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Updates on the A(H1N1) Flu

            It is now evident that the strain of the influenza A (H1N1) virus that surfaced in Mexico in April is not as virulent as initially has managed to spread to practically the whole world in a matter of months. the figures are not that alarming. As of October 2009, World health Organization (WHO) statistics show that only more than 414,000 laboratory confirmed cases of the A(H1N1) flu have been reported. In the Philippines, where the first case of the disease was diagnosed last May 2009.         
            Many countries  have  stopped counting individual cases of the A(H1N1) flu, particularly of milder illness, thus the actual number of people affected is significantly much higher that what World Health Organization (WHO) statistics show. Despite this however, the virus is obviously not that high cause a really highly communicable virus, according to many experts, cannot really be contained and its spread is explosive.  It is now also apparent that the influenza A(H1N1) virus is benign. Most people who have become ill with the virus simply experienced typical flu symptoms and recovered without requiring medical treatment. To date, nearly 5,000 people have died from the disease, which makes the fatality rate from the A (H1N1) flu a mere 1.2% of reported cases. In the Philippines, the fatality rate is even much lower, only 30 deaths have been reported so far many of those who died had other existing medical conditions.

              In retrospect, the initial overreaction of government to the A (H1N1) flu pandamenic is understandable. After all, this current A (H1N1) flu virus has many similarities to the Spanish flu, which killed millions of people worldwide in 1918: it originated from animals (the Spanish flu from birds and the present one from pigs); it has acquired the capability for sustained human to human transmission; and since it is a novel virus, there is no vaccine against it and most people have little or no immunity to it. But the behavior of all things considered, getting infected with the influenza A (H1N1) is no more dreadful than getting infected with the other seasonal flu viruses that are present worldwide. But if this is so, why has US Pres. Barrack Obama declared the A(H1N1) flu a national mergency?      
            Essentially, the declaration is a preemptive move for easier decision making and mobilization of resources. The declaration will accelerate the immunization of target groups with the A(H1N1) vaccine that has recently become available. The vaccines have to be administered before the event of the flu season, which in the US coincides with the start of winter. This will prevent the spread of the A(H1N1) virus and more importantly, will minimize the chance of the A(H1N1) virus and any seasonal flu viruses from infecting the same person at the same time, which will make it possible for the A(H1N1) virus to recombine its genetic material with the other flu virus and allow for the development of a newer potentially more virulent strain.MB Wellbeing