DISCLAIMER: I am not a doctor or a scientist. I do not speak on behalf of any organization. This information is based on knowledge I've gleaned from work, school, and personal experience and reading (including a lot of reading over the past few days). Updated 4/30/09, 9:30 a.m.
So what's the big deal, anyway? We have flu every year.
This isn't your average seasonal flu virus. To start with, it's brand-new, which means no one has any immunity to it. Even if you were vaccinated for the same general type of virus, you wouldn't likely get much protection against this strain. It also appears to making people sicker and killing more people than seasonal flu, at least in Mexico, where it originated. However, that hasn't been happening in other parts of the world.
Even a true "pandemic" doesn't necessarily mean a disease is severe or deadly, just that it's very widespread. The World Health Organization's pandemic phase numbers are based only on how and where a disease is transmitted. The current phase, 5, means that the disease is being transmitted between humans in 2 different countries in the same WHO region (Mexico and the US). Phase 6, a full pandemic, means the the disease is being transmitted between humans in 2 different countries in 2 different WHO regions. They're likely to move to that designation within the next few days.
They're calling it "swine flu" even though they haven't found it in pigs. Why?
Well, actually, they're working on a new name for it, mainly to try to slow down the spread of misinformation about pork products. (See below; short version, you can't get it from eating pork.)
The new strain is called "swine flu" because it's most closely related to existing flu strains that originate in pigs. It's a brand-new mutation that also has some elements of both human and avian (bird) strains. Viruses can switch genetic material during mutation, which is how a virus can jump from animals to humans in the first place. Avian flu viruses cause some of the most severe illnesses of any strains, and they tend to cause the most deaths in younger people with strong immune systems. The current flu virus has elements of avian flu and human flu viruses, so it can cause serious illness in humans.
The virus may have jumped directly from pigs to people, but epidemiologists aren't going to spend a lot of time checking pigs when it's so critical to track it in humans.
I don't get this whole mutation thing. May I have a silly but possibly effective illustration which you will post purely for yourself, whether anyone really cares or not?
(This will probably make actual scientists weep.)
Picture two paper clip chains. Each of them has eight paper clips in various colors. Each chain is a virus, and each paper clip represents a set of genes. Instead of swapping bodily fluids, viruses swap those gene sets.
So, these two viruses ... er, paper clip chains chains meet up, and one of them says to the other, "Hey, that's a cool red paper clip you have! You think you'd be willing to trade it for this green one? I love it but I've had it for a long time and I'm looking for something a little different." The other chain says, "Sure, green's my favorite color! Here you go!" And they swap green for red, then go on their merry ways.
Viruses consider this a rockin' good time.
Anyway, those two viruses are now brand-new strains that don't match up with the strains they were before. They'll be close to the same, but not exactly. Whether they'll show up any differently will depend on what was in that section of genes they got in the swap. However, since organisms of all types tend to make changes that make them better, it's likely that the new genes will make the new strain easier to transmit, or make it cause more severe illness, or some other quality that makes them an improvement from the previous version. New, improved viruses, woo-hoo! (Well, improved for them, not necessarily for us.)
About 150 people have died in Mexico. Is that a lot?
It's hard to tell. About 2,400 people have been sick enough to be hospitalized in Mexico, and 152 have died, but that doesn't take into account people who weren't sick enough to be hospitalized, and not all of the cases have been confirmed as this strain of flu. Still, deaths from seasonal influenza in the United States are less than 1% of total cases, so this does seem to be more severe.
Also, most of those who have died have been previously healthy and in their 20s, 30s, and 40s, which is far different from the usual seasonal pattern, where young children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems are most likely to die.
Has anyone died in other countries?One 22-month-old child died in Texas, but he'd come from Mexico, so he probably caught it there. Still, more deaths are likely. The virus strain has only been recognized for a couple of weeks, so even if things don't get much worse than they are now, more people are probably going to die. It's way too early to predict where and when those deaths will occur.
Okay, so, how can I keep from getting it?The biggest thing you can do is wash your hands often, using plain soap and plenty of warm water. If you can't wash your hands, then use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Avoid "antimicrobial" products; they don't work any better, and probably wouldn't guard against flu anyway.
Also take care of yourself: eat well, get plenty of rest, reduce stress, and so on. And avoid people who are sick, of course!
At this point, unless you live in one of the outbreak areas or you think you may be getting sick, there's no need to avoid public gatherings, keep kids out of school, and so on. Face masks are also overkill, and they might not offer much protection if you aren't trained on how to use them properly. (If you feel you must, though, look for masks labeled "N95" at hardware stores, rather than "painter's masks.")
What if I think I'm getting sick?First, don't panic. :) Remember, this is also the season for allergies and spring colds. Flu symptoms are usually pretty easy to distinguish from other respiratory illnesses. The most likely are high fever (102 degrees F), headache and muscle aches, and extreme fatigue. Chills, dry hacking cough, and sore throat are all common. Symptoms also tend to hit very suddenly, within a few hours. One difference is that this flu strain seems to be causing digestive problems in some people, which is pretty rare with seasonal flu. ("Stomach flu" isn't flu at all and, in fact, is usually something foodborne.)
If you have a runny nose, sneezing, mild cough, and mild tiredness, you probably have a cold. If you have itchy, runny nose and eyes, sneezing, and occasional cough, it's probably allergies.
If you do think your symptoms indicate flu, call your doctor's office and ask if you should consider antiviral medication. Two common antivirual drugs seem to work against this flu strain, so if you can start it quickly after your symptoms start, your illness may be shorter and milder. Also, stay home as much as possible. Going to work, school, and so on will only serve to spread the virus faster. Consider keeping everyone in your household home for a few days, to be sure they aren't also sick -- you can spread the virus to others before your symptoms start.
If you have to go out, cover your cough (preferably with a shoulder or arm, rather than your hand), carry tissues to cover sneezes, and try to stay away from other people whenever you can. (That is, if you don't have your own transportation, taking a cab would be better than taking a bus.)
What should I do in case schools/offices/public transportation shut down, like in Mexico?It's always a good idea to do a few basic things to stay prepared for emergencies. If nothing else, you should keep some simple first aid supplies on hand—bandages and alcohol for treating small wounds, Tylenol or other over-the-counter medications for fever and pain, digestive remedies, a thermometer to check for fever, Benadryl for allergies. Also store a few flashlights with extra batteries, and a battery-powered radio may come in handy.
To plan for a need to stay at home for a few days, make sure you have enough food for everyone in your household, including pets. Check your stocks of any other necessary items, such as diapers for small children and prescription medications for chronic conditions. Keeping a few gallons of water on hand is another good idea but isn't likely to be critical even if a severe pandemic were to happen. You don't need to run out and buy water, though—just fill up a few pitchers or other (food-safe) containers from the tap.
Please don't tell me I have to give up my morning bacon habit!! No, as noted above, pork products are perfectly safe (assuming they're otherwise prepared properly, of course). You can't get this or any "swine" flu from eating pig. Enjoy all the bacon you like!
Where can I get more information?One of the best sources is the
CDC website. It's updated often and has multiple links for the public about the epidemic. If you're on Twitter, you can get updates and links via
@CDCemergency, but most will direct back to the same web site.
Other questions, including requests for explanations of any of the above, are welcome in comments. So is linking. :)
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