A Bit on the Flu
...from the Russian Doctor in Tropics.
The Good News
1. The new virus is far less pathogenic than the bird strain. A majority of people infected with the new flu virus recover by themselves.
2. Looks like during transmission from human to human the virus gets weakened quickly, as its virulent properties decrease (outside the epicentre in Mexico only one 23-month-old baby died in Houston, and he was brought from the very same Mexico not long ago); looks like Pasteur virus selection is in progress and very soon the virus will transmute into a regular human flu virus with a standard lethality.
3. Today there are fairly good medicines for curing symptoms and worsening flu conditions - something the Spanish influenza victims did not have.
The Bad News
1. Antigenic properties of the new virus are too different to those of the human-circulating H1N1, and so last year's vaccine against H1N1 isn't too effective.
2. The new vaccine, according to most optimistic estimations, will only appear in half a year's time, and will be accessible to Russian consumers during November.
3. Having reassorted itself in swine, the new hybrid has learned how to move from human to human, and so a mass epidemy (or even pandemy) is unavoidable.
Some myths:
1. "All deliveries of pork meat from America have to be banned and that's going to help something".
It's funny just to comment on it. It's hard to imagine I'm going to gnaw on the mug of a pig which had just died from the flu. In short, pig meat won't transmit diseases. Those especially cautious can avoid eating raw pork (the virus dies instantly at any temperatures above 80 deg. C.).
2. All drink vitamins, increase immunity.
A full nutrition is, of course, important, but vitamin additions for food can't defeat the flu in any way. Food has to contain enough protein, which is more important for immunity.
3. A mask or bandage filter will protect from the flu.
Silliness. A mask No. 95 protects somewhat, but I myself can't stand more than 15 minutes in it. However, if you yourself are sick, and are coughing and sneezing a lot, wearing a mask makes sense to spray less on those around you. In the worst case sneeze into a napkin.
4. A popular myth from the special services and a barmy health ministry: quarantine will save everyone!
It's absolutely unreal to isolate a respiratory viral infection with quarantine! The Spanish flu instantly engulfed the whole world, and back then people didn't travel as actively, and there was no such murderous population density! What's the point of intercepting and isolating the sick descending from an airplane's ladder when they've already infected all passengers? Everyone else is going to get the flu (from lightest to deadliest) past the incubation period.
Some notes on treating the flu...
There's a basic summary of the flu strain being similar to any other, with an incubation period of 2-4 days to a week. Zanamivir (Relenza) and ozeltamivir (Tamiflu) are effective against the flu. Rimantadine doesn't help anymore.
During flu epidemies in no event can fever be countered with aspirine! First of all the threat of hemorrhages increases, second, potentially fatal reactions (Rhei's syndrome) are possible with children. Temperature can be dropped with the help of paracetamol and ibuprophene.
The Good News
1. The new virus is far less pathogenic than the bird strain. A majority of people infected with the new flu virus recover by themselves.
2. Looks like during transmission from human to human the virus gets weakened quickly, as its virulent properties decrease (outside the epicentre in Mexico only one 23-month-old baby died in Houston, and he was brought from the very same Mexico not long ago); looks like Pasteur virus selection is in progress and very soon the virus will transmute into a regular human flu virus with a standard lethality.
3. Today there are fairly good medicines for curing symptoms and worsening flu conditions - something the Spanish influenza victims did not have.
The Bad News
1. Antigenic properties of the new virus are too different to those of the human-circulating H1N1, and so last year's vaccine against H1N1 isn't too effective.
2. The new vaccine, according to most optimistic estimations, will only appear in half a year's time, and will be accessible to Russian consumers during November.
3. Having reassorted itself in swine, the new hybrid has learned how to move from human to human, and so a mass epidemy (or even pandemy) is unavoidable.
Some myths:
1. "All deliveries of pork meat from America have to be banned and that's going to help something".
It's funny just to comment on it. It's hard to imagine I'm going to gnaw on the mug of a pig which had just died from the flu. In short, pig meat won't transmit diseases. Those especially cautious can avoid eating raw pork (the virus dies instantly at any temperatures above 80 deg. C.).
2. All drink vitamins, increase immunity.
A full nutrition is, of course, important, but vitamin additions for food can't defeat the flu in any way. Food has to contain enough protein, which is more important for immunity.
3. A mask or bandage filter will protect from the flu.
Silliness. A mask No. 95 protects somewhat, but I myself can't stand more than 15 minutes in it. However, if you yourself are sick, and are coughing and sneezing a lot, wearing a mask makes sense to spray less on those around you. In the worst case sneeze into a napkin.
4. A popular myth from the special services and a barmy health ministry: quarantine will save everyone!
It's absolutely unreal to isolate a respiratory viral infection with quarantine! The Spanish flu instantly engulfed the whole world, and back then people didn't travel as actively, and there was no such murderous population density! What's the point of intercepting and isolating the sick descending from an airplane's ladder when they've already infected all passengers? Everyone else is going to get the flu (from lightest to deadliest) past the incubation period.
Some notes on treating the flu...
There's a basic summary of the flu strain being similar to any other, with an incubation period of 2-4 days to a week. Zanamivir (Relenza) and ozeltamivir (Tamiflu) are effective against the flu. Rimantadine doesn't help anymore.
During flu epidemies in no event can fever be countered with aspirine! First of all the threat of hemorrhages increases, second, potentially fatal reactions (Rhei's syndrome) are possible with children. Temperature can be dropped with the help of paracetamol and ibuprophene.