Swine Flu 2009

The headlines concerning Swine Flu are every where. All news sources are putting the topic at the top of their lists. An important question to consider is just how does this occurrence of swine flu compare to the annual flu outbreaks? How does it compare to previous outbreaks of swine flu?

According to the U.S. CDC, Center for Disease Control, in a normal flu season, world wide, three hundred to five hundred million people are infected with flu. Of those there are one-quarter to one-half million deaths or a death rate of .01 percent. Currently there are 3,000 known cases of swine flu and 160 deaths. While this is something to be concerned about it is, at this time, of no greater a concern than should be given to any normal flu season.

In an average season three to five million people get the flu and 250,000 to 500,000 die from it or related causes.

In 1968 there was a pandemic of the Hong Kong flu which killed a million people.

From 1918 to 1920 Spanish flu killed fifty million people, or 2.5 percent of the world's population at that time. The Spanish flu was especially lethal because of the return of soldiers from World War I. they were packed into tight quarters on their return trip which aided the spread of the flu virus. Further complications in the United States was that the press was still under war time censorship guides and thus impeded in their real job of providing valuable information to the public.

As of 10 AM CSDT the following statistics concerning the current outbreak of swine flu are that there are 3,000 plus suspected cases of swine flu. 117 cases are confirmed there are a further 169 cases labeled probable and the death toll is 160 at this time.

One thing that does make this particular flu one to take notice of is the death rate among people in the 20 to 50 age group. Usually the very young, less than five years, and the elderly, over fifty, are the ones most likely to suffer fatalities from a flu outbreak.

Another thing to consider is that this is hardly the first time there has been a swine flu outbreak. Hogs are surprisingly close to humans genetically. And this was true even before we began modifying their genetic structure to grow skin and organs that are human compatible. This has meant that the transfer of disease from pig to human or human to pig has been a relatively easy jump. This is something that has been common knowledge among those who raise swine for a long time. A pig farmer will be diligent about keeping humans with infectious diseases away from his livestock because a human with a communicable disease could do significant damage to his herd.

Back to the flu though; flu is an ever present risk that shows up when the weather begins to get cool and leaves once it is warmed up again. A simple explanation for this timing is that the flu virus, as with many viruses, is especially susceptible to UV rays. In other words a few seconds exposure to air and sunlight spells the end for many viruses.

In warmer weather, even if you cover your face with your hands when you cough or sneeze, you are more likely to be out in sunlight at some point shortly thereafter, at which time the flu virus will be exposed to UV rays; the natural method of controlling the natural danger.

It is now recommended that, rather than cover your face with your hands when you sneeze or cough, that you turn you head into your upper arm. This will prevent you from spreading disease by getting it on your hands. It also is going to put those viruses in a place more readily exposed to sunlight than all the nooks and crannies of your hands. I would go further and recommend if you are outside and away from people that you sneeze or cough so that the viruses are immediately exposed to sunlight i.e. don't cover your nose and mouth at all. But be sure to aim for a well exposed sunlit place well away from people.

At this time the reasonable thing to do is if you experience flu symptoms, fatigue, fever, aches and pains, and/or headache being the usual immediate symptoms do yourself and everyone else a favor and stay home. Go to a medical professional, your doctor or the local clinic at your pharmacy or big box store and begin treatment with the available medicines.

If you are around someone who is flushed, sneezing and coughing recommend they do the same. If you can't go out in the sun then thoroughly wash your hands, at least twenty to thirty seconds rubbing all surfaces under running water, before touching your own face.

Additionally you can not get the flu from pork. Flu virus has to have a living host and has a very short life span (less than a minute) without ideal conditions. Take reasonable precautions and this might be a non-starter in the annals of flu history.

My sources for the above information are the CDC, Eric Auchard of Reuters, The Los Angeles Times and The Cleveland Leader.