History speaks for itself.  So the question, is swine flu deadly is one that should be looked at in current times and historical times. We cannot just ask ourselves have people died from having the swine flu, but are people actually dieing from getting the swine flu or would they have died from just getting the regular flu? Well it was not that long ago when 100 million lives were taken from the swine flu (H1N1) virus. This pandemic shook the lives of many in 1918 and affected many families.

Looks can be deceiving when it comes to strains of the flu. So currently in this day and age is swine flu deadly? Well let’s look at some statistics. Currently influenza activity is widespread in 37 states and the rest of the world is seeing huge percent increases as well. Visits to the doctor’s office are on the rise, hospitalization for influenza type symptoms are unfortunately increasing compared to years past, and the influenza death rate has inclined as well. Testing has been done on many cases of the flu and the swine flu virus has been the culprit. So is swine flu deadly? I would say the statistics are proof enough.

I personally am going to try to avoid thoughts when I (or my kids) start getting sick that I’m just coming down with a little illness and it will be gone in a few days. What I should be thinking is: is swine flu deadly? What can I do to fight off this illness? How can I keep it from spreading? If you have questions like these and many others I highly suggest you check out the resource website below. It will help you gain a better understanding of swine influenza and will give you much needed information to equip you to protect yourself and your family.

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A couple of thousand years ago, makers of Kimchi (a Korean pickled cabbage side dish), long before the appearance of SARS and the Swine Flu, would never have imagined their diet staple might prevent and possibly cure these viral infections.

In April ’09, The World Health Organization (WHO) raised the influenza pandemic status to phase four warning.

What’s the difference between the yearly flu season and being infected by the A (H1N1) flu?  According to the World Health Organization:

“Influenza A (H1N1) is a new virus and one to which most people have no or little immunity and, therefore, this virus could cause more infections than are seen with seasonal flu. The new influenza A (H1N1) appears to be as contagious as seasonal influenza, and is spreading fast particularly among young people (from ages 10 to 45). The severity of the disease ranges from very mild symptoms to severe illnesses that can result in death. The majorities of people who contract the virus experience the milder disease and recover without antiviral treatment or medical care. Of the more serious cases, more than half of hospitalized people had underlying health conditions or weak immune systems”. [1]

“If there is anywhere in the world that took a beating by SARS, it was Hong Kong,” says Peter Cordingley, spokesman for the World Health Organization (WHO) in Manila. “The lesson was learned.” Drawing on the past, Hong Kong has already issued travel advisories and stepped up controls at airports, including the use of infrared temperature scans and the detainment of travelers arriving with flu-like symptoms. [2]

The countries and overseas territories/communities that reported their first pandemic (H1N1) 2009 confirmed case(s) since the last web update (6 July 2009) as of 22 July 2009:

Afghanistan, Andorra, Belize, Bhutan, Botswana, La Réunion (French Overseas Community), Haiti, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Namibia, Sint Eustatius (Netherlands Antilles), Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, the Sudan, Tonga, Turks and Caicos Islands (UK Overseas Territory), the United Republic of Tanzania, American Samoa (US), Guam (US)

As of July 22, 2009, the Grand Total of deaths attributed to swine flu is 1,154.  For updated information of reported cases visit the WHO Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 site.

A Google Map depicting areas of the swine flu outbreak provides an accurate geographical image of infection outbreaks.

How is it treated?

For suspected cases of the virus, a five-day treatment of zanamivir alone or combination of oseltamivir and either amantadine or rimantadine is initiated. For confirmed cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection, either oseltamivir (Tamiflu) or zanamivir (Relenza) may be administered. [3]

Will a facemask protect me from being infected?

We have very limited information of the effectiveness of facemasks and respirators in combating and control of influenza. If used correctly, facemasks and respirators may help reduce the risk of getting influenza, but they should be used along with other preventive measures, such as avoiding close contact and maintaining good hand hygiene.

“Unless otherwise specified, “respirator” refers to an N95 or higher filtering face piece respirator certified by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).  Three feet has often been used by infection control professionals to define close contact and is based on studies of respiratory infections; however, for practical purposes, this distance may range up to 6 feet. The World Health Organization uses “approximately 1 meter”; the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration uses “within 6 feet.” [3]

Any prognosis for the future?

Approximately 90-95% of infected people recover despite harsh symptoms to include 100+ degree temp. headaches, extreme fatigue, chills, diarrhea, sore throat, aching muscles, basically all the common flu symptoms.

To date, caution must be taken as swine flu (H1N1) is still spreading and may become a pandemic affecting entire regions or countries.  Annual Flu outbreaks are expected and predictable. However this outbreak has not followed usual flu patterns.  The future speculated prognosis is split among those who believe swine flu (H1N1) will diminish and die out this summer ’09 and those who believe it will return to claim more cases similar to the influenza pandemic of 1918.

So, what’s this potential wonder drug at the Korean dinner table?

Since 2003 when SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) rolled across Asia, Koreans remained unaffected for the most part.  Being the daily and national side dish that it is, Kimchi was promoted to status of natural preventative and cure for SARS with virtually no scientific evidence to support the claim. Believe me, as someone who eats kimchi daily and loves it so much I operate a site called www.LoveThatKimchi.com, I welcome and listen to the suggestions, and hope for further scientific investigation validating such claims.  Imagine being obsessed with a food that is suddenly found to save lives in the face of a new and deadly health threat.

Scientists at Seoul National University fed a kimchi extract to thirteen chickens infected with avian flu.  A week later, eleven of the thirteen chickens apparently recovered.  To date, such studies remain unpublished and certainly not recognized by any medical or scientific community.  Professor Kang of the Seoul National University who observed the thirteen chickens stated Leuconostoc (lactic acid bacteria) found in Kimchi had a positive effect on the bird flu

Hong Jong Hoon, a technical consultant with the Korea Agriculture Development Institute, suggested another possible and connecting factor is the ways Koreans eat most of their garlic!

Hong began his researching studies at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website where he found a connection between SARS and the corona virus. He then made his way to Stanford University’s site, which lists – along with reducing stress, getting more sleep and frequently washing your hands – putting drops of garlic juice on the nostrils as a way to fight infection.  Put it all together, he says, and you see why South Korea has had only a handful of suspected cases of SARS and no fatalities, despite its close proximity to China, where the virus originated, and to hard-hit Hong Kong and Taiwan.  Hong concedes that many other countries make ample use of garlic in their diets, including Italy and China.  But they cook their garlic; Koreans eat theirs raw in kimchi. His theory may be tough to prove, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t true, he says. [4]

Park Yong Woo, a doctor of family medicine at Seoul’s Samsung Hospital, welcoming needed clinical testing, says, he’s convinced of its healing properties.

“I’d like to compare it with an orchestra,” Park says. “It’s made of cabbage. But within that are a lot of healthy constituents, including garlic, ginger and chile peppers. It’s very harmonious food.”

Kim Man Jo, a food industry consultant and author of several books, including Kimchi, Kimchi, believes Kimchi’s curing or managing properties against some infectious disease is created and found in the fermentation process – “They haven’t done experiments yet, but harmful diseases can be dominated by the lactobacilli.” she says.

Depending on the variety, I know the most common nappa cabbage kimchi variety has a strong combination of cabbage, red chili pepper powder, fish sauce, lots of garlic, salt, green onions, daikon radish, sugar, and yes, even more garlic – all fermented to perfection to deliver the heavenly flavor and strongest anti-microbial punch.  Withstanding the lack of research in swine flu and kimchi as a preventative or cure, research has found that these friendly bacteria to boost the immune system.  Further research has shown live indigenous bacteria and chemicals they produce can penetrate the intestinal wall and stimulate growth and maintenance of immune cells.  Strains of Lactobacillus can also stimulate defense cells and increase anti-viral chemicals like interferon.

To date we do have specified medical treatment and course of action despite no vaccine. While it excites me to find kimchi may possess combative properties against certain viral strains, until the claims are subjected to the  “scientific method”, it shall remain a folkloric home remedy alongside chicken soup.  Despite the lack of evidence, If a pandemic condition swept the area I live in, I would certainly heed Westerm medical approaches and most importantly, double up on my kimchi consumption.  Shall we say to each his own?

With the unfortunate number of those who’ve died from SARS or Swine Flu (Swine flu killing over 1100 victims worldwide as of July ’09 and over 700 claimed by SARS) perhaps it will take a pandemic and desperate condition to even consider researching these currently unfounded beliefs and claims.  Today, at least 168 countries and territories have reported confirmed swine flu cases.

While these flu strains come and go or stay, those who enjoy eating kimchi (touted as one of the five healthiest foods in the world by Health Magazine) continue to get more than their share of nature’s probiotic which some day may add new flu strains to it’s long list of combated enemies.

In the meantime, for various flu strains we have existing vaccines and for those we don’t or other still standing bugs such as the common cold, we have Gatorade, chicken soup, and old-fashioned but very effective rest.

Randy Stewart is owner/webmaster of two  culinary sites:

www.LoveThatKimchi.com
www.BringMeMySushi.com

[1] TIME – The Lessons from SARS – By Kayla Webley/Hong Kong – Monday, Apr. 27, 2009

[2] What is the new influenza A(H1N1)? From the World Health Organization

[3] Swine Flu – Medicine.net

[4] The Daily Press.com – Hoping for a cure in kimchi – By Mark Magnier

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Few days back Bird flu, SARS and today’s hot topic is Swine flu (Influenza-A (Hini) the deadly disease shaking the complete globe. The virus is spreading dangerously world wide.
Global Cases of Swine Flu
The reports as on 24th June 2009 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Health Protection Agency (HPA)
* Mexico stands first by reporting 116 death cases.
* America stands second by scoring 87 death cases.
* 105 countries world wide reported Swine flu cases.
* What more, the global number of confirmed swine flue cases till now 55, 867.
* The swine flu alert level from the World Health Organization (WHO) remains at Phase 5 which means there is human-to-human spread of the virus in at least two countries in the same region. From 17th June 2009 the alert level gone to final phase-Phase 6.
Causative Organism : Influenza-A (HINI) virus also known as Swine flu virus.
Mode of Spreading :
* Pigs spread their own strains of influenza to humans after contact with them.
* The new strain of virus is a mix of pig viruses with some human and bird viruses.
* Swine flu viruses spread through uncovered coughs and sneezes.
Symptoms 
As per World Health Organization People infected with the virus have symptoms that include:
* Fever
* Cough
* sore throat
* Muscle and joint pain
* Shortness of breath
* Headache
* Chills
* Fatigue
* One may have also have diarrhea and vomiting.
Flu Pandemics over Last 100 years
Pandemic Year Influenza A Deaths
Virus (est)
subtype
Spanish flu 1918-19 HINI 50 million
Asain flu 1957 H2N2 2 million
Hong Kongflu 1968-69 H3N2 1 million
1976 swine flue outbreak, 1977-Russian flu, all caused by the HINI subtype, 1918 pandemic in humans, 1976- U.S. outbreak, 1988-zoonosis, 1998- US outbreak in swine, 2007, Philippine outbreak in swine, 2009 outbreak in humans.
Home Remedy
Hence Swine flu is spreading without giving a warning, so we should alert with some herbal/home remedies. We may take these as prophylaxis or treatment purpose.
* The best remedy to cure influenza would be to have plenty of fluids.
* Anise/Ginger/garlic/basil leaves/fenugreek seed’s tea stimulates mucus secretion in lungs & throat.
* Boneset – Expectorant.
* Catnip – Tea relieves fever & digestive upset, relaxing effect.
* Cayenne – Added to fresh orange juice or soup to relieve congestion and increase mucus flow.
* Echinacea and lemon Juice – Immune stimulant that relieves major flu symptoms.
* Elderberry – Prevents infections and shortens duration of flu.
* Ephedra – Opens bronchial passages.
* Garlic – Is an antibacterial that prevents infection. Eaten raw or taken in capsules.
* Ginger – A tea made by steeping the fresh, chopped root in boiling water for 20 minutes is used to soothe throat and ease congestion.
* Mullein – Used as expectorant and to soothe sore throat.
* Tilden flower – Tea used for sore throat & headache.
* Pepper, Honey, Turmeric, Onion, Grape fruit juice, Finger Millet – Make these presences in daily diet.
* Paste and swallow neem (Azadirachta indica) leaves (As it has anti viral properties) Avoid spices, condiments, alcohol, tobacco, strong tea/coffee, highly seasoned meats, over boiled milk, pulses, potatoes, rice, cheese and tinned foods.
Precautions
* Using a tissue to cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing.
* Disposing of used tissues promptly and carefully.
* Maintaining good basic hygiene, for example washing your hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to your face, or to other people.
* Cleaning hard surfaces (e.g. kitchen worktops, door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product.
* Avoid close contact with someone who is sick.
* Avoid crowded gatherings in places.
Who are at Safer Side?
* Traditional Islamic women, who wear Burkah (cloth coat on body). As it give protection from the attack of Air borne viruses.
* Traditional Islamic men, who do salaath (namaz) 5 times by doing Wadu (washing of mouth, nostrils, face, hands and legs)
(Note : The above two statements are for scientific reasons only, not for promoting any religion)
Treatment : Antiviral and symptomatic treatment as directed by physician
Vaccine for Swine flu :
Scientists have used tissue samples from frozen victims to reproduce the virus for study, Given the strain’s extreme virulence there has been controversy regarding the wisdom of such research. So, it is at laboratory level in the development of vaccine against Swine flu.
Conclusion 
Nature creates problems and its has the solution too. Take the precautions for not getting the Swine flu. Because, “Prevention is better than cure”.

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According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the swine influenza epidemic is growing in the United States and across the globe each day. What’s alarming to some people, about this new swine flu strain, is that there are severe illnesses associated with it.

There are no particular swine influenza symptoms that can distinguish this new strain from other types of influenza. Some patients, however, experience diarrhea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

The basic swine flu symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, headache, stuffy nose, chills, fatigue and body aches. These are the same symptoms we get from the common seasonal flu that most people get vaccinated against each year. But, as of this moment, there’s no effective vaccine for swine influenza.

The main cause for swine influenza is the H1N1 virus. But this new strain is a combination of avian flu, human flu, and swine flu. This makes it deadlier than previous swine influenza outbreaks, and it?s the reason why many countries around the world are alarmed by the epidemic. According to the World Health Organization report, there has been one confirmed death from swine influenza in the United States, out of the 91 confirmed cases.

People should not be afraid of pigs. You will not get it from them. This swine flu strain is transmitted by contact from human to human. Eating pork will not give you swine flu either. It is just as safe as usual, to eat pork products, such as ham and bacon. Just be sure that they are properly prepared. Meat should be cooked at a temperature of 160 degrees Celsius, to kill any virus or bacteria. Eating pork will not give you swine flu – just like eating chicken will not give you bird flu.

Swine flu can be transmitted via airborne droplets, which are released when an infected person sneezes or coughs. You can also get it when your hands are exposed to germs, through touching someone who has the virus, or by touching any surface that hosts the swine flu virus.

The most recent swine flu virus is a mutation which can be spread from one person to another. Mexico is said to be the source of the present swine flu epidemic. The death toll has surpassed the one hundredth mark. And while its important to take cautionary measures so that their family will be safe from this disease, one should also remember that chances of getting the disease are slim if you take proper precautions. And, statistically, your chances of dying for it are even slimmer.

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For weeks, you couldn’t get away from H1N1 AKA swine flu. It was everywhere. There were deaths, Mexico was at a standstill and travel was restricted to parts of the Yucatán peninsular.

Everyone was worried. There was an air of inevitability to the spread of swine flu… or so it seemed. But it soon became clear that the current swine flu epidemic was not the same as the 1918 Spanish flu. Of course it can still prove to be as devastating as its early 20th century counterpart, but for now its threat level has abated… substantially.

Why did the media make so much noise about the of the threat of swine flu? Over the same period of time thousands of people died of the normal seasonal flu as well as a number of other persistent human diseases. Why didn’t these diseases get as much coverage?

Swine flu was new; we had no protection against it. Its potential was unknown, its capacity to cause devastation was a real possibility. But was this reason enough for the over-exaggerated coverage of the disease by the media?

The more cynical among us will be quick to point out that we are in the middle of 2009 and are currently undergoing a global recession. What could distract the masses more than the threat of a killer disease? What could invoke the fear of God more than the prospect of facing one’s own mortality in light of a devastating, indiscriminate, rapidly transmitted disease?

But could this be true? Could the media have deliberately stoked-up the threat of swine flu to distract, confuse and upset their audience?

Possibly… but not likely.

Firstly, why would the media take such a course of action? Who would benefit the most? Surely not the media themselves, they’ve already taken some criticism for their over-exuberant coverage of the swine flu epidemic. The only ones that would benefit from such coverage are the major governments of the world, not necessarily the media themselves.

Secondly, what do we mean by the ‘media’? Are we talking about one interconnected, interrelated conglomerate that are seemingly separate but in reality are one united global organization? There is no evidence to substantiate this idea and it smells too much of a conspiracy theory.

Why the media covered the swine flu epidemic the way they did was because they had no choice. If we remember back to early 2004 when cases of avian flu just came to light we can see that the media coverage was just as intense. There are tragic historically reasons for not taking swine flu or any potential pandemic lightly.

Pandemics unlike diseases like cholera or malaria are not local and are not isolated to instances where an area suffers from poor hygiene. Pandemics are global. Anybody, anywhere can catch a disease that has reached true pandemic status. Millions, even billions of people could potentially be infected with the disease. The potential devastation of a major pandemic is phenomenal. The 1918 Spanish flu pandemic infected one third of the world’s population and killed more than 50 million people. In the last century, pandemics killed more people than all the worlds natural disasters put together. The scales of death caused by pandemics were comparable to those of world wars.

So in view of the potential of pandemics the media had no option but to cover the swine flu situation the way they did. The more informed we are, the more prepared we are and we can’t be too informed when it comes to something as potentially dangerous as a new form of influenza.

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You may recall that learning how is the swine flu transmitted is one certain system for preventing becoming contaminated by the virus.

No doubt about it, the swine flu pandemic is all you hear on the morning news and what you read in the newspapers. Regarding the swine flu symptoms being very contagious schools many schools have shut to try to stop the virus from spreading even more.

This makes sure that you are receiving a factual swine flu update on a regular basis – even daily – basis will help to decrease widespread panic and fear.

All in all, it’s best to be educated on what swine flu precautions to take in order to stay safe.

By the time you finish reading this article you’ll find out some important facts about swine flu and what you can do to protect yourself.

To start off with, your first question may be “What is swine flu anyway?” In short, it’s a respiratory virus that originally showed up in pigs. The strain that is affecting humans is a new strain of the virus dubbed novel H1N1 by the United States government.

Obviously, discovering how is swine flu transmitted means understanding that swine flu normally does not infect humans. Only those who were in constant, direct contact with infected pigs was at risk.

Now this particular strain of the virus is airborne and is passed on through person-to-person contact.

On another point it is now known that the swine flu incubation time can last as long as 7 days after you have been in close proximity to an infected person.

The meaning of swine flu seems to make people believe that the virus can be transmitted by eating pork products however this is not the case.

The CDC or Centers For Bug Control and Prevention is and always has recommend that you cook foods at a temperature of at least 160 degrees Fahrenheit in order to destroy not only the swine flu virus but other bacteria and viruses as well.

Since swine flu is transmitted through human contact, the World Health Organization (WHO) has let the cat out the bag about containment. It states that it is virtually impossible to contain the virus, so people around the world must focus every bit of effort on preventative procedures.

For instance, not covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze is a way to spread germs. So the CDC is telling everyone to cover their mouths with a tissue or cough or sneeze into their arms.

They are also promoting good sanitation by telling everyone to consistently wash their hands with warm soapy water for around 20 seconds to ensure they destroy all germs.

The CDC is also recommending you go the extra mile and continue with you a type of hand sanitizer to sanitize common areas such as door knobs, tables, and public restrooms.

Being clever and aware is the ticket to your good health, while we all live through this global crisis, we all know that prevention is better than cure. At the same time do not panic and blow it out of proportion we deal with flu strains every year.

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