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It’s been rated a pandemic by the WHO, spreading faster than ever seen before due to air travel. Harms the youngest between 1 and 5 years old. The small number of elderly who lived through the 1918 flu pandemic seem to be immune. The virus nestles deep in the respiratory airways and causes pneumonia. Death rate 1 in 200 patients, 1 in 3 of population will be effected. This means 70,000 deaths in UK alone this fall which will cause further economic downturn, except for the drug companies, they will earn huge profits. Life just ain’t fair. [CDC report]
My earlier diaries on Swine Flu pandemic here, here, here and here.
Imogen and I both have it. It’s no different than the regular flu (at least for most reasonably healthy people). Although it’s clearly more contagious. A friend’s young son had to spend a night in the hospital.
Since we live on an island with a very close-knit population of 500,000 people, there’s really no way to avoid it. The bulk of cases are expected to hit in a week or two, at which point the whole island may come to a screeching halt. It think that the bit that many people are over-looking. Just how many people can you take out of the work force at one time and still have it operate? They are already advising people to avoid the hospital for anything but dire emergencies. And I won’t be surprised if they have to cut some bus routes, etc.
Anyway, I’m on flu-day-six and I’ve just stopped hear rales every time I breath.
My daughter and I had it last month. She had a mild case, mine much more severe.
If it comes back in a deadlier version we are all screwed.
Damn mutagenic drift.
That’s the thing, if and when it mutates (or meets up with another virus it swaps genes with) it’s gonna be a whole ‘nother kettle of fish.
It’s been 8 days now, and I’m still only capable of a few hours light work.
Fortunately I work for myself. But most people don’t. Between sick staff and the increase in patients I have no idea how our hospitals are going to manage for the next few weeks.
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Since we live on an island with a very close-knit population of 500,000 people …
In my estimate, getting the mild form consider yourself lucky. You will be immune for any future mutated flu virus. Very likely this H1N1 virus will mutate and become untreatable with Tamiflu. Get well soon.
Keep us informed how the Islanders are coping with this flu virus and the effect on (hospital) services and the private companies to keep society from shutting down. Perfect hygiene will only delay getting the flu virus, the contagious level is very high. The UK is considering keeping schools closed coming August/September. Only the Chinese have a very tough border control at airports, no other country dared to take such a decision.
Many western countries have perfect biometrics control at airports, patients carrying a deadly virus can travel freely by airliner. Keep all those flasks with liquids under control and make sure to check your shoes. The deadly flu virus is inescapable and will claim more victims than road accidents or global terror.
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."I should add the CDC is predicting hundreds of thousands of swine flu deaths this year”
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LONDON (AP) July 26, 2009 – In a drive to inoculate people against swine flu before winter, many European governments say they will fast-track the testing of a new flu vaccine, arousing concern among some experts about safety issues and proper vaccine doses.
The European Medicines Agency, the EU’s top drug regulatory body, is accelerating the approval process for swine flu vaccine, and countries such as Britain, Greece, France and Sweden say they’ll start using the vaccine after it’s greenlighted — possibly within weeks.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, the World Health Organization’s flu chief, warned about the potential dangers of untested vaccines, although he stopped short of criticizing Europe’s approach outright.
“One of the things which cannot be compromised is the safety of vaccines,” he said Friday. “There are certain areas where you can make economies, perhaps, but certain areas where you simply do not try to make any economies.”
Flu vaccines have been used for 40 years, and many experts say extensive testing is unnecessary, since the swine flu vaccine will simply contain a new ingredient: the swine flu virus.
But European officials won’t know if the new vaccine causes any rare side effects until millions of people get the shots. Still, they say the benefit of saving lives is worth the gamble.
“Everybody is doing the best they can in a situation which is far from ideal,” said Martin Harvey-Allchurch, a spokesman for the European Medicines Agency. “With the winter flu season approaching, we need to make sure the vaccine is available.”
In Europe, flu vaccines are usually tested on hundreds of people for several weeks or months, to ensure the immune system produces enough antibodies to fight the infection.
But to ensure swine flu vaccine is available as soon as possible, the European Medicines Agency is allowing companies to skip testing in large numbers of people before the vaccine is approved.
July 9 – Britain’s government announces plan to fast track their swine flu vaccination program
"But I will not let myself be reduced to silence."