Symptoms of  swine flu are the same as those of the seasonal flu: fever, cough, headache, muscle and joint aches, sore throat, runny nose, sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.

How contagious is the swine flu virus?

A person who is carries the H1N1 virus contaminates two or three others whereas the classical flu virus contaminates one person.

According to CBC, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation[1], the virus’s activity remains low overall in Canada and the US, though the number of cases might increase as students return to  school.

How is the virus transmitted?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), quoted in Lemonde.fr[2], the virus is transmitted just like seasonal flu, when infected people cough or sneeze.

Prevention measures are the same as for seasonal flu: covering one’s nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, regular hand washing (hand sanitizers are helpful), staying home if one feels sick.

How dangerous is swine flu?

“There is no sense that the virus has mutated or changed in any sense,” WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told a news briefing in Geneva[3]. Experts still disagree on how dangerous the virus is. Some say it is spreading very quickly and infecting many more people, though the number of deaths is still low compared to the seasonal flu. Other experts maintain that it is a variant of the seasonal flu virus as the symptoms are similar and the treatment is the same[4]. As a matter of precaution the French government is designating a number of labs that will be equipped to test for the virus but only in persons presenting severe symptoms and persons at risk[5].

Starting July 23, 2009,WHO decided to stop tracking cumulative individual cases[6] and to just rely on reports submitted by countries because symptoms are minor in most infected people; as for severe cases, such as hospitalized patients, more than half of these people have had underlying health problems or weakened immune systems.

According to Vincent Racaniello[7], a virologist, for the 2007–08 influenza season, the percentage of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza exceeded the epidemic threshold for 8 consecutive weeks from January 12 to May 17, 2008, with a peak at 9.1% at week 11. In contrast, pneumonia and influenza deaths remained below the epidemic threshold in the relatively mild 2008-2009 season. His remarks are confirmed by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)[8], who stated that the percentage of deaths in 122 cities was below the epidemic threshold of 6.3% for week 35 (ending in September 5, 2009). During that same week, sporadic activity was reported by 14 states, including New York,  to the CDC.

In New York City, an epicenter of the disease and  the site of widespread school closures in May, some 530 people were hospitalized and 12 died from H1N1 between late April and mid-June. But a survey by the city health department found that 7 percent of all New Yorkers – some half a million people – had flu-like symptoms in May, suggesting that H1N1 infection may have been rampant during that time, with severe consequences for only a tiny fraction of sufferers.

Certainly the death rate from swine flu is a far cry from the estimated 60 percent who succumbed from identified cases of the avian flu, which has stalked Asia. Eighty-three American children -more than half the number of people worldwide who have died from swine flu thus far (144 deaths in June 2009) – died from regular seasonal flu during the 2007-2008 season alone[9].  People do not die from the flu itself but from respiratory complications, viral pneumonia and bacterial secondary infections.

For comparison’s sake, here are some statistics on flu mortality (source: Wikipedia[10]):

* As of September 4, 2009, worldwide there were 2,837 deaths according to WHO[11]. The fatality rate during the flu season is about 36,000 deaths nationwide in any given year[12].

Should we be worried about swine flu?

For Dr Bernard Debré, a French MD who wrote an article in Lemonde.fr[13], the swine flu is a minor epidemic, considering the number of fatalities worldwide. Nowadays in France, people who present flu symptoms are no longer checked to determine whether they carry the H1N1 virus or not, they are invited instead to take Tylenol.

According to Dr Debré, governments had to follow suit after WHO rushed to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 in June 2009 (there were 144 deaths worldwide at the time). He feels that officials should have made it clear that they were going through a preparedness exercise in case of real pandemic and that there was no need for people to panic.

What is the conventional treatment for swine flu?

WHO reminds us that most people who catch the flu get a mild form of the disease and recover without antiviral treatment or medical care. In most cases, drinking a lot of fluids, rest, and Tylenol are sufficient. If symptoms last more than three days, people should see their doctor.

There are two antiviral medicines on the market – Tamiflu and Relenza. They act mainly as contraceptive pills, preventing the virus from spreading throughout the body, but they do not kill the virus.

However medical researchers are concerned that mass prescription of antivirals could result in the swine flu virus becoming resistant to the drugs. Health authorities in Denmark, Japan, Hong Kong, Canada, Argentina, Thailand, the United States (on August 14, 2009), Israel, China and other countries have reported cases of patients in whom the swine flu virus has become resistant to Tamiflu[14].

Side effects of Tamiflu have also been reported. More than half the children in England taking Tamiflu suffer side effects such as nausea, headaches, stomach aches, insomnia and nightmares, researchers have found. The research was carried out in April and May 2009, before the government decided to stop using Tamiflu preventatively. Only those with suspected or confirmed swine flu now get the drug[15].

How safe is the flu vaccine?

In 1976 a number of people who got the flu shot suffered side effects such as Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), some had minor symptoms but 25 persons died before the immunization program ended. According to the CDC, one person out of 1 million vaccinated persons today may be at risk of GBS associated with the vaccine because manufacturing processes have improved. Guillain-Barré syndrome is a disease in which the body damages its own nerve cells, resulting in muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. GBS can last for weeks to months. Most people eventually recover completely or nearly completely, but some people have permanent nerve damage, and between 5% and 6% of people who develop GBS die. GBS affects people of both sexes and all ages and races[16].

A search in Wikipedia[17] shows that the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREPA), passed by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush in December, 2005, contains liability protections for drug companies, under provisions intended to remove financial risk barriers for any new vaccines that need to be rushed to market in case of an emergency. The late Senator Edward Kennedy issued a statement condemning the liability provisions as a giveaway to the drug industry. Kennedy said the bill makes it “essentially impossible” for injured parties to sue for damages, and that the measure allows common diseases to be used as a reason to activate the liability shield. Kennedy also notes that one of the drug companies that lobbied for PREPA is Sanofi Pasteur, which is under Food and Drug Administration (FDA) investigation for being connected to at least five cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome caused by its meningococcal vaccine.

According to a survey in the UK of nearly 1,500 Nursing Times readers, 91% of whom describe themselves as frontline nurses[18], up to a third of frontline nurses are not currently planning to get immunized against swine flu when the vaccine becomes available later this year. Among the reasons for rejecting the vaccine are concerns about its safety, and a perception of the infection as ‘mild’. One respondent said: ‘I have had the seasonal flu vaccination three times and on each occasion was doing very poorly for several days afterwards. It can give you flu-like symptoms, which in my case were bad enough to put me in mybed.’

Does the flu vaccine contain mercury?

According to the CDC[19], the majority of flu vaccines distributed in the United States currently contain thimerosal (a chemical containing mercury as a preservative). Even though the “preservative-free” vaccines contain trace amounts of thimerosal they are considered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be preservative-free.

Should I get the vaccine?

You need to make your decision based on facts, not rumors or panic.

How to strengthen your immune system with natural means

- Have a balanced diet. Avoid processed foods (sodas, burgers, nuggets, etc), they contain very little nutrition and contribute to the weakening of immune defenses.

- Consume oysters, garlic, mushrooms: all these foods are also used in the Chinese pharmacopeia. Oysters are rich in zinc and selenium which promote a healthy immune system. So do mushrooms. Garlic and onions also have antibacterial properties.

- Eat plenty of fruits, they are rich in micronutrients, vitamins and antioxidants which strengthen the immune system.

- Eat a lot of fresh green vegetables, they are rich in vitamin C and iron.

People who eat lots of fruits and vegetables and a lesser amount of animal proteins (we only need 30-50 grams, that is 1.06-1.76 ounces, of proteins a day) and who do not smoke are less likely to catch colds.

- Include prebiotics in your diet, that is, the fiber in most vegetables that strengthen the intestinal flora.

- Also include probiotics (acidophilus, bifidus, etc) – they improve immune function and prevent infections.

- Consume essential fatty acids such as omega-3 (in fish oil) to strengthen the immune system.

- Exercise in moderation; no extreme sports, no marathon or triathlon.

- Get sufficient sleep.

- Limit external stress such as tobacco, pollution, pesticides, sweets (sugar depresses the immune system).

- Reduce internal mental stress. Stress does weaken the immune system.

Pasteur said “the germ is nothing, the terrain is everything”. If your terrain is strong, the virus cannot get a foothold.

What about dietary supplements?

They give the illusion of doing the right thing by popping pills and multivitamins or guzzling so-called energy drinks, instead of eating fresh non processed real foods. Some people may need a short course of trace elements such as zinc or selenium supplements, but they should not self-medicate as supplements have to be adapted to the person’s internal ecosystem, otherwise they will just burden the liver and other organs unnecessarily.

Here is a list of immune-boosting foods:

- Vitamin C: pineapple, kiwi, guava, parsley, cabbage, bell pepper, broccoli, sprouts, all fresh fruits and vegetables;

- Vitamin D: fish mostly;

- Proteins: animal proteins (eggs, fish, meat), vegetable proteins (beans, lentils, oats, spelt, kamut, quinoa[11], amaranth[12] etc);

- Essential fatty acids: mostly fish;

- Zinc :  oyster, seafood, wheat germ, pumpkin seeds, squash seeds;

- Selenium: nuts, oysters, whole wheat;

- Probiotics : yogurt, kefir, miso, raw saltless sauerkraut;

- Fiber: vegetables, oats, buckwheat, barley.

Above all, having a positive attitude also helps. Laughter is good medicine. Staying healthy should not be difficult.

[2] http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/09/04/h1n1-deaths-who.html.

[3] http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/20031231-9999_6m31flu.html

[4] http://lemonde.fr, 26 July 2009.

[5] http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/leading-articles/leading-article-this-abuse-of-tamiflu-is-dangerous-for-all-of-us-1769963.html , http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_flu_pandemic_timeline

[6] http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2009/jul/31/tamiflu-side-effects-children

[7] http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/gbs.htm

[8] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_Readiness_and_Emergency_Preparedness_Act

[9] http://www.nursingtimes.net/whats-new-in-nursing/swine-flu/dh-director-of-immunisation-tells-nurses-they-have-a-duty-to-have-swine-flu-jab/5005221.article

[10] http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/qa/thimerosal.htm

[11] 100 grams of uncooked quinoa contain 14 grams of proteins (for comparison, wheat contains 10.7 grams) (source: Wikipedia).

[12] 100 grams of uncooked amaranth contain  14.5 grams of protein  (source : http://puentemexico.org/main/us/Amaranth%27s-Nutritional-Content/).

[2] http://Lemonde.fr , 27 August 2009.

[3] http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2009/09/04/h1n1-deaths-who.html

[4] http://abonnes.lemonde.fr/web/stk/article/0,1-0@2-3244,36-1240688,0.html

[5] http://abonnes.lemonde.fr/archives/article/2009/09/15/grippe-a-qu-est-ce-qu-un-laboratoire-referent_1240300_0.html

[6] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_flu_pandemic_timeline

[7] Vincent Racaniello is Higgins Professor in the Department of Microbiology at Columbia University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons (source: Wikipedia). His blog is http://www.virology.ws/2009/06/16/how-many-people-die-from-influenza/

[8] http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

[9] http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourhealth/diseases/articles/flu_pandemic_what_that_really_means_.html?CMP=KNC-360I-YAHOO-BULL&HBX_OU=51&HBX_PK=swine_flu_alert_level