De-coding Swine Flu

The outbreak of H1N1 flu or better known as swine flu has taken India by storm. Almost 24 weeks ago, the very first case of H1N1 was reported in Mexico. And within a short period of time the virus has spread across different continents and nations, creating mayhem all over. And suddenly from nowhere this swine flu epidemic has spread across like a wild forest fire, making waves across every news channel and national and international newspapers.

You will find people around in your neighborhood, walking or traveling with handkerchiefs covering their face, and some going one step further to put on the recommended masks. Such is the fear of getting infected with swine flu that people are already popping anti-flu tablets, just to make sure they do not get swept away by this H1N1 swine flu surge.

However, tackling swine flu with N-95 masks and handkerchiefs is not enough. To tackle a disease it is very important to understand what exactly is this H1N1 and how it affects us.

Generally, swine flu virus is found in pig population worldwide. However, research has confirmed that the outbreak is due to a new strain of H1N1 virus not reported in pigs. This new strain of H1N1 virus does not spread from pigs to humans, but from a human to human. The most common symptoms of swine flu is diarrhea and vomiting, and the most common cause of death so far reported is respiratory failure.

So, how does this strain of virus causes respiratory failure? To understand this, we need to know a little about how our body works. Well, normally influenza viruses never kill a human being. But this strain of virus creates a storm of cytokines, which when in excess, damages our body tissues. Once the tissues are damaged, H1N1 virus penetrates deeper into the lungs and respiratory tract and reaches into different organs, which further leads to organ failure.

Like a saying goes that Knowledge is Power, people should learn more about this havoc-creating virus, rather than just putting on masks and taking anti-flu tablets without any prior consent of the physician. Because popping anti-flu tablets might only lead to some other side-effects which are in dark at the moment. And if people just go on buying masks and dumping them later, it will not only lead to shortage of masks where it is actually required, but will also lead to huge chunk of bio-medical waste triggering the swine flu epidemic with a monster effect.