Like everyone else in our community we have been hearing lots of information lately about the Swine Flu pandemic. I am of course very concerned with appropriate actions to maintain the health of my family, patients and community. Before we take specific action, first we have to understand with what we are dealing. Dr. Toohey gives us some well researched information in the following excerpt of her work.
By Dr. Lynn Toohey, PhD
September 2009
On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus, otherwise known as swine flu. This virus is cause for concern, but not panics, as the pandemic alert is a reflection of the spread, not the severity of illness caused by the virus. However, since the virus gained strength in a time that was not even considered "flu season", concern is once again raised, now that flu season is upon us in a pandemic state. There are shifts in the normally higher ratio of the elderly and very young affected by the virus; however the immune-compromised are still being hit the hardest. Each year 50 to 100 children die of seasonal flu. It is not clear whether the new virus is more dangerous than ordinary seasonal flu for kids, though some health officials suspect it is. Swine flu is causing more suffering in children and young adults than the normal flu (Normally, half or more of the children who die of the flu are 4 and under, however more than 80 percent of the kids who died with swine flu were 5 through 17. ) At least 40 children have died, accounting for about one in 13 U.S. swine flu deaths, scientists with the CDC said Thursday, Sept. 3; two-thirds of those had high-risk health problems, whereas only a third of the children who died in a previous flu season had those conditions. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) experts hypothesize that since it is a new virus that will spread the fastest with new exposure and children/young adults aged 5-17 are in schools; it would explain the different ratios with this flu. Doctors speculate that older age groups have some protection, because the virus resembles a strain of flu that circulated before 1957, to which older people have been exposed, says Colin Lee, associate medical officer of health in Ontario's Simcoe-Muskoka region. That might explain why people aged 20-50 are actually harder hit than the elderly with this flu.
Influenza viruses are generally constantly mutating, but every once in a while, the virus shifts its genetic structure so that our immune systems are challenged. (This usually happens when a flu virus found in animals - like the avian flu still circulating in Asia - swaps genes with other viruses in a process called re-assortment, and jumps to human beings.) A flu pandemic occurs when a new flu virus emerges for which humans have little or no immunity and then spreads easily from person to person around the world. Avian flu is severe but not easily spread. Swine flu is not severe but easily spread. In the 20th century we had two mild flu pandemics (1968 and 1957), and the severe "Spanish flu" pandemic of 1918, which was both deadly AND spread quickly, killing an estimated 40 to 50 million people worldwide.
Swine Flu Facts (and answers to frequently asked questions):
- CDC estimates it has caused more than 1 million illnesses so far, though most were mild and not reported.
- Since mid-April to August 30, 2009, a total of 9,079 hospitalizations and 593 deaths associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses have been reported to the CDC.
- On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in response to the ongoing global spread of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus.
- The WHO designation of a pandemic alert Phase 6 reflects the fact that there are now ongoing community level outbreaks in multiple parts of world.
- WHO's decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is a reflection of the spread of the virus, not the severity of illness caused by the virus.
- More than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection with novel H1N1 flu.
- Between 30 & 40,000 people die of regular flu/complications from flu every year.
- 97% of all sub typed influenza A viruses being reported to CDC were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses.
- Masks will prevent someone from spewing virus, but will NOT protect anyone from getting the virus.
- It did originate from swine, but you can't get it from eating pork. Most viruses jumped to humans from other animals. What concerned the CDC is that this is a flu in swine that is particularly infectious in humans.
- The New England Journal of Medicine reports that "Misguided culling of pigs has been carried out in one country, but the virus is not epidemic in pigs; people spread the virus" (Belshe, R.B. NEJM, May 22, 2009).
- Present vaccines don't work against this strain. They choose three yearly. Flu strains develop resistance to vaccines quickly, not to mention side effects of vaccines. A swine flu vaccine is in progress.
- The CDC reports that the H1N1 virus remains susceptible to antiviral drugs (oseltamivir and zanamivir); however some resistance is being reported.
- As resistance is reported, interest in the H1N1 vaccine builds and fear of the virus builds.
- "The features of the H1N1 epidemic are somewhat similar to past influenza pandemics in that circulation of a new influenza virus is associated with an unseasonal wave of disease affecting a younger population," wrote authors Gerardo Chowell-Puente, an epidemiologist at Arizona State University, and Stefano Bertozzi of the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico.
- When the demand is greater than supply, the drug companies can charge high prices for the new vaccine.
- Drug companies don't make that much profit on normal flu vaccines; flu vaccines make up a small% of a drug company's inventory, relative to other products.
- The government guarantees to subsidize at a greatly reduced cost even if they go unused (in reality most do) and also guarantees liability protection; drug companies have to sell at reduced cost.
- Currently, there are no signs that the virus is mutating to become more deadly.
- Any flu is cause for concern.
- Building the immune system makes good sense, especially since it was not regular flu season when it started escalating, taking people off guard.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) report Surveillance for Pediatric Deaths Associated with 2009 Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Infection --- United States, April--August 2009 showed "As of August 8, 2009, CDC had received reports of 477 deaths associated with 2009 pandemic influenza A (H1N1) in the United States, including 36 deaths among children aged <18 years."
Interestingly, the majority of those deaths occurred in children with very significant neurodevelopmental disorders. According to the data some of these children also had chronic pulmonary disorders and some were obese. In fact, most who died had multiple, severe, chronic health conditions.
As for the record of whether the flu vaccine is working, the CDC also found that "Among 31 children for whom antiviral treatment data were available, 19 (61%) received antiviral treatment, and four of those received treatment within 2 days of illness onset. Of 25 children for whom information was available, 13 (52%) had received at least 1 dose of the 2008--09 seasonal influenza vaccine, including 11 children with high-risk medical conditions."
The question remains, how do we build defenses for such a widespread virus?
The steps we need to take today are the same steps that we always must take. We must maintain a healthy immune system. In addition to a healthy diet, exercise and proper sleep one crucial way to make sure your family's immune systems are functioning at thier best is to make sure their nervous systems are free from interference. Since the nervous system has a direct effect on the immune system and because the spine houses and protects so much of the nervous system, it is important to have your family's spines checked by a Doctor of Chiropractic for any interference.
At Back To Health Family Chiropractic, we look first to neurological compromise by examining the entire spine with special emphasis on the upper cervical region. Once we determine and correct the neurological compromise that the body is experiencing, we look to any specific nutritional deficiencies that our patient may be experiencing. From there we look to the body's fitness level and recommend an individual exercise program to fit the needs of the patient.