Fighting the Swine Flu
The world is coming together to fight the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, which has been sneaking into the lives of unsuspecting individuals since first identified in April. On June 11, The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a “pandemic,” the first global flu pandemic in over 40 years.
However, officials stress that the pandemic level was a result of the spread of the virus, not its increased severity. This declaration is no need to panic, officials caution, and a proper understanding of the virus, its implications, and what is being done to prevent its spreading is essential.
Also, young minds interested in science should start equipping themselves now with skills necessary to help fight future pandemics should they occur.
SET sets the record straight about swine flu…
This swine flu pandemic is an outbreak of a new strain of influenza A virus subtype H1N1. The term “swine flu” can be misleading, attributing to the myths that exposure to pigs or eating pork is unsafe. Both are untrue. Experts believe that several flu strains, containing genetic material from pigs, birds, and humans, mixed together in pigs, and the virus later jumped from the animals to humans. Since this new virus is one to which people have little or no immunity to, it could cause more infections than the seasonal flu.
The virus is spread in the same way as seasonal flu – via droplets emitted from sneezing, coughing, or speaking. The best way to avoid attracting swine flu is simply to practice the same cautions you would to avoid the seasonal flu, such as keeping away from people with symptoms of influenza, washing your hands regularly, and getting plenty of fresh air.
People with swine flu usually cannot differentiate between seasonal flu and the H1N1 virus without medical help. People who feel sick are advised to take the same precautions as they would for any flu, such as staying at home, resting, and hydrating. However, they should seek help if experiencing difficulty breathing or if the fever continues for more than three days. According to WHO, supportive care at home is sufficient for most cases of swine flu. But for those who become severely ill, antiviral drugs can be prescribed as treatment.
WHO reports that there are over 50,000 confirmed cases of the infection in countries around the world. The number of deaths worldwide is small, with only two percent of the cases reaching the severe level.
But the public should put their trust in the hands of scientists around the globe who diligently work to develop a vaccination. While the creation of a new influenza vaccine typically takes five to six months, as soon as the infection was identified WHO Collaborating Center in Atlanta (the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S.) instantly began searching for candidate vaccine viruses, while WHO began meeting with vaccine manufacturers around the world to jumpstart the process.
Influenza centers will create a seed vaccine strain to be grown in mass volume by manufacturers and distributed to the public. The vaccine viruses will be grown in either eggs or cells, and will be tested on animals to ensure they are not pathogenic. National authorities regularly approve these vaccines during the manufacturing process, and health officials expect vaccinations for the public ready by early autumn.
Vaccine manufacturers continue to create seasonal influenza vaccines instead of strictly switching production to the H1N1 vaccine. Seasonal influenza causes three to five million severe cases each year, killing more than 250,000 to 500,000 people, according to WHO. Therefore, although scientists cannot currently predict how fast and far the H1N1 virus will spread, continued production of the seasonal influenza vaccine is vital. In addition, due to the months required to produce a new influenza vaccine, halting production of the seasonal influenza vaccine would not result in quicker production of the pandemic vaccine.
Top scientists around the world are clearly busy in their laboratories, and the world relies on their work to slow this pandemic. There is always a need for vaccines, whether it is urgent in times of a pandemic or the continual process of preventing the seasonal influenza. The world relies on the next generation of scientists to get the experience now in order to keep the global population healthy years down the road. If you are interested in science, look into this field and make a difference.
Past Flu Pandemics
Pandemics of all kinds have been reported since the 16th century. Here’s a look at the past three influenza pandemics that have shaken our world.
1918: The Spanish flu pandemic is regarded as the most devastating, deadliest outbreak of modern times. An estimated 40% of the world’s population was infected, with more than 50 million deaths.
1957: Since the 1957 virus was milder than the previous flu pandemic, the world was more prepared. A human form of the virus, H2N2, combined with a mutated strain found in wild ducks to cause this pandemic. An estimated two million people died.
1968: Symptoms of this virus were less severe and the mortality rates were lower, at about one million. The first outbreak was identified in Hong Kong, caused by the virus H3N2.
Article by:
Rachel Stark
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