Worried About the Swine Flu (H1N1)?
Are you worried about the swine flu or H1N1 as it is now referred to in the media? It can be pretty scary to think about contracting this virus given all of the attention it is attracting worldwide. Hopefully, after reading this article, it will ease some of your concerns and anxieties about the swine flu (H1N1).
Swine flu is a contagious respiratory disease that affects pigs. It is caused by a type-A influenza virus with the most common version being H1N1. The current strain is a new variation of the H1N1 virus, which is a mix of human and swine influenza versions. In the past, people had only contracted swine flu from handling or coming in contact with infected pigs. Scientists become concerned whenever a new virus is able to jump from an animal, in this case a pig, to a person and then spread from person to person. As with any virus, as it spreads, it can continue to mutate, making it harder to treat.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has categorized the outbreak of H1N1 as a pandemic and has urged governments around the world to take necessary precautions to prevent the spread. As a result, there has been an urgency to create a vaccine to help contain and limit the spread of the H1N1 virus. However, is this really a good idea?
The vaccine contains dangerous additives such as mercury and squalene. Squalene is an adjuvant which reduces the amount of vaccine needed. There was a study done in 2000 that demonstrated that injections of squalene in rats triggered rheumatoid arthritis. In humans, squalene has been linked to auto-immune disorders. Several studies have found squalene to be safe in humans; however, the studies were done by pharmaceutical companies who stand to profit by manufacturing the vaccine.
Is the swine flu more dangerous than the regular flu? There is no doubt, that getting the regular flu is no fun and there are several people that die each year as a result of getting the flu. However, so far, there is no evidence that suggests the swine flu is more lethal than the regular flu. Total swine flu hospitalizations and doctor visits are similar or lower than the regular flu.
There is no evidence that the virus has mutated anywhere in the world. Only 43,000 swine flu cases have been reported in the United States with 302 deaths. That death rate is lower than the regular seasonal flu.
Virologists, scientists that study viruses, have stated that the H1N1 virus is no more dangerous than the seasonal flu that hits each year and actually seems to be weaker. According to a poll of 60 virologists in the “The New Scientist”, a British science magazine, they were asked what they were doing to safeguard themselves against the swine flu and not one of them mentioned taking the vaccine.
If this H1N1 virus is not as bad as the seasonal (regular) flu, why have people died? It appears that the major reason people have died from the swine flu is because they have had an immune suppressing chronic illness.
Why all the fuss about the swine flu? Remember, who profits by manufacturing the vaccines? That’s right, the pharmaceutical companies. If the swine flu wasn’t promoted to be so lethal, there would be no need to produce the vaccine. No vaccine, no profit!
If you want to lessen your chances of contracting H1N1 or the seasonal flu, use common sense. Make sure you always wash your hands. Stay away from others that are sick. Get plenty of rest and be sure to drink plenty of water. Eat well and be sure to get some of grandma’s chicken soup!
