occur; children are more likely to suffer from these gastrointestinal symptoms.
Chronic health conditions such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes increase the risk of complications such as sinus infections, ear infections, dehydration, bacterial pneumonia, and respiratory failure.
Each year an average of 200,000 Americans are hospitalized with seasonal flu; an average of 36,000 die. The CDC’s July 24th update reports 43,771 cases of novel H1N1 (called Swine Flu) in the United States (this number is not indicative of hospitalizations) and 302 reported deaths. So if we currently show a Swine Flu mortality rate that is .00838% of the annual seasonal flu rate, why the hysteria? There are many reasons. But in order to understand the current frenzy, it helps to start with a basic understanding of influenza.
Influenza isn’t limited to humans. Birds and other mammals including ducks, chickens, pigs, horses, ferrets, seals, whales, dogs, and minks suffer from the flu as well. Each influenza virus strain spreads easily within its natural hosts (bird to bird, pig to pig, and so forth) but an influenza strain can shift and jump to another species–bird to pig, horse to dog, pig or bird to human.
Since the 1990s, a particularly virulent strain of bird flu (avian flu) has spread from wild birds to chickens and turkeys. Millions of birds were killed by the flu. Hundreds of millions more have been killed in an effort to stop the spread of the disease. This virus has infected humans; however, to date, it has not evolved to efficiently spread from human to human.
In 1918 the worst recorded global flu pandemic–an avian flu–killed between 50-100 million people world wide. This horrific flu struck hard and fast, sometimes killing its victims within hours. In addition to death by pneumonia, a secondary infection, the flu itself was deadly, causing edema in the lungs and hemorrhagic complications. In many cases, the afflicted bled from the lungs, stomach, intestines, eyes, nose, and ears. Petechial hemorrhages (bleeding under the skin) were so severe, bodies were tagged for race, as it became difficult to differentiate a victim’s race post mortem.
Influenza viruses mutate and change over time. Artealia A. Gilliard of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta explained through a written Q&A that the two ways influenza viruses change are through antigenic drift or antigenic shift. Antigenic drift refers to the “small changes in the virus that happen continually over time. Antigenic drift produces new virus strains that may not be recognized by the body’s immune system.”
H1N1
If an influenza virus sweeps across America infecting Mary Smith, Mary’s immune system will produce antibodies that recognize this influenza, antibodies that provide immunity if Mary is later exposed to the same virus.
The next year when the virus comes back around, Mary’s immune system still recognizes this virus. Even though the virus will have undergone antigenic drift, it will remain very similar to the previous year’s strain. Over time (over a number of years) antigenic drift will render the virus unrecognizable to Mary’s immune system and re-infection can or will occur. “The other type of change is called ‘antigenic shift.’ Antigenic shift is an abrupt, major change in the influenza A viruses,” writes Ms. Gilliard. “…[Antigenic] shift results in a new influenza A subtype. When shift happens, most people have little or no protection against the new virus.” “While influenza viruses are changing by antigenic drift all the time,” she writes, “antigenic shift happens only occasionally.” Novel H1N1 is a type A influenza. Genetically, it is a combination of avian, porcine (pig), and human flu. “In a setting such as a farm where chickens, humans, and pigs live in close proximity, pigs act as an influenza virus ‘mixing bowl’,” writes Ms. Gillard. “If a pig is infected with avian and human flu simultaneously, the two types of virus may exchange genes. Such a ‘reassorted’ flu virus can sometimes spread from pigs to people.”
This is an antigenic shift, which results in a new influenza A subtype, to which most people have little or no immune protection. “If this new virus causes illness in people and can be transmitted easily from person to person, an influenza pandemic can occur.”
We have seen combinations of avian, porcine, and human influenza before, but Ms. Gillard tells us that we have not seen this combination before.
Swine Flu Vaccine…H1N1 virus, has spread to 70 countries…
In the 1918 pandemic, three waves of the virus swept across the United States within one year rather than the usual one wave per year. The first wave’s mortality rate was lower than a typical seasonal flu. The second and third waves were deadly. The first wave struck in spring, the second in fall, the third in winter. The 1918 pandemic was caused by an influenza A, H1N1 virus.
Now, in 2009, novel H1N1, a highly contagious influenza A, H1N1 virus, has spread to 70 countries around the world within 4 months of its identification. And while the morbidity count has been low and the vast majority of people infected with novel H1N1 have recovered without medical intervention, we need to remember that flu season has not yet begun.
We don’t know if we have only seen the first wave of the year or if novel H1N1 will behave as the majority of influenza viruses in the past have behaved, circulating in a drifted form a year later with no discernable change in virility. Will we be hit with a second or third wave? Will its severity increase like the pandemic virus of 1918? No one knows.
So, once again, why the sense of panic? Some fear the disease, some fear the lack of vaccine, some fear the vaccines and fear the Vaccine Lab government will force us to take the shots, while others are convinced by conspiracy theories, believing the influenza to be manmade, created for profit by unscrupulous drug companies.
Newscasts remind us that flu shots are being produced, but there will not be enough initially for everyone. Those most at risk will receive the first shots. This approach, of course, makes the shots more desirable to those not deemed high risk and strikes a bit of fear into the hearts of everyone eagerly awaiting a shot.
Many fear the hurriedly produced novel H1N1 flu vaccine will be rushed to market without the usual precautions, especially since new laws have granted further protections to drug companies should their vaccines prove dangerous or fatal.
Those opposed to vaccines fear the government may mandate vaccinations for adults and children. In the wake of controversy regarding vaccine injury and links to autism, Alzheimer’s disease, and other neurologically-based diseases, mandated vaccinations, especially shots with thermisal (mercury), are unacceptable to many. Though the drug companies removed thermisal from most of the childhood vaccines, flu shots have remained the exception.
Others have spread theories that novel H1N1 is a manmade virus, created by drug companies for profit, while those familiar with genetic re-assortment believe the origin of the disease to be an industrial pig farm in Mexico, where 950 hogs are raised in filthy conditions, which provide both the animals and the environment to breed disease and spread it through water contamination, flies and other insects.
If either the morbidity or the mortality rates rise sharply, our government may close schools and day care centers, limit or ban sports events and concerts as well as any other congregations, and recommend that businesses stagger working hours and encourage telecommunicating. Those with active infections will be asked to stay home for 10-14 days, their unaffected family members for 7 days. We will all be encouraged to wash our hands often and to get a shot–or two–or three. One is for seasonal flu, one or two will be offered for novel H1N1.
Your best defense is to get healthy and stay healthy. Don’t eat sugar; it depresses your immune system. If you do contract the flu, remember to rest and drink a lot of fluids. Try lemonade sweetened with stevia; it’s great hot or cold.
We don’t know if we have only seen the first wave of the year or if novel H1N1 will behave as the majority of influenza viruses in the past have behaved, circulating in a drifted form a year later with no discernable change in virility. Will we be hit with a second or third wave? Will its severity increase like the pandemic virus of 1918? No one knows.
So, once again, why the sense of panic? Some fear the disease, some fear the lack of vaccine, some fear the government will force us to take the shots, while others are convinced the influenza is manmade, created for profit by unscrupulous drug companies.
Newscasts remind us that flu shots are being produced, but there will not be enough initially for everyone. Those most at risk will receive the first shots. This approach, of course, makes the shots more desirable to those not deemed high risk and strikes a bit of fear into the hearts of everyone eagerly awaiting a shot.
Many fear the hurriedly produced novel H1N1 flu vaccine will be rushed to market without the usual precautions, especially since new laws have granted further protections to drug companies should their vaccines prove dangerous or fatal.
Only time will tell whether the Swine Flu hysteria was justified.
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