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Monday, October 12th, 2009
By Paul Breschuk The Lance (University of Windsor) WINDSOR, Ont. (CUP)
In June of this year, Margaret Chan of the World Health Organization officially declared H1N1 (swine flu) influenza as a pandemic with an alert level of 6, the highest on the scale. Transmittable between humans through airborne means, this new strain circled the globe in just a few short months, making it the first flu pandemic in 41 years. The reason for such particular virulence is said to be found in H1N1’s recent mutation, combining four pre-existing influenza strains into one. Through a genetic process called reassortment, the hybrid virus now contains strains derived from humans, birds, and pigs. This phenomenon occurs when a host is simultaneously infected by two different strains of the virus. There is, however, a much simpler explanation for its lightning quick promulgation across the globe. Because it is a new virus, its hosts haven’t yet had the chance to build immunity. It seems, therefore, that we are more susceptible to contracting the virus. Yet, could that be the extent of the bad news? The symptoms of H1N1 infection mirror that of the common seasonal flu, including sore throat, fever, nausea, diarrhea, coughs and sneezes, headache, and muscle or joint soreness. Fortunately, the duration of the sickness is said to last approximately one week, also on par with more typical flu strains. [Subhead] Just hype? While its spread has been remarkably quick, the overall severity of its symptoms has been far less than initially predicted. With approximately 4,000 worldwide deaths to date, H1N1 appears to be no more dangerous than the seasonal flu – yet health officials remain concerned about the possibility of further mutations of the strain which could cause a drastic increase in its strength. It is this concern that fuels daily media reports which increasingly resemble dramatic, if not apocalyptic, Hollywood scripts. The emergence of such a superbug would mean that the world could be ravaged by an antibiotic-resistant killing machine: the stuff that horror films are made of. With this in mind, it is not difficult to imagine scores of misled citizens stocking up on gloves, duct tape, and breathing masks. After all, this better-safe-than-sorry philosophy is what also drove Y2K survivalists into bomb shelters. It is not entirely irrational to fear H1N1. Though, certain actions in the recent months seem to cross the boundary of reasonable preventative measures. The Egyptian government, for example, deemed it necessary to slaughter 400,000 pigs despite having reported no confirmed swine flu cases. Various citizens of New York have been seen walking around the streets wearing face masks, despite their proven ineffectuality. In Mexico, soccer teams played to completely empty stadiums. And in China, more than 70 Mexican vacationers were rounded up and quarantined despite being completely healthy. Strange incidents have been occurring in Canada, as well. Manitoban First Nations reserves received body bags from Health Canada when they had merely asked for medical supplies. Aside from being a public relations nightmare, this symbolic gesture draped a shadowy cloud of doom over whole communities. It is no wonder, then, why Chief Ken Chalmers of the Birdtail Sioux First Nation felt his only option was to completely isolate his community from the rest of Canada. One has to ask how long they would be willing or able to segregate themselves. Is this the kind of precautionary planning we have to look forward to in the coming months? At the University of Windsor, the school’s emergency planning committee intends to enact more practical measures. University spokesperson Lori Lewis said that the school’s pandemic flu plan was shaped long before H1N1 reached its pandemic status, which is evidenced by the early installation of hand sanitizers throughout campus buildings. Universities across Canada have taken similar measures Thus far, it seems as though the virus has not lived up to its perilous billing. At least, it’s not lived up the hype propagated by the media and health agencies. Lewis insists that they’re glad to see overreaction by such authorities. “We want to be over-prepared,” she said. “We’ve planned for the worst and hoped for the best. And in the end, what’s happened is that students are now more mindful of the flu, regardless if it’s H1N1 or just the seasonal variety. “No one knew how severe the pandemic would be. And, unfortunately, there’s still a chance that it could take a turn for the worse since it’s still early in the season,” adds Lewis. “It’s good that people are at least more aware of what they can do to prevent the catching and spreading of the virus.” [Subhead] The vaccine Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of H1N1, besides the repeated bathroom visits for its unlucky victims, is the growing confusion regarding vaccinations. In recent years, many Canadians have become accustomed to seasonal flu shots. These inoculations, however, do nothing to minimize the risk of catching the new flu. Through a $400 million contract with American pharmaceutical giant, GlaxoSmithKline, the Canadian government has purchased 50.4 million doses of a new H1N1 vaccine (an amount which covers the country’s entire population). Since the World Health Organization has raised the pandemic alert level to its maximum category, the government has fast-tracked the approval process for the vaccine, guaranteeing its availability by November. This rushed delivery has some concerned about the safety of such a relatively untested vaccine, though Dr. Andrew Potter, director of the Vaccine and Infectious Diseases Organization at the University of Saskatchewan, says the rush isn’t much different than any other year. “If it were anything other than influenza, I might worry,” he said, “but every year new strains are put into the vaccine. The manufacturing process is exactly what it is for other influenza vaccines.” He adds that normally the vaccine would be given an extended testing period, but is instead getting an accelerated testing period. “However you have to realize it has already been tested in Europe,” said Potter. “I have no worries above and beyond what you would usually have with the seasonal vaccine.” Whether the government scraps the vaccine or not, the good news is that authorities have a month to sort out the issue. Hopefully, in that time, people will realize that H1N1 is just the flu (with a different name). [SIDEBAR] Prevention At the University of Windsor, the pandemic flu plan emphasizes prevention as the key to overcoming the challenges posed by H1N1. Such preventative measures include: - Practicing good hand hygiene by frequent hand washing - Coughing or sneezing into sleeves or elbow folds instead of hands - Properly disposing soiled tissues - Regularly sanitizing contact surfaces such as doorknobs and keyboards with antibacterial wipes or sprays - Avoiding hand contact with one’s eyes, mouth, and nose - Practicing social distancing and the minimization of hand shaking - Knowing the signs and symptoms of H1N1 (notably: fever, cough, sore throat). For more information about H1N1, visit: http://www.wechealthunit.org.
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