It seems that Swine Flu is back and ready for action, Phase 6. Fortunately, for a large majority of patients, it is just a bad flu. For 1% of the patients, however, it causes acute respiratory distress syndrome. In other words, H1N1 eats their lungs. The below graph demonstrates why mitigation must be attempted. Current estimates make this a Category 3 or 4 pandemic, which is nothing to ignore.
The "eating lungs" reference sounds a bit like some of the effects of the Spanish Flu. I really do hope that people take this seriously and are careful to practise protective behaviours in the northern winter.
For those 1% of cases, the H1N1 turns their aveoli to goo (non-technical term there), which prevents oxygen absorption. If the patient isn't put onto a ventilator and rapidly given antivirals, they die. You are right, this is what has the experts worried. At my University we already have a quarantine policy, where the ill will get masks, disinfectant, and food delivered directly to their residences. I hope this silences all those who were previously in denial of the threat.
Unfortunately for us, this is a classic evolutionary battle. We're simply the prey for tiny microscopic hunters.
True, but you must admit, we'd be a lot tougher if we hadn't been using all those chemicals and vaccines as much as we have.
At least we discovered germ theory. Heck before 1911 I think it was we thought flu was caused by miasma! Given that the first known clinical description of influenza was as early as Hippocrates we certainly took a while to work out what caused it. Anyway, take care this (northern) winter.
