Those Dastardly Pigs!

Most people call it the Swine Flu and unless you've been living under a rock for the last week or two, you'll know about it. In fact, the media tells us that you should probably go back under your rock with stock piles of tinned vegetables, cocktail franks and probably sardines too, because they also say that Omega oils are good for you.

So the story goes that it started in Mexico, where many people have died from it, mostly children. A few travellers who visited Mexico have taken it to the UK and other places, and have subsequently been quarantined by the respective governments. It has spread down to Colombia, up to the States, and rumour has it, as far as Canada where it has returned to its home in their porcine population.

The Mexican medical authorities deny that it originated from them because lab results trace the viral DNA to a mix of North American and Asian strains. So now borders across the planet are shut or at least have greater restrictions on entry. The virus (or should I say, the scare) is having a profound impact on tourism in Mexico, nearby countries, and international travel generally. It is not great business for the airlines who are just recovering from the SARS scare not too long ago.

Australia has Forward Looking Infra Red (FLIR) scanners at the airports, trying to catch inbound people with fevers and is making people declare their health as well as their animal and plant products. Of course, there are some flaws in these good intentions. Specifically, that this flu is contagious a whole day before you even start showing symptoms and up to a week after you've recovered from the symptoms. That, and they have their FLIRs set so high that a person with a fever will have a seizure before they get pulled over by the good people at Border Patrol.
But don't worry, we'll be okay.

Death! Epidemic! Global Alert!

What is it about the Piggy Wiggy Flu (PWF) that has people so scared? After all, thousands of people die from the constantly mutating human flu virus every year. Occasionally there will be a mild scare over "this year's strain", but it barely makes more than a day's worth of news.

They say that the Porcine Revenge Virus (PRV) is more highly transmissible, but it's no SARS when it comes to mortality rate (3% in Mexico, negligible elsewhere, versus 10% global for SARS). Granted, PRV like all influenza viruses may be deadly to people who have impaired or weak immune systems like children, the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions involving the immune system. Which means if you're healthy and/or are vigilant with your personal hygiene, you should be okay.

Wear a mask if you must, but wash your hands! I don't understand why I have seen some health professionals in a non-declared island nation don full body suits to transport nursing home residents with flu-like symptoms to the hospital. I think this might be overkill. The PRV is actually two parts human influenza, one part avian and one part swine.

News media, god love them, is about 40% hype, 40% bullshit and 20% interesting. People should not depend on one newspaper or one news program for all their information. There is a lot of politics involved in the media, including who owns it and what their personal opinions are (just look at election time). And of course, there is a lot of business involved too; the number of papers that are sold and number of viewers is influenced by amazing headlines.

Death Trip Of The Infallibles?

In the end, I think the PWF is another strain of the "flu" that has been making people sick since the beginning of time. A few people will die from it, some will stay in bed and be miserable for a week, but most won't get it at all. So, with my invincibility and Julie's superior immune system, we'll be fine on our trip through Latin America!

My totally reliable sources: Wikipedia, Google, CDC and a cool intellect.