[serious] Docfeelgood's General Swine Flu Thread

[Space05us]

dread could become an outbreak rivaling a 1918 flu pandemic that killed tens of millions of people. ... Unlike seasonal flu, which kills tens of thousands of toddlers and the elderly each year, H1N1 has mostly sickened young adults and been deadliest in older children and teens. Experts worry that it could mutate into strains for which most people have no immunity.

Why is it that people compare this flu to the 1918 flu? The 1918 flu killed healthy people, this flu is killing people with other medical problems that are causing complications. I have yet to read a report that states "Perfectly healthy 25 year old dies from piggy flu".

[Docfeelgood]

dread could become an outbreak rivaling a 1918 flu pandemic that killed tens of millions of people. ... Unlike seasonal flu, which kills tens of thousands of toddlers and the elderly each year, H1N1 has mostly sickened young adults and been deadliest in older children and teens. Experts worry that it could mutate into strains for which most people have no immunity.

Why is it that people compare this flu to the 1918 flu? The 1918 flu killed healthy people, this flu is killing people with other medical problems that are causing complications. I have yet to read a report that states "Perfectly healthy 25 year old dies from piggy flu".

People with heart or lung conditions who have flu conditions tend to be more susceptible at first.

[Space05us]

Influenza may have killed as many as 25 million in its first 25 weeks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic

[Docfeelgood]

Influenza may have killed as many as 25 million in its first 25 weeks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1918_flu_pandemic

Health officials in the United States, Mexico and Canada fear that a strengthened virus will return north with the winter cold. And the United Kingdom’s health minister warned this week that the flu could strike as many as 100,000 Britons a day by the end of August.

[Docfeelgood]

H1N1 patient tests positive despite treatment

Experts now fear that this could be an indication of the virus either having mutated or developed resistance to the standard anti-viral drug, Tamiflu.

H1N1 patient tests positive despite treatment
4 Jul 2009, 0554 hrs IST, Pushpa Narayan, TNN


CHENNAI: The case of a 29-year-old man, who continued to remain H1N1 positive even after weeks of treatment in the city, has doctors and health department officials in a tizzy. Experts now fear that this could be an indication of the virus either having mutated or developed resistance to the standard anti-viral drug, Tamiflu.

Mutation and drug resistance have been major challenges in dealing with viruses across the world. The present strain, A(H1N1), developed from an earlier type which caused the Spanish flu that claimed several million lives in 1918.

What has added to the confusion in health circles here is that the man was discharged from the Communicable Diseases Hospital in Tondiarpet, where he was quarantined. Officials at the hospital said they had decided to discharge him based on a fax message they received from the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD). "Though his throat swabs continue to show positive, he was not showing any clinical symptoms. We told him not to step out of his residence for at least a week. We have advised him to stay away from the rest of his family members, particularly his pregnant wife," said Chennai Corporation health officer Dr B Kuganantham.

But the directorate of public health is panicky. "We are upset that the NICD has directly contacted the hospital without keeping the government in the loop. The viral status of the patient is still positive, possibly because of a mutation or drug resistance. He could be a carrier who can spread the infection to other people. It is a bad idea to send him back," said director of public health Dr S Elango.

On June 18, the man and his wife landed in the city from the US and were quarantined for symptoms of H1N1 flu at CDH. Two days later, NICD and National Institute of Virology in Pune confirmed that the couple were positive. They were given the drug of choice, Tamiflu. A week later, the hospital authorities sent throat swabs for a second round of test. While the woman's result was negative, the man continued to be positive. He was started on the second course of the same drug but remained positive at the end of the second week as well.

Dr Elango urged Indian Council of Medical Research Director General Dr Vishwa Mohan Katoch to carry out a viral genome sequencing from the man's sample since there are fears of the virus having changed. "Katoch was in agreement to this, but NICD officials seemed to have jumped the gun," Dr Elango said. NICD officials refused to comment.

Katoch told Times of India that though the laboratories have been on the lookout for any changes in the virus, they have found none till now. "Most infected patients are responding well to the drug," he said.

Meanwhile, the French nationals quarantined in CDH and two other patients quarantined in the Government General Hospital tested negative. So far, the state health department had quarantined more than 60 patients and sent samples of 54 patients. Of these, nine were tested positive and the result of one is pending.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/C...w/4735786.cms#

[Sprayber]

Is this still a serious thread?

[Wezil]

Was it ever?

[Space05us]

itz srs

[Docfeelgood]

Stay out of this thread. If you want to argue about whether or not you should stay out of the thread, PM me.

[Guynemer]

Oh no, it's resistant to Tamiflu?!

You mean just like 95% of the seasonal flu that went through the US last winter?!?!


SWEET LORD NO!




Newsflash: Tamiflu doesn't really cure influenza. It shortens the timeframe of symptoms by a day or two, and it is only successful in that if it is started within 48 hours of symptom onset. The vast majority of people who get influenza don't get Tamiflu because either a) they don't show up to the doctor within 48 hours, or b) of those who do, the potential side effects (which include psychosis) often outweigh the potential benefit.

[Thoth]

Oh no, it's resistant to Tamiflu?!

b) of those who do, the potential side effects (which include psychosis) often outweigh the potential benefit.

This would explain a lot of DfG's posts, he's obviously been hitting the Tamiflu way too hard.

[Space05us]

According to the all knowing never faulting wikipedia, Stevens-Johnson syndrom is another side effect of tamiflu.

Stevens–Johnson syndrome (SJS) is a life-threatening condition affecting the skin in which cell death causes the epidermis to separate from the dermis.

I think I'd take my chances with the virus.

[Guynemer]

SJS is a very nasty piece of business.

[Docfeelgood]

This would explain a lot of DfG's posts, he's obviously been hitting the Tamiflu way too hard.

I never inhaled!

[Docfeelgood]

U.N. chief: $1 billion needed against swine flu

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/31764278...lth-swine_flu/

Some 94,000 people have died of swine flu and over 429 have been infected, according to the latest totals by the WHO. But experts fear the number of infected people may be much higher than those confirmed.