Is the Swine Flu More Dangerous than Regular Influenza?
May 1st, 2009
Of course, nobody knows for sure yet if this swine flu epidemic will be more dangerous than the seasonal flu. However, the potential for extreme badness is there.
Many people are now saying that the media and the government is blowing the threat out of proportion. They like to quote that around 36,000 people die from influenza in the United States each year. The problem is that this is not your typical, run-of-the-mill seasonal influenza. This is an H1N1 influenza. These are very different germs.
H1N1 has shown itself in the past to have great killing potential. The flu pandemic of 1918 was H1N1. It killed between 20-100 million people worldwide. To put that into perspective, the holocaust killed around 15 million people. All of World War II killed around 60 million people.
Regular seasonal flu typically causes deaths in the elderly population. H1N1 strains have the potential to cause a screaming inflammatory reaction or cytokine storm. Considering younger humans have a stronger immune system, this may be why H1N1 strains have a greater tendency to harm the young.
During the flu pandemic of 1918, fifty percent of the world–one out of every two people–were infected. Seasonal flu typically only infects 5-10% of the population each year. The potential economic strain through our medical system and through loss of work is tremendously higher.
All outbreaks of H1N1 are not so severe; they do give supportive evidence of H1N1 characteristics. During an outbreak of swine flu among soldiers in Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1976, it caused x-ray evidence of pneumonia in at least 4 soldiers and one 1 death. This outbreak reinforces the idea that swine flu can kill the young and healthy. An outbreak at a fair in 1988, 76% of swine exhibitors showed antibodies to H1N1 and thus had been probably infected. One young woman died, and one third of the health care professionals who took care her became infected. The outbreak of 1998 shows how contagious the swine flu can be.
Now, I hope people will understand why health officials are taking this potential threat so seriously. H1N1 has shown herself to be very dangerous in the past.
Disclaimer: I’m not an infectious disease expert.
May 1st, 2009 at 11:54 am
i was wondering what your thoughts were on this! excellent post!
May 6th, 2009 at 6:35 am
good job doc.
May 6th, 2009 at 12:48 pm
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May 20th, 2009 at 9:26 pm
You’re comparing to the 1918 H1N1 epidemic, and to a 1976 H1N1, but my understanding is that ALL seasonal flu between 1918 and 1957 is thought to be H1N1, weakened descendants of the 1918 flu. So a flu being H1N1 by itself doesn’t mean than something like the 1918 epidemic is about to strike again. Also, I gather that the first wave of the 1918 epidemic was quite mild; it was the second wave that was deadly. Finally, the reason for the deadliness of the 1918 flu’s second wave is thought to be related to crowded conditions in the world war I front lines. So I’m still looking for reasons for thinking this is more serious than seasonal flu…?
July 14th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
Personally, I believe that I have had swine flu in the past; one instance that I can definately remember. March/April 2004 I came down with the flu. I had a temperature averaging 102 for 2 weeks. At times it was less and at times I hit 104+. My body ached terribly, I was coughing up blood, and my throat hurt. After 6 weeks of bronchial issues, finding out I had asthma, and fevers… oh and vomitting and diahrrea, it all subsided. Since then i’ve maybe gotten sick twice. That flu was a blessing in disguise.
Over the last 3 weeks, my entire office has been down with the flu. We’re talking 30+ people. Everyone is having different symptoms. Everyday is a different symptom.
Someone announced that they had contact with someone who had contact with someone who had h1n1 and I freaked. This moron had influenza and was coming to work and made our entire department sick. Now, don’t get me wrong, eventually it would have happened to everyone anyway. It is probably better than it happened now because we will have more antibodies for the fall and the winter. People have been sick 2-3 weeks and I don’t see an end in sight. My body still aches, I feel I can’t breathe well, and I have a terrible headache.
I say h1n1 is very dangerous, IT IS EVERYWHERE, If you haven’t come in contact with it, IT WILL FIND YOU!!
Call me crazy, but this virus is here to stay and probably will kill a lot of people.
November 5th, 2009 at 10:17 pm
yea its only killed 800-900 people worldwide
and its barely lyk less than 1/10 of a percent any more deadly and is not anymore virulent that regular seasonal flu
and u cant compare 1918 world with today
i say again its proven to not be anymore virulent