Swine Flu : Over-reaction will cause massive fear & panic
All Rights Reserved 2010 Darren Chong
29 April 2009
I am neither a doctor nor a virus researcher. However I do know there are quite a number of strains of influenza virus other than the current scare Influenza A subtype H1N1 virus.
Basically there are three types of influenza viruses: A, B, and C. There are many more subtypes and strains under the three main types. Some of the influenza can rise to pandemic portions but many are just common variants of the common flu.
Influenza type A viruses can infect people, birds, pigs, horses, seals, whales, and other animals, but wild birds are the natural hosts for these viruses. Influenza type A viruses are divided into subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the virus.
Influenza B viruses are normally found only in humans. Unlike influenza A viruses, these viruses are not classified according to subtype. Although influenza type B viruses can cause human epidemics, they have not caused pandemics.
Influenza type C viruses cause mild illness in humans and do not cause epidemics or pandemics. These viruses are not classified according to subtype.
In contrast, the bubonic plague has killed millions of people many centuries back. Fleas carried by the rats and rodents kill about 50% of infected patients in 3–7 days without treatment. It is believed to be the Black Death that swept through Europe, killing millions of people in the 14th century.
In modern times, human homicides, suicides, road accidents and heart attacks (just to name a few) kills more people per day than any other pandemic known. Cancer is responsible for many deaths but is not considered a pandemic, because the disease is not infectious or contagious.
Throughout human history, there are examples of pandemics affecting the masses. From the 430 BC’s Peloponnesian War to modern days, typhoid fever, smallpox, measles, cholera to HIV, AIDS, and SARS – history has it all. Epidemics caused by influenza and tuberculosis, are generally zoonoses, which came about with domestication of animals. A zoonosis is a disease that can be transmitted from other animals to humans and vice-versa.
Advances in medical health, however, has significant reduced the possibilities of such occurrences in recent times.
As of 28 April 2009, there are 152 confirmed fatalities in Mexico arising this swine flu. To put things in perspective, Mexico has an estimated population of about 109 million people. This makes it the 11th most populous country in the world. Yet, many of these deaths occur in slums and improvised areas. This, perhaps, give rise to lower immune systems of those infected and facilitated the spread of influenza virus to Mexico’s populace.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has done a remarkable job in communicating to the world on the influenza virus and its implications. It advocates control and containment of the influenza virus to be implement widely and swiftly. In response, our very own Health Ministry has now stepped up its pandemic alert level to yellow. This means we are taking all precautionary measures to combat the contagious swine flu.
On the other hand, over-reaction instills fear and panic. If control and containment are overdone, and widespread media continues to fan the flames, prolonged economic repercussions similar to those during the 2003 SARS period might persist. This will cause greater hardships to livelihoods already made difficult by current economic woes. Such actions will not help to lessen the economic impact on our citizens. Conversely, long-term suffering worse than death might prevail.
29 April 2009
I am neither a doctor nor a virus researcher. However I do know there are quite a number of strains of influenza virus other than the current scare Influenza A subtype H1N1 virus.
Basically there are three types of influenza viruses: A, B, and C. There are many more subtypes and strains under the three main types. Some of the influenza can rise to pandemic portions but many are just common variants of the common flu.
Influenza type A viruses can infect people, birds, pigs, horses, seals, whales, and other animals, but wild birds are the natural hosts for these viruses. Influenza type A viruses are divided into subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the virus.
Influenza B viruses are normally found only in humans. Unlike influenza A viruses, these viruses are not classified according to subtype. Although influenza type B viruses can cause human epidemics, they have not caused pandemics.
Influenza type C viruses cause mild illness in humans and do not cause epidemics or pandemics. These viruses are not classified according to subtype.
In contrast, the bubonic plague has killed millions of people many centuries back. Fleas carried by the rats and rodents kill about 50% of infected patients in 3–7 days without treatment. It is believed to be the Black Death that swept through Europe, killing millions of people in the 14th century.
In modern times, human homicides, suicides, road accidents and heart attacks (just to name a few) kills more people per day than any other pandemic known. Cancer is responsible for many deaths but is not considered a pandemic, because the disease is not infectious or contagious.
Throughout human history, there are examples of pandemics affecting the masses. From the 430 BC’s Peloponnesian War to modern days, typhoid fever, smallpox, measles, cholera to HIV, AIDS, and SARS – history has it all. Epidemics caused by influenza and tuberculosis, are generally zoonoses, which came about with domestication of animals. A zoonosis is a disease that can be transmitted from other animals to humans and vice-versa.
Advances in medical health, however, has significant reduced the possibilities of such occurrences in recent times.
As of 28 April 2009, there are 152 confirmed fatalities in Mexico arising this swine flu. To put things in perspective, Mexico has an estimated population of about 109 million people. This makes it the 11th most populous country in the world. Yet, many of these deaths occur in slums and improvised areas. This, perhaps, give rise to lower immune systems of those infected and facilitated the spread of influenza virus to Mexico’s populace.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has done a remarkable job in communicating to the world on the influenza virus and its implications. It advocates control and containment of the influenza virus to be implement widely and swiftly. In response, our very own Health Ministry has now stepped up its pandemic alert level to yellow. This means we are taking all precautionary measures to combat the contagious swine flu.
On the other hand, over-reaction instills fear and panic. If control and containment are overdone, and widespread media continues to fan the flames, prolonged economic repercussions similar to those during the 2003 SARS period might persist. This will cause greater hardships to livelihoods already made difficult by current economic woes. Such actions will not help to lessen the economic impact on our citizens. Conversely, long-term suffering worse than death might prevail.
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