Puzzling Pandemic
The H1N1 flu virus and all the information and heeding erupting from its onset, begins to appear mysteriously like a non-event caused by global hysteria, prepped by years of World Health Organization (WHO) cautions to the world at large of a global pandemic certain to hit us when we're least prepared, resulting in dire consequences. The misery that SARS caused until it was apprehended was bad enough, and we heard mutterings of Ebola, and avian flu about to sweep the Globe, but none of these disasters appeared to materialize.
Mind, we're vastly relieved. But, we are warned, we must not let down our guard. Remember the Spanish flu and the lives lost to it? That kind of thing; because, in fact, you never know what Nature with her infinite bag of tricks has in store for us. Everyone is on alert; governments at every level, hospitals, front line health workers; paramedics, hospital emergency departments, primary-care clinics, you name it. This H1N1 virus has been around the world twice now, in some hemispheres, and now it's hitting North America. Again.
Schools and institutes of higher education in some areas in particular have already seen the thinning of the ranks as students are hit with symptoms and as cautioned, remain at home. Some, needless to say, showing up at hospital emergency departments, and a minuscule portion admitted to hospital for emergency care. There have been some deaths, and the thought of deaths resulting from this swine flu has generated great worry in the minds of the public. Little wonder, since the news media are full of whatever can be gleaned about this new menace.
Yet the truth appears to be that this H1N1 virus has thus far killed 144 people who have contracted it on the worldwide basis. Contrast that to a like number of people who die every few hours worldwide, of seasonal flu. This is shaping up to be the most innocuous, yet most-inoculated-against virus we've yet seen surface. According to some sources, the 20th Century's 'mildest' pandemic killed roughly a million people around the world. In the six months of its re-appearance Swine flu has killed about as many people as the seasonal flu does every six days.
The original WHO definition of 'pandemic' was that of a "simultaneous epidemic worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness", emphasis being on the severity of the onset. A revised WHO definition issued in April somehow lost the factor of "severity". Sufficed that it spread worldwide. H1N1 simply isn't turning out to be the lethal instrument of death that we have all been forewarned of. Yet governments around the world have committed millions upon millions of dollars in ensuring that they have ordered sufficient quantities of vaccine to inoculate their vulnerable populations.
Public health officials have been desperately scrambling, attempting to arrange public clinics where first, front line health care workers, then the health-immune-compromised, then pregnant women and young children may have the benefit of the initial shots giving them immunity to this killer virus. Then the elderly in the population may wish to line up, and in fact, the entire population of every country is being enthusiastically and urgently required to do their civic duty and present themselves for inoculations.
Strange, isn't it, that those medical professionals who have been lined up to receive the first shots to ensure that they're still on their feet and professionally capable to pursue their line of work in the face of disaster striking urban communities, are resentful and many appear unwilling to receive those vaccinations. Doubtful of the vaccine's effectiveness, and above all, of the after-effects. Which may, some incautiously venture, in rare occasions, turn out to be far, far worse than end-results of the virus being inoculated against.
Not enough data has been assembled with respect to safety. This is, in fact, in the nature of a huge experiment. And the pharmaceutical giants are celebrating big time at this opportunity that has just seemed to drop into their waiting laps. But of course WHO set the stage with its naming of a pandemic, insisting on mass vaccination plans and all the emergency response measures to be put in place, because of the fearful predictions of the severity of the onset of a catastrophic pandemic.
Causing, in the U.S., to whom all the world looks for initiative, a report issued in August from the President's council of Advisors on Science and Technology, informing of a "plausible scenario" of 30,000 to 90,000 deaths in there, as a result of the virus. Peaking, as it happens, in mid-October. What's this? Verging on November? Not, we should hasten to add, that we would like to see the worst-case scenario occur. Still, the fact is countries world-wide have stocked up on antiviral medication and H1N1 vaccine.
And panic reigns supreme. Surprise: this was just a test. The big event is just around the corner. Sometime or other.
Mind, we're vastly relieved. But, we are warned, we must not let down our guard. Remember the Spanish flu and the lives lost to it? That kind of thing; because, in fact, you never know what Nature with her infinite bag of tricks has in store for us. Everyone is on alert; governments at every level, hospitals, front line health workers; paramedics, hospital emergency departments, primary-care clinics, you name it. This H1N1 virus has been around the world twice now, in some hemispheres, and now it's hitting North America. Again.
Schools and institutes of higher education in some areas in particular have already seen the thinning of the ranks as students are hit with symptoms and as cautioned, remain at home. Some, needless to say, showing up at hospital emergency departments, and a minuscule portion admitted to hospital for emergency care. There have been some deaths, and the thought of deaths resulting from this swine flu has generated great worry in the minds of the public. Little wonder, since the news media are full of whatever can be gleaned about this new menace.
Yet the truth appears to be that this H1N1 virus has thus far killed 144 people who have contracted it on the worldwide basis. Contrast that to a like number of people who die every few hours worldwide, of seasonal flu. This is shaping up to be the most innocuous, yet most-inoculated-against virus we've yet seen surface. According to some sources, the 20th Century's 'mildest' pandemic killed roughly a million people around the world. In the six months of its re-appearance Swine flu has killed about as many people as the seasonal flu does every six days.
The original WHO definition of 'pandemic' was that of a "simultaneous epidemic worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness", emphasis being on the severity of the onset. A revised WHO definition issued in April somehow lost the factor of "severity". Sufficed that it spread worldwide. H1N1 simply isn't turning out to be the lethal instrument of death that we have all been forewarned of. Yet governments around the world have committed millions upon millions of dollars in ensuring that they have ordered sufficient quantities of vaccine to inoculate their vulnerable populations.
Public health officials have been desperately scrambling, attempting to arrange public clinics where first, front line health care workers, then the health-immune-compromised, then pregnant women and young children may have the benefit of the initial shots giving them immunity to this killer virus. Then the elderly in the population may wish to line up, and in fact, the entire population of every country is being enthusiastically and urgently required to do their civic duty and present themselves for inoculations.
Strange, isn't it, that those medical professionals who have been lined up to receive the first shots to ensure that they're still on their feet and professionally capable to pursue their line of work in the face of disaster striking urban communities, are resentful and many appear unwilling to receive those vaccinations. Doubtful of the vaccine's effectiveness, and above all, of the after-effects. Which may, some incautiously venture, in rare occasions, turn out to be far, far worse than end-results of the virus being inoculated against.
Not enough data has been assembled with respect to safety. This is, in fact, in the nature of a huge experiment. And the pharmaceutical giants are celebrating big time at this opportunity that has just seemed to drop into their waiting laps. But of course WHO set the stage with its naming of a pandemic, insisting on mass vaccination plans and all the emergency response measures to be put in place, because of the fearful predictions of the severity of the onset of a catastrophic pandemic.
Causing, in the U.S., to whom all the world looks for initiative, a report issued in August from the President's council of Advisors on Science and Technology, informing of a "plausible scenario" of 30,000 to 90,000 deaths in there, as a result of the virus. Peaking, as it happens, in mid-October. What's this? Verging on November? Not, we should hasten to add, that we would like to see the worst-case scenario occur. Still, the fact is countries world-wide have stocked up on antiviral medication and H1N1 vaccine.
And panic reigns supreme. Surprise: this was just a test. The big event is just around the corner. Sometime or other.
posted by Pieface @ 6:08 PM
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