Swine Flu Info Blog

4 comments:

starligh said...

Right now it looks very much as though the H5N1 virus will cause the next pandemic flu. (It’s usually called bird flu.)
It is a really nasty virus. During the past six months, 76% of the patients who have gotten the virus have died. This is in spite of good hospitals, ventilators, medications, etc.
Scientists say that it is only a matter of time until the next pandemic, and most say that H5N1 will probably be the one to cause it. It only requires a mutation for the virus to be able to attach to our cells in our upper airway.
The virus reproduces itself inside our cells then breaks out to infect new cells. Each time this happens, there is a chance for a mutation. This virus is a particularly sloppy copier. So a person with a H5N1 infection gives the virus millions of opportunities to mutate.
The virus can also swap genes with human viruses if a person gets H5N1 and another human infection at the same time.
Once the virus can pass easily from person to person, there will likely be thousands; then hundreds of thousands of infections very quickly. Our hospitals have no surge capacity – no room for more patients. We will not have ventilators, or medications. Patients will be cared for at home.
We do not have enough antiviral drugs – only enough for about 5% of our population. And it will take six months after the pandemic begins to be able to begin production of a vaccine.
We should be prepared to stay in our homes during a quarantine – non-perishable foods, water, baby food, pet food, medicines, cleaning products, etc.

May 24, 2009 at 12:30 PM

Bacteria Boy said...

Well, it would depend. Do you remember the SARS virus outbreak in 2003? If the bird flu mutates into a virulent form that can pass between humans, it would be just like SARS. Governments would stop air travel to try and limit the spread, schools would probably close as children would be more vunerable.
Health workers will be given preventitive doses of tamiflu and we just all sit tight until a vaccine is made.
There is a document with more details; it was produced by the health protection agency in the UK, and makes intersting reading. I can't find it yet though, but when i do i will put the link on.

May 24, 2009 at 6:10 PM

Luis said...

Uhm I just wanted to comment on the good sides of it after the chaos.
We'd appreciate life more, we'd all be in demand, we'd have less pollution, less crime, better houses. In theory our quality of life would go up because there's less people.

May 24, 2009 at 9:37 PM

christian b said...

The first one started in 'Kansas',but was called the 'Spanish 'Flu'.
Same result-millions dead.
If it was 'bird flu',it's carried by dirty birds,such as pigeons.
It would have to mutate to humans,plus be able to be passed on.

May 24, 2009 at 11:57 PM