Update on the A(H1N1) Virus a.k.a. Swine Flu

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It was April 2009 where we first covered the emergence of the swine flu. It was then spreading fast in Mexico and some parts of America. On June 11, 2009 the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the swine flu is now a Pandemic, not because of its severity, but because of the speed at which it spreads. With the Southern hemisphere flu season now upon us, the WHO declaration is more than justified.

Community level outbreaks started which alarmed the world. The declaration of a pandemic was just a reflection of these outbreaks. No need to needlessly worry, although people should still stay vigilant and exercise proper precautions and personal hygiene at all times.

You can help protect yourself and reduce the spread of any virus. All you need to do is observe proper precautions and personal cleanliness. For example, you can cover your nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing. You should always teach your children to wash their hands with antibacterial soap regularly. You can avoid crowds and tune in to the news for additional information. You can teach your children to avoid touching their eyes, mouth, and nose (this is how sickness can spread). There are a lot of things that you can do to contribute against the swine flu or regular viral infections. We are not completely helpless in this regard.

We are still waiting for a vaccine to be made. Although the French Pharmaceutical company, Novartis, claims to have made an effective batch of swine flu vaccine, it is not yet known when it will be available for public consumption. Australian researchers are also developing a vaccine using caterpillar cells.

Clearly, the vaccine for swine flu is not too far off before we get it. A lot of alarmist mentally has emerged from this debacle, but most people infected by this flu have recovered without needing any medical assistance.

It must be repeated that the swine flu should not be underestimated. It is a real threat. However, alarmist mentality should be negated by proper information of the severity of the threat. The fact is, dengue fever has a much worse casualty count than swine flu. Dengue fever caused by day time, female mosquitoes is a much severe case than this new swine flu cases upon us.

Sources:

news.yahoo.com

Cdc.gov

Wikipedia.org

Image Credit Flickr.com

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