Perhaps the most important lesson to take home when it comes to flu viruses is that as simple as they sound, they can kill you. This simple truth has been often overlooked and many of us have taken things for granted, never preparing for the worst and always confusing a flu for a common cold. Big mistake. Strains such as H5N1 (avian flu or bird flu) and the newest one H1N1 (swine flu) are potent enough that can bring an entire nation to its knees. These pathogens are super strains that are persistant and under the right conditions can really wreck havoc among a population.
The essence that makes these viruses so lethal is their "infectivity ratio". In layman terms, how easily they are transmitted from one person to the next being breathing contaminated air the most common way of transmition. When the number of new cases rises exponentially and the disease spreads beyond one region to cover multiple geographic areas, we are in the presence of a pandemic.
But their danger should not deter us from taking action. In fact, and in spite of their lethal level, a simple plan can stop the spreading of the disease right on its track turning a potential nightmare scenario into a manageable problem. One of the things that comes as a surprise is that pandemics ocurred at very predictable intervals. Every hundred years or so a major pandemic that dwarfed prior ones has taken place. Just this fact alone should alert us that with some planning most of the problems associated to pandemics can be averted.
One of the simplest and most effective ways of preparing for a possible pandemic relies on mass vaccination programs orchestrated by local governments. When you receive a vaccine your immune system identifies the viral proteins as foreign elements and develops a line of defense to combat and destroy them. Once this is accomplished, the antibodies generated remain in your body alert of possible new intrusions, thus protecting your body from further contagion. This doesn't necessarily mean you will not be infected again but if you are, the level of danger is going to be reduced drastically and a flu may look more like a common cold.
One example of an effective vaccine that is capable of combating one of the most serious strains is Tamiflu which offers protection against the H5N1 virus, commonly known as avian flu or bird flu. In regards to the H1N1 strain, the FDA has just announced -as of September 2009- that four of the expected five manufacturers that were supposed to make the vaccine have been approved: CSL Ltd. of Australia, Switzerland's Novartis Vaccines, Sanofi Pasteur of France — which produces flu shots at its Swiftwater, Pa., factory — and Maryland-based MedImmune LLC, which makes the only nasal-spray flu vaccine.
One of the key questions we should ask ourselves in regards to sound preparedness for an event like a pandemic is how bad it may get. It is good judgment to consider that a scenario where food delivery can break down and electric and water utility services may be partially interrupted, may develop. In such event, chaos and urban disorder is most likely. Survival may become the name of the game. Disruptions of all sorts of services -some of which we are so used to that we never think about them- is very likely. Therefore, it is a good idea to remain open-minded and consider a broad range of alternatives and plans of action. The below list has been published as a guidance only and by no means exhausts other more comprehensive options:
* Have a lawyer make a living will.
* Make sure you have life insurance.
* Get a flu shot and inquiry about Pneumovax vaccination.
* Prepare a stockpile of food and other necessities: sugar, salt, water, canned foods, cooking oil, etc.
* Medical supplies: thermometers, blood pressure monitors, measuring cups, gauze, tissue, bandaids, toilet paper.
* Get some over-the-counter medicine: Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Benadryl, Cough Syrup, Vitamins, Tums.
* Cleaning agents: bleach, hand-sanitizers, disinfectants. This is of critical importance.
* More food items: baking soda, juices, gatorade, teas, white rice, crackers, powder-milk, butter, dry beans.
* Flashlights, matches, candles, solar-powered batteries and several radios.
* Consider moving temporarily out of urban areas.
* Have a plan for attending hospitals and healthcare services. These facilities will be overwhelmed.
* Consider a water purification system to secure a source of drinking water and prevent dehydration.
In general, it is better not to worry and never to panic. The key symptoms that make this different than a common flu are fever, sore throat, cough, runny nose and general aches. This doesn't necessarily mean that the person experiencing these has been infected with swine flu or avian flu nor the seasonal flu. It could be another type of infectious disease but if flu viruses are circulating within the community there is a good chance the symptoms reflect flu disease. Flu is much worse than just a regular cold. The fever and body aches are quite remarkable and sometimes associated to strong shivering. If the infection has expanded to the gastrointestinal tract, there may also be nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. There will be a loss of apetite and the patient may quickly start to lose fluids. Dehydration may become severe, specially if there is diarrhea in which case it is of particular importance to feed the patient either water or a rehydration solution:
* 4 cups of water
* 3 tablespoons of sugar
* 1/4 tsp of table salt
Dehydration is serious business. Preventing it will save more lives than all other treatments combined. Fever together with diarrhea make a patient lose water very quickly. Symptoms of dehydration can include weakness, headache, fainting, decrease saliva, loss of skin elasticity, sunken eyes and dark urine. Fever is an especially easy way to lose fluids without anyone noticing it as water tends to evaporate through the skin.
In September 28, 2005 the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendations for reducing exposure among healthcare workers were published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Some of these recommendations included accounting for a negative pressure room, long-sleeved full-length gowns, gloves, eye goggles and NIOSH N-95 masks. These recommendations may not be the most appropriate for home care but through them one can infer that simply breathing the air in the surrounding area where an infected person resides can result in significant exposure. Therefore, individual families may also try to set up a "sick room" in the house provided they have the space. Linens should be kept clean and dry. Beddings, garment and clothing should be kept clean and dry. Washing any contaminated object with a chlorine solution and hot water should be the norm. Surfaces should also be kept clean and sprayed with a 1:10 bleach to water solution. Above all, seek the advice of a professional practitioner as fast as you can and remain calm at all times.
Notes: The above essay has been adapted from and based on "The Bird Flu" by author Grattam Wood, MD. published by Health Communications Inc and available at Amazon.com
online.
