Just Another Flu Pandemic
Swine Flu Edges Closer to Pandemic - http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2009/04/29/health-swine-flu-world285.html
Several Companies Suspend travel to Mexico - http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/04/28/transat.html
US swine flu cases surge to nearly 100 - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30471035/
US reports first swine flu death – http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8024611.stm
I am not a doctor so here are some flu facts shamelessly taken from the WHO and CDC.
Every year, 250 000 to 500 000 people die from the flu. Of those, approximately 36 000 die in the United States alone. Most are the very young (children), the old (over 70) and those who already have medical problems.
About the pandemic. Consider the definition of the word. “Pan” from the Greek word for “all” and “demos,”Greek for population. So a pandemic occurs when disease affects a relatively large portion of a given population. This given population can be a geographical location, a country, a continent, or the world. An epidemic, on the other hand affects more than the expected number of cases of disease occurring in a community or region during a given period of time. A sudden severe outbreak within a region or a group as, for example, the annual influenza epidemic (yes, annual) which affects 5-15% of the world’s population. Besides, if you really are worried, a “pandemic” hasn’t been issued by the WHO yet nor have they said to what location it might be pandemic to. As an example, there were influenza pandemics located in Hong Kong in 1997 and 2003.
What I’m trying tell you is not to get your britches into a knot over this. Wash your hands, if you’re sick stay home, if you have flu symptoms and are really worried go see a doctor.
The worry about this strain of influenza is that it genetically resembles the strain of the Spanish Flu of 1918-1919 in which at least 40 million died. That strain affected young healthy adults, and this current strain appears to affect the same. But, that was 91 years ago before flu vaccines, antibiotics (to treat infections due to a suppressed immune system) and other common sense notions of hygiene which we now take for granted.
By the way, did you know that there is currently an avian flu pandemic and the current hot spot is in Egypt? Didn’t think so. By the way, there have been 257 reported deaths. Don’t believe me, go here for more information. Why has this not gathered any attention? Actually it has (CBC link), but since this pandemic started in Hong Kong in 1997 it is now old news.
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