Facts about Swine Flu That You May Not Have Known
Facts about Swine Flu That You May Not Have Known
It is an acute respiratory disease that primarily affected pigs. At one point it was responsible for pig deaths of around one to four per cent. Since the early days of the virus spreading, it has of course become responsible for human deaths. However, when it came to pigs, it was viewed as having a generally low mortality rate.
Pigs are more to blame than we think. In fact, some might even argue that they did all of this on purpose. They are the perfect mixing units for Swine Flu, in the sense that flu strains form different animals, including humans, can find a home in pigs, and get all mixed up. After they have been all mixed up, the resulting strain, which is complicated to say the least, can result in a super strain, just like Swine Flu. These resulting strains are so powerful that humans have little or no resistance to them.
Remarkably, the new strain of Swine Flu that is doing the rounds worldwide has never ever been seen in pigs. It is not infecting pigs, and never has. In fact, it could almost be called Human Flu.
Old fashioned seasonal flu (the kind that everyone gets at some point in their lives) is still killing more people than Swine Flu ever will (hopefully), with nearly half a million people killed by flu in the UK alone last year. This is the flu that we all get to some degree. It is the kind that can lead to people being bedridden, and we have all had some form of it.
The problem is that Swine Flu resembles normal flu in many ways. The symptoms that normal flu presents with are almost identical to Swine Flu symptoms. This is why so many people have been caught out, and have confined themselves to bed for longer than they should have before seeking medical help.
In 1918, a flu strain called ‘Spanish Flu’ arrived, killing an estimated one billion people. This was Swine Flu or a strain of it at least. Although a billion people died, it could have been much worse. This part of history perhaps explains the current media hysteria. Modern medicine can help most of us, but all the media have to do is mention ‘Spanish Flu’ and the fear is palpable.
Back in 1976, a US army recruit complained about feeling ill, and then died the next day. This was again a strain of Swine Flu. The president, Gerald Ford, authorised vaccinations for 40 million Americans. Then they realised that the vaccine was probably more dangerous than the flu, and stopped it.
So there you go, some things you probably didn’t know about Swine Flu. Many people are aware that it originated form pigs, but not in the way that it actually happened. And the fact that Swine flu has affected the planet before is especially intriguing. If you suffer from any of the symptoms of Swine Flu, seek medical advice immediately. It is always better to be safe than sorry.