Do You Have Swine Flu?
By Sarah Conner
Monday 28th September 2009
Monday 28th September 2009
Is it a pig? Is it a bird? Nope... its Swine Flu.....
In April this year the US declared a national emergency triggered as 81 people in Mexico lay dying from severe pneumonia caused by a new influenza virus. The flu originated in pigs but managed to cross the species barrier and infect humans. Cases of flu-like symptoms quickly began emerging in Scotland, New Zealand, the USA and other parts of Europe. The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that ‘Swine Flu’ had pandemic potential, yet WHO chose not to issue a world wide alert as it felt countries were more prepared than ever to deal with such a situation. Mexico dealt with the emergency by having soldiers watch out for anyone displaying flu-like symptoms, schools were locked while being scrubbed with disinfectant and the government banned kissing, handshaking and public gatherings. The Foreign Office informed travellers of the situation but did not warn them to avoid visiting Mexico; the USA advised visitors to Mexico to regularly wash their hands.
In Mexico the pandemic means that kissing, handshaking and public gatherings are all banned,
In England they now have the National Pandemic Flu service. People who feel they may have swine flu-like symptoms are advised to call. If the correct symptoms are described, as listed on their website, a ‘flu friend’ (a friend of the patient who does not have swine flu) can then collect their antiviral medication, drugs that are supposed to help the Flu if taken in the first 48hrs after contact with a person who has symptoms. In Scotland we are just told to contact our GP or NHS Direct, though we should all have a flu friend, just in case.
In Scotland of the 105 people hospitalised from Swine Flu only five of the deaths have been linked to the illness (13/08/09 - scotland.gov.uk). Throughout the UK the number of cases has fallen over the last month, with the past week being the lowest since it’s peak. A vaccination program has been established to begin in autumn for at-risk people, this includes the pregnant, those with underlying health conditions and front-line health care workers, but will this be enough or in time to prevent a resurgence of the virus?
The virus is the same strain of Flu that regularly infects human in winter, Influenza A/H1N1. H1N1 describes the parts of the virus that allow it to attach and infect cells, these are the bits that the vaccine is designed to help our bodies detect and fight. H1N1 is also the part of the virus that changed to allow it to infect humans as well as pigs. Swine Flu is actually a mixture of four viruses, a pig, a bird and two human Flu viruses. This mixing of viruses and crossing of species barriers is not uncommon, but due to the unusual time of the year for Flu and the media excitement over Avian (bird) Flu last year Swine Flu caught the media, public and consequently government attention.
One Professor of Virology described the government’s reaction to Swine Flu akin to parents who feel the need to do ‘something’ for their children even though they know they cannot actually help them. The overly generous distribution of antiviral medication is the best example of the government trying to show they are helping us. Unfortunately this is likely to make the situation much worse long term. The bacterial infection, MRSA, has been discussed a lot in the press, it is of great concern to Doctors due to it being highly drug resistant to medications, antibiotics, that would normally kill bacteria, this is believed to be due to inappropriate usage of antibiotics which allow bacteria to become resistant to the drugs. By giving so many antiviral drugs out to people who do not need them, either because they are healthy enough to easily get over the Flu with rest or the infection has progressed to far for the drugs to help, it will allow the virus to become resistant to the antiviral drugs more quickly. Drug resistance only requires a single mutation in the DNA of the virus.
Schools return at the same time as the vaccination program starts. Season Flu normally begins infecting the UK in late autumn, when the University students return. A Flu virus over the colder months is more infectious; this is thought to be because the virus is able to survive longer in the colder, darker conditions of winter. If the governments generosity with antiviral drugs causes Swine Flu to become drug resistant over winter or the Seasonal Flu is resistant and mixes with Swine Flu creating a much nastier or drug resistant type of virus then not only will the population who are at-risk suffer without any drugs available to help, but our struggling economy will be hit further by many people being forced to stay home from Flu.
Our Struggling economy will be hit further by many people being forced to stay at home frm Flu
Many in St Andrews may be wondering how the Flu will develop once the undergraduates return. With the students living and working in such close confines, if an infected person is in contact with even a few students it is very likely to quickly spread, but to what extent? The effect is hard to predict but once schools return this will give us all some indication of what to expect once universities return. The best advice is for everyone to keep soaping their hands and stay home if feeling ill to try and help prevent the spread. It's important to take all the right measures but not overeact. When you have a headache the first thought in your head should not be 'do i have swine flu?', but its best to be safe isnt it?
In April this year the US declared a national emergency triggered as 81 people in Mexico lay dying from severe pneumonia caused by a new influenza virus. The flu originated in pigs but managed to cross the species barrier and infect humans. Cases of flu-like symptoms quickly began emerging in Scotland, New Zealand, the USA and other parts of Europe. The World Health Organisation (WHO) stated that ‘Swine Flu’ had pandemic potential, yet WHO chose not to issue a world wide alert as it felt countries were more prepared than ever to deal with such a situation. Mexico dealt with the emergency by having soldiers watch out for anyone displaying flu-like symptoms, schools were locked while being scrubbed with disinfectant and the government banned kissing, handshaking and public gatherings. The Foreign Office informed travellers of the situation but did not warn them to avoid visiting Mexico; the USA advised visitors to Mexico to regularly wash their hands.
In Mexico the pandemic means that kissing, handshaking and public gatherings are all banned,
In England they now have the National Pandemic Flu service. People who feel they may have swine flu-like symptoms are advised to call. If the correct symptoms are described, as listed on their website, a ‘flu friend’ (a friend of the patient who does not have swine flu) can then collect their antiviral medication, drugs that are supposed to help the Flu if taken in the first 48hrs after contact with a person who has symptoms. In Scotland we are just told to contact our GP or NHS Direct, though we should all have a flu friend, just in case.
In Scotland of the 105 people hospitalised from Swine Flu only five of the deaths have been linked to the illness (13/08/09 - scotland.gov.uk). Throughout the UK the number of cases has fallen over the last month, with the past week being the lowest since it’s peak. A vaccination program has been established to begin in autumn for at-risk people, this includes the pregnant, those with underlying health conditions and front-line health care workers, but will this be enough or in time to prevent a resurgence of the virus?
The virus is the same strain of Flu that regularly infects human in winter, Influenza A/H1N1. H1N1 describes the parts of the virus that allow it to attach and infect cells, these are the bits that the vaccine is designed to help our bodies detect and fight. H1N1 is also the part of the virus that changed to allow it to infect humans as well as pigs. Swine Flu is actually a mixture of four viruses, a pig, a bird and two human Flu viruses. This mixing of viruses and crossing of species barriers is not uncommon, but due to the unusual time of the year for Flu and the media excitement over Avian (bird) Flu last year Swine Flu caught the media, public and consequently government attention.
One Professor of Virology described the government’s reaction to Swine Flu akin to parents who feel the need to do ‘something’ for their children even though they know they cannot actually help them. The overly generous distribution of antiviral medication is the best example of the government trying to show they are helping us. Unfortunately this is likely to make the situation much worse long term. The bacterial infection, MRSA, has been discussed a lot in the press, it is of great concern to Doctors due to it being highly drug resistant to medications, antibiotics, that would normally kill bacteria, this is believed to be due to inappropriate usage of antibiotics which allow bacteria to become resistant to the drugs. By giving so many antiviral drugs out to people who do not need them, either because they are healthy enough to easily get over the Flu with rest or the infection has progressed to far for the drugs to help, it will allow the virus to become resistant to the antiviral drugs more quickly. Drug resistance only requires a single mutation in the DNA of the virus.
Schools return at the same time as the vaccination program starts. Season Flu normally begins infecting the UK in late autumn, when the University students return. A Flu virus over the colder months is more infectious; this is thought to be because the virus is able to survive longer in the colder, darker conditions of winter. If the governments generosity with antiviral drugs causes Swine Flu to become drug resistant over winter or the Seasonal Flu is resistant and mixes with Swine Flu creating a much nastier or drug resistant type of virus then not only will the population who are at-risk suffer without any drugs available to help, but our struggling economy will be hit further by many people being forced to stay home from Flu.
Our Struggling economy will be hit further by many people being forced to stay at home frm Flu
Many in St Andrews may be wondering how the Flu will develop once the undergraduates return. With the students living and working in such close confines, if an infected person is in contact with even a few students it is very likely to quickly spread, but to what extent? The effect is hard to predict but once schools return this will give us all some indication of what to expect once universities return. The best advice is for everyone to keep soaping their hands and stay home if feeling ill to try and help prevent the spread. It's important to take all the right measures but not overeact. When you have a headache the first thought in your head should not be 'do i have swine flu?', but its best to be safe isnt it?
