The Flu Virus:
The flu (Influenza) is a contagious disease caused by viruses that affect birds and mammals. The common symptoms of the disease include chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort. Fever and coughs are the most typical of these. In serious cases the flu causes pneumonia which is more dangerous, especially for the very young and very old.
The Flu may cause vomiting and nausea but is much more common in gastroenteritis which is unrelated to the flu virus but is commonly referred to as The Stomach Flu. The Flu is often confused with the less dangerous illness, the common cold, which is caused by a different type of virus.
The Flu can be spread through the air by coughs or sneezes. Bird droppings, saliva, nasal fluid, feces and blood can also spread the disease. Contact with these substances or contaminated objects such as door handles, counter tops or writing utensils can spread the flu.
Composition of the Swine Flu:
Contains DNA of Bird Flu, Human Flu and two different strains of Swine Flu. The genetic code in the virus is for the most part made up of human flu and therefore is unlikely to be transmitted between animals. Because of the complexity of the origins of the swine flu some websites and conspiracy theorists are claiming that The Swine Flu is not natural and has been manufactured in a laboratory. This is an entertaining idea and would make a great movie but until there is proof lets leave it that for now.
The Swine Flu seems to have low mortality rates compared to the Avian Flu which is approximately 90%. With the Swine Flu we appear to have less than a 6% mortality rate. If there is going to be a pandemic it won't be as devastating as an Avian Flu outbreak.
What is a pandemic? The term brings images of bodies piled up in school gymnasiums but this isn't the case. A pandemic is simply an infectious disease that is spreading throughout the world. It doesn't have any meaning associated with a certain level of damage caused by the virus.
So far the virus has claimed one life out of 141 confirmed cases in the United States and the majority of the cases have been mild. In Mexico, there were initial reports of 150 deaths from the Swine Flu but the Mexican Health Minister could only confirm 12 verified deaths from the Swine Flu as of April 29th.
Drugs or Vaccines for the Swine Flu?
As of yet there is no vaccine against the Swine Flu.
Tamiflu and Relenza are anti-viral drugs that prevent viral replication. They are available by prescription and this class of drug is the only pharmaceutical defense against the Swine Flu.
As a result of the Avian Flu scare, governments purchased billions of dollars worth of Tamiflu three years ago. Unfortunately, the tamiflu expires after three years so the current stockpile is expired or about to expire.
The 1976 Swine Flu
The last Swine Flu scare was in 1976 and health officials rushed through the process of developing a vaccine. The anti viral for this Swine Flu resulted in 1 out of 100,000 vaccinated Americans developing Guillain-Barre paralysis. The US government paid out $93 million in compensation. Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius announced at a press conference that the swine flu vaccine development is in full gear, “The process is more speedy than it's ever been before”.
She stated that although they are working quickly they are keeping safety their top priority. She acknowledged the fears of the 1976 swine flu scare and the increased rates of Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Prevention:
Washing your hands with soap and water, or using an alcohol-based hand gel if soap is not available. A Nano-Silver Gel is highly effective at killing viruses and bacteria as well.
Avoiding close contact with sick people.
Not touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
Staying home if you are ill.
Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throwing the tissue in the trash afterward, then washing your hands.
Treatment:
In addition to the prescription anti-viral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza, there are a number of natural treatments for influenza infection.
One natural flu remedy that I have personally used is the Flu Stop. A Vancouver area company, Trinity Healthy Living Products is the manufacturer of this proprietary herbal blend. The Flu STOP formula was discovered by a virologist in China during the SARS epidemic. His formula effectively killed the SARS virus and also effectively deactivates the flu and certain types of Cold Viruses (Rhino Virus).
FluSTOP has been clinically proven via WHO standards to inactivate the Hemagglutinin (HA) and Neuraminidase (NA) in "type A" viruses. The Swine Flu is of this type. When HA and NA are inactivated the virus is unable to infect healthy cells and replicate.
The Flu STOP product comes packaged in a spray bottle with an easy to use applicator. It is very important to spray the FluSTOP directly to the back of the throat because this is where the Flu virus replicates. The sooner you begin using the FluSTOP the better. As soon as symptoms appear the protocol is five sprays to the back of the throat and one to each nostril, five times per day. After spraying do not eat or drink tea or coffee for at least half an hour to ensure exposure of the virus to the formula.
I have used this product for two years now and when flu symptoms start, I immediately start using FluSTOP. Usually, the symptoms fade away quickly and I don't get sick. And if I do get a flu it is much milder than it would have been and certainly less potent than other people I know here in Vancouver who didn't want to try the FluSTOP for whatever reason.
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