Swine Flu H1N1 Virus Pandemic News

Just why the CDC and WHO get so concerned about the swine flu and others like the recent avian/bird flu scare is that they can be spread so quickly from person to person. Unlike a typical seasonal flu, the swine flu comes from a replicated version a more dangerous strain which has not been around long enough for humans to build some sort of immunity to it.

Germs are found in the tiny droplets from a sneeze and can remain active and communicable for many days after the host/carrier left it behind. This is quickly spread by people touching an infected surface then touching the eyes, nose or mouth. It can become an epidemic when it affects local levels. It becomes pandemic when the disease spreads to hundreds of millions worldwide, potentially leaving millions dead in its wake.

How can we avoid this potential disaster? While drug manufacturers are scrambling to come up with vaccinations to help curb the problem, many will have become infected and the concern is that the masses will have already contracted the disease. It can take months for enough antiviral to be manufactured and by then it's too late.

You can do your part to protect yourself by staying home as much as is practical. Use sense when touching things in public places. Avoid handshaking. Wash hands frequently. If you get sick - stay home till you are well past the contagious stage.

Take precautions to prepare for a long haul as pandemics can come in waves, hitting a region more than once. Man has survived the ravages of disease and we will again.

The media is trying to spread the word about how to protect yourself from swine flu. This is not easy without causing mass hysteria as most individuals have a tendency to over react. Approach this with calm and common sense as you would in any similar situation.

As you would expect, you will need to take care to wash your hands each time you eat and after using the bathroom. Always wash fruit and vegetables purchased from a public place. While in public take advantage of the sanitizing gels and foams for instant cleaning.

The eyes, nose and mouth are the main points of entry for this and any virus. So take care not to touch your eyes, nose and mouth with your hands unless you have just carefully cleaned them with soap and water. The flu remains active in the tiny drops from a sneeze and can remain in the air and land on any surface, so never touch something then rub your eyes.

There is a big public concern that humans can contract the swine flu just by eating pork products like ham, bacon and sausage. This is not the case as the virus is killed with heat. The only precaution would be that the meat needs to be cooked thoroughly, as you would expect to do with any meat.

Finally, for those who are susceptible to catching everything that comes along, just plan to stay home. Wear masks and eye protection if you must go out. Use common sense and use good hygiene and you have a good chance of staying healthy.

Like any virus there isn't any particular cure. Influenza viruses of all kinds replicate and transform rapidly and therefore by the time a vaccination is found, there are hundreds of mutated strains with the ability to infect their host. There is just no possible way to develop a vaccine quickly enough. That is why you can't just take this year's shot and expect it to do any good for this particular kind of flu.

It then becomes a question of how can you protect yourself and your loved ones from getting it. Finally, what can you do should you get it.

So, the best "cure" is to make your own body's defenses very strong so when you are exposed to the swine flu, it will be just a bump in the road and not a long drawn out, potentially fatal sickness. Actually, a person may weather the swine flu well enough but due to weakness suffered from the disease, you can contract a more serious and potentially fatal disease like pneumonia.

Build your body's defenses by eating a healthy diet, get plenty of sleep and make sure to get adequate exercise. You may find vitamins and some herbs like Echinacea and Goldenseal to be helpful, too.

If after all, you do get the swine flu, be thoughtful of your fellow employees and neighbors and stay home! Get plenty of bed rest and drink plenty of fluids to help your body over the healing. Most will just have 7 - 10 of inconvenience and will be able to go back to normal duties, soon.

If you have been out and around recently you may have noticed how this current Swine Flu scare has affected society. Whole schools have shut down. Hotels are quarantining their patrons. Public gatherings of all kinds are just plain being canceled, like the MayFest in Ft. Worth, TX.

Economically speaking, Egypt is killing 350 thousand pigs which will affect their pork industry severely. Other countries will certainly follow suit.

Where health care is involved, doctors' offices are more careful than usual, wiping each and every surface and instrument with alcohol. Reception desks are having pump bottles of sanitizer available for patrons. As a matter of fact, hand sanitizers of all kinds are being sold out as well as masks and rubber gloves.

A new practice of social distancing is being adopted. Greetings are being limited to waving as handshaking and cheek kissing is being dropped. Dr Sanjay Gupta coined a new practice called el-bumping: bumping elbows in greeting in place of handshaking.

Couples have even been seen kissing with face masks and handholding is just not happening anymore. Those who travel abroad will need to be careful. One dad decided to voluntarily quarantine himself from his family for a week after returning from a visit to region known to have the active virus.

Apparently, those who seem ill are being shunned much like those in the past who had leprosy and typhoid. People the world over are getting very leery of those who sneeze or cough and will take a wide turn. It remains to be seen how this will affect us socially in the long term but things will certainly never be the same for a while.