Tag: Resistances

You And The Swine Flu: Knowledge That May Save You

You And The Swine Flu: Knowledge That May Save You

With this new strain of influenza running around, properly called Type A H1N1 swine influenza, but more popularly known as the swine flu, I think it would be nice to give people the 411 on the latest medical emergency that’s got the world’s attention.

Swine influenza came from pigs, hence the name, and pigs usually have regular outbreaks of this disease. The problem with it this time is that this strain of influenza has managed to jump the species and went over to us Homo sapiens and cased a bit of havoc.

Pigs don’t have to worry about it because most of them have built-in resistances to the diseases, mostly because of the constant evolutionary exposure to the disease. They like us when we receive the flu: a few chills, sniffles and a bit of bed rest and we’re right as rain. Problem with that is us humans don’t have this resistance to swine flu, mostly because we’re not pigs. The pigs would be in the same boat if a human strain had jumped into the porcine population.

The other problem with it is its virulence. The Center For Disease Control have determined that this strain of swine flu is contagious and can be passed to other people through the normal vectors: the virus can be transmitted when someone touches something that is contaminated and the puts it in his eyes, nose, or mout. It’s even airborne as microscopic droplets can travel through the air when someone sneezes. The CDC, however, is still a bit hazy on some other factors like incubation time and much contact is too much contact.

Another problem is that the swine flu has the same symptoms as regular human flu, just worse by an order of magnitude. High fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue can either mean you’ve been hit by the ordinary human flu and should take the usual cures or maybe you have the swine flu and need to go to the doctor immediately. Personally, it would be better to take no chances and just go to the doctor. Diarrhea and vomiting are the big warning signs though. Death by flue isn’t direct though. It just compounds with other diseases like pneumonia and makes it even worse. It can also kick any existing medical conditions you have like asthma up a notch.

So, the question on your mind now probably is: is there no hope or should I just run to the hills to avoid human contact? Thankfully, you don’t have to go that far. The CDC has recommended the use of several medicines to treat yourself with and to prevent the spread of the disease. Oseltamivir and zanamivir are viral inhibitors that make sure that the virus does not reproduce. More common antiviral drugs that are bought over the counter can also be effective. They make the symptoms milder and help your body heal itself faster. They can also stop some of the higher level complications that can happen when you are infected, if you take them early enough.

Of course, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. To avoid getting infected, try to avoid close contact with sick people and wash your hands on a regular basis, especially before you eat. If you have the unfrotunate luck of getting sick, isolate yourself and check your symptoms. Immediately consult with your doctor if your sickness persists more than usual.

The swine flu is just the latest in a long line of diseases that have endangered the human race. No matter how frightening it is, it’s still pretty survivable. All you need to have is the right knowledge to win the battle.

Swine Flu: The New Pandemic

Everyone’s all abuzz with panic nowadays it seems. That’s mostly because after SARS and bird flu, another new strain of virus has managed to rear its head. The H1N1 influenza virus, more popularly known as the swine flu, exploded on to the global scene last April via a large-scale infection in Mexico City.

I think everyone’s seen the images on CNN a thousand time. Surgical-masked Mexicans crowding the hospitals with worrisome shots of full hospital beds.The Center for Disease Control and the World Health Organization raised their alert levels in hopes of catching and cutting off the infection at the bud, but it seems that cases have been reported all over the world. It seems that the current fatalities from disease are from Mexico but everyone is just expecting for the other shoe to drop.

To understand all of this panic, ypou need to have a little background. Influenza, or more popularly known as the flu, is probably one of the most infectious diseases out there. Airborne and highly contagious, it could spread like wildfire all across the world. Now you’re asking what’s the matter with a few people getting a bit of sniffles? That’s because this isn’t your ordinary flu.

A lot of the flu viruses we are exposed to have been in the human system for hundreds of years. We’ve managed to build an immunity to these strains. The big problem that’s got everyone running scared is the idea that a flu strain has crossed species. This is what happened with the bird flu and now, with the swine flu. The pigs and birds have also built up resistances to these diseases, however, since humans are not used to them, these strains of flu have a very large potential of being fatal.

The last time a large-scale flu epidemic raged around the world, electricity was just coming into vogue and cars were all Model Ts. The Spanish Flu Epidemic of 1918 literally set the bar for every modern disease in terms of casualties. Fifty to a hundred million people worldwide died over a period of two years from 1918 to 1920 as the disease spread worldwide. Following on the heels of the Great War, it was a one-two punch that killed an entire generation of young men and women. What everyone’s afraid of is this: the 1918 epidemic was a subtype of the H1N1 flu virus, the same virus that seems to have crossed over and become a real threat to humans.

This is why the CDC is keeping a close watch on Mexico and hoping all of the subsidiary cases worldwide aren’t indications of the beginning of some worldwide epidemic. The good news about this is that the disease is treatable. Medicine and vaccine production alerts have been sent out by the CDC and most pharmaceutical companies have started churning out oseltamivir and zanamivir.

The problem with that is the demand may outstrip the supply depending on the swine flu’s virulence. More common antiviral drugs are also available but they’re not exactly definitive cures. They serve to weaken the symptoms and give you a fighting chance and prevent some of the worse flu symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting.

So as the world waits and watches the situation in Mexico, it would be a good idea to take a few precautions. Regular hand washes and vitamins can help make sure you avoid the initial infection of the swine flu. Avoiding pork’s not needed though. Swine flu can’t be transmitted through food. Remember to just a take a few preventive measures and you can come through clean and healthy.