Reply #20: You don't get it [View All]

[depakid]

And, unfortunately- that's all too typical an attitude. Typically American I have to say. Go along your happy way and pretend nothing's wrong. "oh, they say this every year."

Well- NO THEY DON'T.

H5N1 is NOT the usual influenza A. Have a look at the CSR's.

http://www.who.int/csr/don/archive/disease/influenza/en/

What you'll find there is that there's a reservior of viri with human case fatality rates of over 70%. That means over 700 out of 1,000 people who contract the disease die. What should disturb rational people (and does disturb) epidemiologists is:

a) There's an entirely new strain of influenza that may break out at any time- and due to it's vector, has already crossed continents (albeit in its avian form);

b) Influenza viri mutate easly, and human to human transmission is not an "if" it's a "when;"

c) because this is avian influenza, the most common vacine process (involving chicken embryo's) doesn't work- it kills chickens- so even if there were sufficient influenza A capacity- which there's not- there's no way to manufacture vaccine until long after the pandemic killed millions;

d) public health delivery systems would quickly become overwhelmed in the face of an outbreak-

This is a serious matter that ought to taken equally seriously. Plans need to be in place- supplies of the only effective treatment- in this case tamiflu- need to be built up (although it would be a nightmare to try to distribute them to the afflicted- since they only work within 48 hours of onset) to save as many patients as possible. And contigencies need to b in place to shut down non-vital mass gatherings of people, where the disease may spread.

This is just sensible planning.

Unfortunately, sense seems to have left this country.