As with most Epidemic Viruses, there is a certain unpredictability that makes them a very frightening reality for just about anyone.To ask the question, “How at Risk is the USA for Catching the Swine Flu?” is kind of silly, when the local news announced that two days ago there where 20 definite cases of swine flu, and over 100 ‘possible cases’.
This evening they announced that there are now over 64 cases of confirmed Swine Flu in the US. Most of them are in New York and California, and the CDC does not look like they expect that number to stay where it is.
They have created a site to track the reported US cases of Swine Flu as they grow. You can view that at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/index.htm where they also explain that they have updated the Pandemic Alert from Phase 3 to Phase 4, which does not say to panic yet, but indicates that the threat is getting stronger, and everyone needs aware of it.
Is the US at risk? Yes, we are very at risk. Not so much because of lack for health care like other countries, but because we are a very well populated country where people interact with other people on a more than regular basis.
Influenza is spread in many forms, and it makes it a very hard virus to keep quarantined. On top of being transmittable by sneezing, coughing or sharing soda’s, it is also a virus that can use a person as a host, without ever infecting them.
The virus has also been noted not to show any symptoms in a person until after 48 hours of infection. Which means that if a person where to be infected with the swine flu, they would most likely go to work, pick up the kids and check the mail every day until they felt sick enough to stay in bed. The virus will have been left in every place that person went, even if they didn’t know, and it was unintentional.
Which means that this new version of the swine flu has the potential to infect hundreds of people in a community as a very fast rate, making it more difficult to control.
Americans are also very at risk, because there is no known cure or vaccine for the previous forms of swine flu that have infected people in the US, and because this is a new strain, the CDC is not really sure what to expect from it.
There have been no noted cases of animals that have been infected with this swine flu, which makes it even more unnerving, since biologists say that is looks just like a type of flu that usually infects pigs or birds.
Not only that, but this type of influenza has been noted for its ability to mutate and adapt itself so that it can withstand antibiotics and treatments. That makes the swine flu a very formidable virus.
As with most unpredictable epidemic viruses, its not really a question of who will be at risk for infection, but more a question of when it will be, and how bad. Health care officials and researchers are not unsure about whether a lot of people will become infected by the swine flu, they are more concerned about how well our bodies will be able to protect us from being seriously affected by it.
1000’s of people in Mexico have already been infected and several have died. There are also reports of the swine flu in new Zealand, which means that this swine flu has been found in 4 countries, hence the ‘international health warning’. America in particular is more at risk than some places, because we have so many people traveling internationally. If any of those people travel to a country that has an outbreak, and then comes back to the US, they will be bringing the infection here with them unknowingly.
Health officials are currently talking about making it mandatory to be checked for the swine flu at the borders between the US, Canada and Mexico. The only thing stalling them from doing that, is that it would back up traffic and transactions between the borders for days. There is a lot of importing and exporting going on between each country, and officials are worried that it would badly effect the economy even more.
It is bad enough to think that the virus can cross the border, but it can also come in from planes, boats and trains. Not to mention that it has the ability to travel with animals.
Who is more at risk for serious health issues from the Swine Flu?
-The Elderly
Because of the already deteriorating health, those older than 70 are more likely to have a hard time upholding their health during a swine flu infection. They are also likely to have a very hard time recovering.
-Infants, Toddlers and Young Children
Kids between the ages of 6 months and 6 years are more likely to be enrolled in daycare or preschool, both of which are notorious places for bacteria and viruses to flourish and spread.
-Those with Asthma
Because Influenza is a type of virus that is likely to infect and attack a person through their lungs, people who have asthma or other respiratory problems, are more likely to have a hard time recovering from an infection of swine flu. If given a long enough time in a host, the swine flu can turn from a case of influenza, into full blown pneumonia, and that makes those with respiratory problems a very serious risk.
It is important to remember that this is a list of those who are more likely to have a harder time dealing with an infection, not a list of those who ‘could’ be effected.
This virus has so far infected many young and perfectly healthy adults between the ages of 17 to 35, who have had no contact with pigs or anyone they knew about from Mexico or Canada. That means that everyone is at risk, and everyone needs to take precautions.
Here is your personal safety check list:
-Wash your hands constantly and carry hand sanitizer
-Avoid public restrooms
-Sneeze or Cough into your elbow, not your hand
-Avoid rubbing your eyes, mouth or nose
-Don’t share drinks or beverages with anyone you wouldn’t kiss
-Avoid close contact with anyone you know is sick
-Stay home if you feel even the slightest bit sick, and call your doctor
-If you find out a kid in your child’s daycare is sick, keep your child home
-Stay updated with the CDC website for more info
