# Beware H1N1 'A' Swine Flu



## Serendipity2

Most of you have read about the new strain of swine flu. Actually it was once very common - or at least a variation of the H1N1 A type swine flu. Most American kids got shots for that strain [a very close cousin to the current] and I'm sure that's true of Europeans as well but I doubt many Asians did. That, in my belief, is why it hit so hard in Mexico before migrating. I doubt many Mexicans get flu shots. So, that said, older Americans [sometimes called fossils] do have a pretty substantial immunity to this strain whereas most born later do not. This isn't H5N1 bird flu but can be as deadly. 

Anyway, there will be a vaccine available this fall and I would urge everyone that can to get the vaccination. It's even more critical for those living in small villages as they probably have no immunity to any kind of influenza and once the flu reaches that village everyone is going to probably get it. I would also suggest staying away from pigs as they are the 'vehicle' that gives us the flu. Most pig stock have the flu but exhibit no symptoms. Transmission occurs when the pig sneezes on the farmer. The farmer gives the flue to his family and they give it to the world. All influenza starts in Asia [usually China] with their huge population of poultry and swine and every year the CDC [the US's Center For Disease Control] decides which strains to make vaccines from. They pick the likeliest three and that's were our vaccines come from but every time someone catches the flu it mutates when they pass it along so the vaccine is not a sure, guaranteed protection but beats nothing. Still, we have a one in three chance the vaccine we get won't be the right one. Again, better than nothing. 

Westerners have some ability to resist H1N1 but your Asian families probably have no immunity from the flu. The flue can be a killer and it's very transmissible from human to human. I would urge anyone interested to Google "Swine Flu" and read everything about it so that you understand that this could be a huge threat.


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## Serendipity2

Further to my previous post, here's some reading which I strongly recommend. I just discovered or I'd have included in the above. This is not to alarm you but to educate you on just how serious WHO and CDC are about this. I hope they're being overly cautious but it's better to error on the side of conservatism and get vaccinated regardless of the politics. I think! Anyway, better the devil you know.

WHO moves forward in secrecy to accomplish forced vaccination and population agenda

Serendipity2


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## Serendipity2

I should have read that article before I posted. Now I'm not sure WHAT to believe. :/ The author claims this is a carefully engineered monster plague to "thin the herd". I do worry about the WHO, CDC and the UN and their agenda. I don't trust the ******s any further than I can throw the lot of them so each of us is going to have to decide the risks and rewards. 

I hope my immunity to H1N1 is up to snuff but I don't envy those without immunity. If it hits head out into the boondocks for several months and hopefully it will burn itself out in your absence.


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## KhwaamLap

If it was an engineered disease to thin the crowd, then it was a poor job. It spreads fast, but has a kill rate less that 0.5% (about the same as seasonal flu) - there is talk it may even be lower than that as it unlikely to be reported at all where the effects were so mild the infected person did not link it with swine flu. The real danger (so they say) is someone who has bird flu also catching it and creating a new strain. 

There is a saying in virology (I heard it on radio the other night) is that thr usual golden rule of virii is that their is a sliding scale from highly transmissable to highly deadly (i.e. they are rarely both). This is logical too if you think about it. If a virus is deadly and highlt transmissable, then it would have a short life expectancy - it would kill all its hosts. Thus, natural selection chooses a place on the scale. 

Also on this swine flu, the BMC (British Medical Council) have apparatly stated that wearing face masks makes no perceivable difference in preventing getting this disease or not. Again this is true - viruii prefer to walk (ie. are much more likely transfered by touch) than via breathing in; most masks are particulate masks to stop dust - virii would pass through the pores like a fly through the channel tunnel; and finally, if someone sneezes around you, you are just as likely to be infected through the eyes as through the mouth.

There is also talk that its much better to get it now and let your body build antibodies - because this will be the best possible defence against a more deadly mutated strain.


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## Serendipity2

Good post KhwaamLap,

After reading the article I posted the URL of I should have realized that H5N1 is a totally different virus than H1NI. H1N1 has been around for a very long time. The original swine or Spanish flu of 1917-1919 killed 50 - 100 million people [Wikipedia - other sources if greater or lesser figures] and was the swine of "Spanish" flu or H1Ni A type influenza which they're worrying about once more. 

According to scientists every time the influenza virus is transmitted it mutates so even if we get the exact flu shot for that strain it's not perfect. But it should still offer some protection. Since the flu is an annual virus the more shots we get over the years the greater the odds are we're building some sort of an immunity to this killer. In the past the main victims were the elderly , the young and those with an impaired auto-immune system. The current one seems to be attacking young adults - at least in Mexico where it started - but I think that's due to the fact most Mexicans probably do not get an annual flue shot. Those older people probably did get shots [most] so they have built up some immunity to the flu. Those who haven't are in much greater danger which would include most of the population of third world countries who have no defenses to this virus. 

I agree it's highly unlikely a face mask is effective given the minute size of the virus and that it can be transmitted by coughing or even touching someone. Shouldn't that also be true of HIV and condoms given the fact the HIV virus is also incredibly small and can easily pass through the latex rubber? As for the flu virus, probably even breathing in the area of someone that doesn't already have the flu. Such as on an airplane for several hours with recirculated air. In any case, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure....


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## KhwaamLap

Serendipity2 said:


> Good post KhwaamLap,
> 
> After reading the article I posted the URL of I should have realized that H5N1 is a totally different virus than H1NI. H1N1 has been around for a very long time. The original swine or Spanish flu of 1917-1919 killed 50 - 100 million people [Wikipedia - other sources if greater or lesser figures] and was the swine of "Spanish" flu or H1Ni A type influenza which they're worrying about once more.
> 
> According to scientists every time the influenza virus is transmitted it mutates so even if we get the exact flu shot for that strain it's not perfect. But it should still offer some protection. Since the flu is an annual virus the more shots we get over the years the greater the odds are we're building some sort of an immunity to this killer. In the past the main victims were the elderly , the young and those with an impaired auto-immune system. The current one seems to be attacking young adults - at least in Mexico where it started - but I think that's due to the fact most Mexicans probably do not get an annual flue shot. Those older people probably did get shots [most] so they have built up some immunity to the flu. Those who haven't are in much greater danger which would include most of the population of third world countries who have no defenses to this virus.
> 
> I agree it's highly unlikely a face mask is effective given the minute size of the virus and that it can be transmitted by coughing or even touching someone. Shouldn't that also be true of HIV and condoms given the fact the HIV virus is also incredibly small and can easily pass through the latex rubber? As for the flu virus, probably even breathing in the area of someone that doesn't already have the flu. Such as on an airplane for several hours with recirculated air. In any case, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure....


Flu virii are infamously hardy - they can live up to 48 hours outside the body.
HIV can only live in bodily fluids (outside a lab) and dies very quickly. It is not a hardy virus in these terms - it also has a quite low transmission rate (many magnitudes lower han flu or retrovirii like the common cold).

Latex rubber pores (gaps between molecules) is almost non existant above the molecule size - i.e. no room for virus to cross the barrier without a rupture (hence liquid doesn't escape either) - paper - being a natural vegitable matter has massive holes (it is a seiries of fibres - like a haystack onder a microscope). This is why we use rubber as a sealent and to make hose-pipes from etc. If we made face masks out of the stuff we could not breathe through them as even air molecules are too big.


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## Serendipity2

KhwaamLap,

You've solved the influenza problem! "...If we made face masks out of the stuff we could not breathe through them as even air molecules are too big." 

How does that old saw go? "The operation was a success, unfortunately the patient died. " But on the good side that would end the flu virus.


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## KhwaamLap

My kids' schools shut for two days next week. apparnatly two kids in the upper part of the school have ben diagnosed with Swine Flu, so its being completely disinfected. They already have hand cleaning stations (with alcohol based antibacterial liquid).


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## Serendipity2

KhwaamLap said:


> My kids' schools shut for two days next week. apparnatly two kids in the upper part of the school have ben diagnosed with Swine Flu, so its being completely disinfected. They already have hand cleaning stations (with alcohol based antibacterial liquid).




Hi KhwaamLap,

Do your kids go to a "farang" school or a Thai public school? If the former I would think that most of the children and most likely their parents [or if one is Thai - then the father] would be either European or American and got flu shots over the years which should give some latent immunity to the children even if a different strain. I don't think anyone knows for certain but H1N1 type "A" was THE strain when I was young which is the same strain as the infamous Spanish flu and the current flu. Avian or "bird" flu [H5N1] is a different breed of cat and though hard to transmit is much deadlier but this one could become deadly since in most third world countries few are vaccinated. I hope your kids are vaccinated as it does make a difference. I am guessing influenza vaccine is readily available in Thailand. Any idea on the cost for a flu inoculation?

Serendipity2


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## KhwaamLap

Serendipity2 said:


> Hi KhwaamLap,
> 
> Do your kids go to a "farang" school or a Thai public school? If the former I would think that most of the children and most likely their parents [or if one is Thai - then the father] would be either European or American and got flu shots over the years which should give some latent immunity to the children even if a different strain. I don't think anyone knows for certain but H1N1 type "A" was THE strain when I was young which is the same strain as the infamous Spanish flu and the current flu. Avian or "bird" flu [H5N1] is a different breed of cat and though hard to transmit is much deadlier but this one could become deadly since in most third world countries few are vaccinated. I hope your kids are vaccinated as it does make a difference. I am guessing influenza vaccine is readily available in Thailand. Any idea on the cost for a flu inoculation?
> 
> Serendipity2



Well I come from the UK and only the elderly and at-risk people have the flu jabs. The school is a private biligual Thai school. The students I believe were Thai nationals (most of the kids are), but would be from wealthy families I guess. There is much talk of a vaccine for the new H1N1 strain in te next few weeks - I guess I'll go get us all vaccinated then. 

Westerners seem to be low risk though - mild cases on the whole.


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## Serendipity2

KhwaamLap said:


> Well I come from the UK and only the elderly and at-risk people have the flu jabs. The school is a private biligual Thai school. The students I believe were Thai nationals (most of the kids are), but would be from wealthy families I guess. There is much talk of a vaccine for the new H1N1 strain in te next few weeks - I guess I'll go get us all vaccinated then.
> 
> Westerners seem to be low risk though - mild cases on the whole.



Hi KhwaamLap,

Although not madatory most use to get flu shots in the US but that's tapered off a bit along with shots for mumps, measles and other dangerous diseases. Still the CDC and most health care professionals recommend all get the shot yearly with special emphasis on the older [above 50 years I think] and the very young who have little immune defenses. Mexico, however, where probably few get vaccinations, has had the most fatalities and I think all third world countries are at greater risk since they probably don't have a vaccination program - even for tropical diseases like malaria. Anyway, I hope you and your family get your shots. I will as well!


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