It is not flu season, but that is not stopping the Swine flu from sickening a large number of people. True it may be scary to some, so they may turn their heads, but the fact of the matter is even though it may die down over the summer, the swine flu, along with the normal seasonal flu, is highly likely to strike again in the fall. And it may be worse.
Read On:
CDC Prepares for Swine Flu Surge in Fall
Swine Flu Still Hot in Northeast but Easing in Most of U.S.
By Daniel J. DeNoon
WebMD Health News
Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD
May 26, 2009 - As the U.S. swine flu epidemic eases -- except in the Northeast -- the CDC is shifting its focus to preparing for a surge of cases when flu season returns in the fall.
The count of people who have been infected with the H1N1 swine flu continues to rise. Today's official count is 6,764 cases -- and that number should rise considerably as many state and local health departments did not report new cases over the Memorial Day holiday.
There have been 10 official U.S. swine flu deaths and two new deaths likely caused by the new flu. More than 300 people in the U.S. have been hospitalized, over half of them previously healthy young people.
While swine flu remains widespread in the Northeast, the epidemic seems to be waning in the rest of the country. Nationwide, no more people are seeing doctors for flu-like illness than is usual for this time of year -- a key indicator of flu activity.
It's too soon to say that swine flu has peaked in the U.S., Anne Schuchat, MD, the CDC's interim deputy director for science and health, said at a news conference. While hot spots of swine flu are expected to pop up across the nation throughout the summer, she said, "we are thinking that the warm summer months ahead may give us a little respite."
Accordingly, the CDC is shifting gears.
"Now we are at a transition point where we are entering an area of new focus and new priorities," Schuchat said. "We really are on a fast track for the next eight to 10 weeks to learn as much as we can ... and to strengthen our planning for the surge of illness we expect to see here in the fall."
What will happen over the next two months is that the nation's health experts face a series of decisions about making a swine flu vaccine.
One decision already has been made: Seasonal flu vaccine is being made now. Soon, vaccine makers will be ready to switch to making a swine flu vaccine. Here are the questions that must be answered:
• Should we really make a swine flu vaccine?
• Should we base a vaccine on the current virus? Flu viruses change rapidly. Vaccine against the current virus might be far less effective against a changed virus.
• Should we wait to see if the virus changes? If vaccine production doesn't start soon, swine flu vaccine won't be ready when it's needed.
• Will people need one shot of vaccine, or two?
• Will immune-stimulating adjuvants make the vaccine more potent -- or lead to an unacceptably high level of side effects?
• As vaccine becomes available, who should get the vaccine first? Who should be sent to the end of the line?
continued...
Only one thing is for sure: There won't be enough information for a definitive answer to these questions. But Schuchat says the CDC is working overtime to come up with as much information as it can to make these decisions as informed as possible.
"We do try to separate the questions about the initial steps in vaccine development, later steps in vaccine production, and further steps that might involve the decision to vaccinate some or all of the population," Schuchat said. "There needs to be an evidence-based and careful deliberation for each of these steps. We don't intend to make a decision about immunization until as late as possible."
Key data will come from what swine flu does in the Southern Hemisphere this summer, as that part of the world enters its flu season.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) today reaffirmed its decision not to declare a world flu pandemic until swine flu clearly becomes as severe in other parts of the world as it has been in the U.S. and Mexico.
The WHO may decide to raise its caution level in ways less likely to sow the seeds of panic than a pandemic alert, Keiji Fukuda, MD, WHO interim assistant director-general for health security and environment, said today at a news conference.
"We have no specific plans to raise the alert in one region or another," Fukuda said. "But if the disease got significantly worse in one country, we would get that information out to other countries very quickly independent of 'phases' or 'alerts,'" he said.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Official swine flu figures are just 'tip of the iceberg', warn health experts
Pregnant women and young people most at risk as recorded cases rise to 185
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Swine flu is far more widespread than official figures suggest and is causing the severest illness in children, young adults and pregnant women, international evidence shows.
The worrying developments emerged as a 37-year-old man critically ill in hospital in Glasgow was yesterday confirmed as having swine flu, and five members of his family are being viewed as possible cases.
The man, who has not been named, was admitted to intensive care last week and has a serious underlying illness. He is not known to have had contact with any swine flu cases or travelled recently.
The total number of confirmed cases in the UK leapt on Tuesday after an outbreak at Welford Primary School in Handsworth, Birmingham infected 50 children. One further case was reported in the East Midlands yesterday taking the UK total to 185 cases.
In the US, where the official number of cases stands at 6,764, including 10 deaths, experts at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention say the true total is likely to be 20 times higher, at over 100,000. The official total is the "tip of the iceberg", they said.
National surveillance systems in the US and Europe depend on family doctors taking swabs from patients who consult them with flu-like symptoms and sending them to the laboratory for analysis, but most patients with flu never see a doctor.
A spokesman for the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the size of the outbreak at Welford Primary School was "not unexpected" and there was "no evidence of sustained transmission in the community at the moment".
He added: "It is the largest school outbreak so far. But if we get a case in a school we know it will spread. Seasonal flu is no different. We fully expect more cases in the same school."
Officials accept that if the novel H1N1 virus starts to spread rapidly, the government will be forced to abandon its containment strategy, which involves offering anti-viral drugs prophylactically to close contacts of those infected.
The HPA spokesman said: "We are using [the containment strategy] at the moment. It buys you time to develop a vaccine by delaying the spread. I don't think anyone assumes you can go on with this indefinitely, but we have not reached that point yet."
A spokesman for the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in Stockholm, which monitors the spread of swine flu across Europe, said: "With any surveillance system there will be cases that are not picked up. The number of laboratory confirmed cases is likely to be lower than the total in the real world."
"The strategy of containment is being pursued by all countries in Europe but, at some point, that will change. You could paint a very rosy scenario of the whole thing burning out but that is unlikely."
Over 50 countries have confirmed cases of swine flu totalling 13,394 people, including 95 deaths. Although most of these have suffered mild flu, the virus is putting a number of children, young adults and pregnant women in hospital.
Among 30 patients hospitalised with swine flu in California – with an average age of 27 – half had signs of pneumonia, six were treated in intensive care and four required ventilation. Five were pregnant, two of whom developed complications and spontaneously aborted. Almost two-thirds (19) had an underlying medical condition that may have lowered their immunity.
Experts from the ECDC said although the evidence was preliminary, it showed older people may have some protection against swine flu, which could include elements from flu viruses circulating in the 1960s, to which they may have developed immunity. Younger people, especially those with chronic illnesses or pregnant, may by more susceptible and need priority treatment with anti-virals and vaccination, they said.
Will a more dangerous strain return in autumn? Are we really ready?
Why has swine flu not spread further?
Fewer than 200 people have been identified with the virus in the UK in more than a month; normal flu outbreaks cut a swathe through populations in days or weeks. However, more may have been infected but not felt ill enough to bother their GP – in the US health officials reckon the true total is 20 times the recorded number.
Is it about to take off in the UK?
Unlikely during the warmer summer months. Flu viruses spread more readily in damp, humid conditions and swine flu is expected to return – and spread more widely – in the autumn.
Is it as mild as it looks?
Yes – but this could be deceptive. We know it is a mixture of pig, bird and human viruses in a combination never seen before. It has jumped the species barrier and is spreading from human to human – that alone is disturbing. Even "mild" seasonal flu infects 10 per cent of the population and kills around 4,000 people in the UK per year.
Could it become more dangerous?
Yes – this is what keeps Government chief medical officers awake at nights. The virus is constantly evolving and could mutate into a more aggressive form. This is what happened in the 1918 pandemic and scientists are looking carefully to detect any changes.
Is a pandemic inevitable?
Most experts agree – it is only a matter of time. The critical unanswered question is how bad it will be – both in the number of cases and the severity. A "pandemic" does not automatically imply severe disease. If the virus evades the current strategy of containment, as is likely, and starts to spread, the Government will face a tough challenge explaining why it is withdrawing prophylactic treatment with anti-viral drugs for contacts of infected people.
Swine flu: Country by country
US – 6,764 cases
Mexico – 4,541 cases
Canada – 921 cases
Japan – 360 cases
UK – 185 cases
Spain – 138 cases
Chile – 86 cases
Panama – 76 cases
Australia – 39 cases
Costa Rica – 33 cases
By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/official-swine-flu-figures-are-just-tip-of-the-iceberg-warn-health-experts-1691823.html#
Thursday, 28 May 2009
Swine flu is far more widespread than official figures suggest and is causing the severest illness in children, young adults and pregnant women, international evidence shows.
The worrying developments emerged as a 37-year-old man critically ill in hospital in Glasgow was yesterday confirmed as having swine flu, and five members of his family are being viewed as possible cases.
The man, who has not been named, was admitted to intensive care last week and has a serious underlying illness. He is not known to have had contact with any swine flu cases or travelled recently.
The total number of confirmed cases in the UK leapt on Tuesday after an outbreak at Welford Primary School in Handsworth, Birmingham infected 50 children. One further case was reported in the East Midlands yesterday taking the UK total to 185 cases.
In the US, where the official number of cases stands at 6,764, including 10 deaths, experts at the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention say the true total is likely to be 20 times higher, at over 100,000. The official total is the "tip of the iceberg", they said.
National surveillance systems in the US and Europe depend on family doctors taking swabs from patients who consult them with flu-like symptoms and sending them to the laboratory for analysis, but most patients with flu never see a doctor.
A spokesman for the UK Health Protection Agency (HPA) said the size of the outbreak at Welford Primary School was "not unexpected" and there was "no evidence of sustained transmission in the community at the moment".
He added: "It is the largest school outbreak so far. But if we get a case in a school we know it will spread. Seasonal flu is no different. We fully expect more cases in the same school."
Officials accept that if the novel H1N1 virus starts to spread rapidly, the government will be forced to abandon its containment strategy, which involves offering anti-viral drugs prophylactically to close contacts of those infected.
The HPA spokesman said: "We are using [the containment strategy] at the moment. It buys you time to develop a vaccine by delaying the spread. I don't think anyone assumes you can go on with this indefinitely, but we have not reached that point yet."
A spokesman for the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) in Stockholm, which monitors the spread of swine flu across Europe, said: "With any surveillance system there will be cases that are not picked up. The number of laboratory confirmed cases is likely to be lower than the total in the real world."
"The strategy of containment is being pursued by all countries in Europe but, at some point, that will change. You could paint a very rosy scenario of the whole thing burning out but that is unlikely."
Over 50 countries have confirmed cases of swine flu totalling 13,394 people, including 95 deaths. Although most of these have suffered mild flu, the virus is putting a number of children, young adults and pregnant women in hospital.
Among 30 patients hospitalised with swine flu in California – with an average age of 27 – half had signs of pneumonia, six were treated in intensive care and four required ventilation. Five were pregnant, two of whom developed complications and spontaneously aborted. Almost two-thirds (19) had an underlying medical condition that may have lowered their immunity.
Experts from the ECDC said although the evidence was preliminary, it showed older people may have some protection against swine flu, which could include elements from flu viruses circulating in the 1960s, to which they may have developed immunity. Younger people, especially those with chronic illnesses or pregnant, may by more susceptible and need priority treatment with anti-virals and vaccination, they said.
Will a more dangerous strain return in autumn? Are we really ready?
Why has swine flu not spread further?
Fewer than 200 people have been identified with the virus in the UK in more than a month; normal flu outbreaks cut a swathe through populations in days or weeks. However, more may have been infected but not felt ill enough to bother their GP – in the US health officials reckon the true total is 20 times the recorded number.
Is it about to take off in the UK?
Unlikely during the warmer summer months. Flu viruses spread more readily in damp, humid conditions and swine flu is expected to return – and spread more widely – in the autumn.
Is it as mild as it looks?
Yes – but this could be deceptive. We know it is a mixture of pig, bird and human viruses in a combination never seen before. It has jumped the species barrier and is spreading from human to human – that alone is disturbing. Even "mild" seasonal flu infects 10 per cent of the population and kills around 4,000 people in the UK per year.
Could it become more dangerous?
Yes – this is what keeps Government chief medical officers awake at nights. The virus is constantly evolving and could mutate into a more aggressive form. This is what happened in the 1918 pandemic and scientists are looking carefully to detect any changes.
Is a pandemic inevitable?
Most experts agree – it is only a matter of time. The critical unanswered question is how bad it will be – both in the number of cases and the severity. A "pandemic" does not automatically imply severe disease. If the virus evades the current strategy of containment, as is likely, and starts to spread, the Government will face a tough challenge explaining why it is withdrawing prophylactic treatment with anti-viral drugs for contacts of infected people.
Swine flu: Country by country
US – 6,764 cases
Mexico – 4,541 cases
Canada – 921 cases
Japan – 360 cases
UK – 185 cases
Spain – 138 cases
Chile – 86 cases
Panama – 76 cases
Australia – 39 cases
Costa Rica – 33 cases
By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor
http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/official-swine-flu-figures-are-just-tip-of-the-iceberg-warn-health-experts-1691823.html#
Friday, May 22, 2009
How to Prepare
How You can Prepare
There are a number of things that you can do to prepare yourself and those around you for a flu pandemic. It is important to think about the challenges that you might face, particularly if a pandemic is severe.
Go through a Planning Checklist to be sure that you plan for the impact of a flu pandemic on you, your family and your business. For more information specific to individuals, families, and your workplace, and for information directed toward schools, health care providers, community organizations and governments.
There are also everyday actions people can take to stay healthy, such as:
- frequent hand washing
- covering your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze
- avoiding close contact with sick people
Please check back for information on vaccines and antiviral medications!
What's happening now?
A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity and for which there is no vaccine. The disease spreads easily person-to-person, causes serious illness, and can sweep across the country and around the world in very short time. An influenza pandemic may be caused by either swine (pig) or avian (bird) flu viruses.
There are currently cases of human infection with H1N1 throughout the world, including the United States. Health professionals are concerned about the possibility that this virus could become a pandemic for the following reasons:
- It is a never-before seen combination of human, swine, and avian influenza viruses.
- It is being spread from human to human.
- The age group most affected is healthy, young adults (unlike seasonal flu)
- Like other influenza viruses, it continues to evolve.
In late March and early April 2009, cases of human infection with this H1N1 virus were first reported in Southern California and near San Antonio, Texas. Other U.S. states have since reported cases of H1N1 flu infection in humans and cases have been reported internationally as well. The latest U.S. information can be found on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) H1N1 Web site.
The World Health Organization is coordinating a global response to human cases of the H1N1 flu and monitoring the corresponding threat of an influenza pandemic. Access the (WHO) H1N1 Web site
for the current information on the international situation.
source http://www.pandemicflu.gov/general/
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Updates-you have to stay healthy
Some updates 5.19.09
The New York health department shut three more schools on Monday to prevent the spread of the swine flu virus, raising the number of closures to 14 since last week when symptoms flared again among public school students.
"The H1N1 virus is not going away, despite what you may have heard," said Anne Schuchat, interim deputy director for science and public health for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. "It's still circulating in the U.S., and people are continuing to get sick, to get hospitalized and to die."
Remember
The New York health department shut three more schools on Monday to prevent the spread of the swine flu virus, raising the number of closures to 14 since last week when symptoms flared again among public school students.
"The H1N1 virus is not going away, despite what you may have heard," said Anne Schuchat, interim deputy director for science and public health for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta. "It's still circulating in the U.S., and people are continuing to get sick, to get hospitalized and to die."
Remember
- If you're sick stay home
- Wash your hands
- Be positive
- Eliminate stress as best as you can
Friday, May 15, 2009
US now has 4,700 cases of new swine flu
WASHINGTON, May 15 (Reuters) - The United States has 4,714 confirmed and likely cases of the new H1N1 swine flu virus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Friday.
Four people have died in the United States from the virus, which is behaving much like a seasonal influenza strain -- spreading rapidly and causing mainly mild disease, but severe illness in some people.
The CDC is now combining its confirmed and probable cases, having said that 99 percent of all suspected cases turn out to be the new H1N1 strain as opposed to other strains of influenza or other respiratory diseases.
The CDC also cautions that not every suspected case is being tested now, as it is more useful to look at the pattern of disease as opposed to counting the numbers. The World Health Organization reports more than 7,500 cases globally, most in the United States and Mexico.
Four people have died in the United States from the virus, which is behaving much like a seasonal influenza strain -- spreading rapidly and causing mainly mild disease, but severe illness in some people.
The CDC is now combining its confirmed and probable cases, having said that 99 percent of all suspected cases turn out to be the new H1N1 strain as opposed to other strains of influenza or other respiratory diseases.
The CDC also cautions that not every suspected case is being tested now, as it is more useful to look at the pattern of disease as opposed to counting the numbers. The World Health Organization reports more than 7,500 cases globally, most in the United States and Mexico.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Get your Vit C from an Orange
How to Eat an Orange
Introduction
An orange is a popular fruit that some people speculate is an ancient hybrid between the pomelo and tangerine fruits. However, there's no evidence to back up this theory. Despite their unknown origins, oranges are good for you, so you should regularly eat them. However, you should follow these tips to eat oranges neatly so you don't gnaw and slurp them out of the peel like a pig.
Instructions
Difficulty: Easy
Things You'll Need
- Two small bowls
- Paring knife or specialty orange knife
Select the ripest orange. Then carefully wash the peel with warm water and a soft scrubbing brush. This rinse will remove any bacteria from the surface of the peel so that it doesn't get transferred to the flesh of the orange when you cut the fruit.
Step Two
Roll the knife to loosen the peel. Cut a circle piece around the section that would have attached to tree. Remove.
Step Three
Dig your fingers under the skin and begin removing the peel. Place the peel in one bowl. It's okay to keep some of that white membrane attached. It's good to eat since it's high in soluble fiber which helps clear the bloodstream of toxins.
Step Four
Use your fingers or knife to break the orange into sections and place these sections into a second bowl. Sprinkle with white sugar, if you wish, then eat the orange.
Step Five
Save the orange peel and grate it into baking recipes. Orange peels contain limonene which some studies indicate wards off skin cancer.
Tips & Warnings
- Wash your hands before beginning to eat an orange.
- Watch out for seeds. You could choke on them if you don't remove them as you eat the orange.
- Florida Oranges are the best!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Vitamin C Benefits-Ageless Skin
Alternative Name Ascorbic acid
Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that is necessary for normal growth and development.Water-soluble vitamins dissolve in water. The body cannot store them. Leftover amounts of the vitamin leave the body through the urine. That means you need a continuous supply of such vitamins in your diet.
Benefits. Vitamin C is required for the growth and repair of tissues in all parts of your body. It is necessary to form collagen, an important protein used to make skin, scar tissue, tendons, ligaments, and blood vessels. Vitamin C is essential for the healing of wounds, and for the repair and maintenance of cartilage, bones, and teeth.Vitamin C is one of many antioxidants.
Protect your skin
Antioxidants are nutrients that block some of the damage caused by free radicals, which are by-products that result when our bodies transform food into energy. The build up of these by-products over time is largely responsible for the aging process and can contribute to the development of various health conditions such as cancer, heart disease, and a host of inflammatory conditions like arthritis. Antioxidants also help reduce the damage to the body caused by toxic chemicals and pollutants such as cigarette smoke.The body does not manufacture vitamin C on its own, nor does it store it. It is therefore important to include plenty of vitamin C-containing foods in your daily diet.
Not enough vitamin C can lead to signs and symptoms of deficiency, including:
- Dry and splitting hair
- Gingivitis (inflammation of the gums)
- Bleeding gums
- Rough, dry, scaly skin
- Decreased wound-healing rate
- Easy bruising,
- Nosebleeds,
- Weakened tooth enamel
- Swollen and painful joints
- Anemia
- Decreased ability to fight infection
- Possible weight gain because of slowed metabolism
- A severe form of vitamin C deficiency is known as scurvy, which mainly affects older, malnourished adults.
chart source http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5552.html
| Good Sources of Vitamin C | ||||
| Food | Serving Size | Milligrams Vitamin C | % AI for men | % AI for women |
| Guava | 1 medium | 165 | 183 | 235 |
| Red Bell Pepper | 1/2 cup | 95 | 94.7 | 135 |
| Papaya | 1 medium | 95 | 94.7 | 135 |
| Orange juice, from frozen concentrate | 3/4 cup | 75 | 83.3 | 107 |
| Orange | 1 medium | 60 | 66.6 | 85.7 |
| Broccoli, boiled | 1/2 cup | 60 | 66.6 | 85.7 |
| Green bell pepper | 1/2 cup | 45 | 50 | 64.2 |
| Kohlrabi, boiled | 1/2 cup | 45 | 50 | 64.2 |
| Strawberries 1/2 cup | 45 | 50 | 64.2 | |
| Grapefruit, white | Half | 40 | 44.4 | 57.1 |
| Cantaloupe | 1/2 cup | 35 | 38.8 | 50 |
| Tomato juice | 3/4 cup | 35 | 38.8 | 50 |
| Mango | 1 medium | 30 | 33.3 | 42.8 |
| Tangerine | 1 medium | 25 | 27.7 | 35.7 |
| Potato, baked with skin | 1 | 25 | 27.7 | 35.7 |
| Cabbage greens, frozen, boiled | 1/2 cup | 25 | 27.7 | 35.7 |
| Spinach, raw | 1 cup | 15 | 16.6 | 21.4 |
As with any diet change please speak with a doctor before taking any supplements.
Sunday, May 3, 2009
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