It seems like only yesterday, no wait! Another pandemic!?
Honestly, it was only hours ago that I was frocking at the mouth about having written my last piece about Influenza’s, pandemics and so forth and along comes another one.
As to be expected, the news is all over this one to create as much panic as humanly possible. There is just one problem and I truly am beginning to believe that maybe George Orwell was on to something.
If you had read my piece on The New Normal – Part Two, you would have a good grasp on what virus’s are and how they became named, but for those that just want a quick refresher, here are a couple of graphics from that piece.
This new “strain” of virus is called “G4 EA H1N1.” Again, referring back to The New Normal – Part Two, one would remember that “There are four types of influenza viruses: A, B, C and D. Human influenza A and B viruses cause seasonal epidemics of disease (known as the flu season) almost every winter in the United States. Influenza A viruses are the only influenza viruses known to cause flu pandemics, i.e., global epidemics of flu disease. A pandemic can occur when a new and very different influenza A virus emerges that both infects people and has the ability to spread efficiently between people. Influenza type C infections generally cause mild illness and are not thought to cause human flu epidemics. Influenza D viruses primarily affect cattle and are not known to infect or cause illness in people.”
And that “Influenza A viruses are divided into subtypes based on two proteins on the surface of the virus: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). There are 18 different hemagglutinin subtypes and 11 different neuraminidase subtypes (H1 through H18 and N1 through N11, respectively). While there are potentially 198 different influenza A subtype combinations, only 131 subtypes have been detected in nature. Current subtypes of influenza A viruses that routinely circulate in people include: A(H1N1) and A(H3N2). Influenza A subtypes can be further broken down into different genetic “clades” and “sub-clades.” See the Influenza Viruses graphic below for a visual depiction of these classifications.”
So lets recap. The – G4 EA H1N1 – virus that the media wants you to panic about is the “Swine Flu”. It made it’s rounds in 2009 and as to be expected, people got sick. To date, there have been 35 cases discovered. Of those 35, I am relatively positive that those 35 people had their hands deep inside of the swine that gave it to them. As well, I would like to point out, as with what seems to be growing number of problems emanating from China these days, their health codes for production workers are marginal at best. Something else to consider is that the health of pigs being grown for slaughter is not so great either.
For now, while the Bubble Headed Bleach Blond’s are squawking at the top of their lungs “You Must Believe Us!” If China will do it’s part to contain this virus to the pig farms, the world will live to see another day.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go shopping for one of these to protect me from the media.
