People are frightened by the possibility of the swine flu virus spreading around the world, killing thousands and making millions sick.
Any time a virus changes its structure so that it can be spread from human to human rather than from animal to animal, the potential for an epidemic rears its ugly head. The swine flu virus has been blamed so far for the deaths of more than 150 people in Mexico since April 13. So far, people in the U.S. who have been confirmed to have the disease have recovered.
The best description of the disease that I found is offered by WebMD.
The dilemma of swine flu can be summed up in three words: “We don’t know.” It is always a potential threat when a virus leaps across species and becomes a human-borne disease carrier. The virus will modify itself and nobody knows how deadly or how easily spread it will become.
For now there is no need to panic. “Handwashing, not handwringing,” is the advice offered by one writer.
Unless you work in public health or in the pharmaceutical industry, that is. Why isn’t Mexico treating the families of swine flu victims so they won’t catch and spread the disease? Most of us can focus on living healthfully, dodging germs, and seeing a healthcare provider when we get really sick.
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Tags: best defense, swine flu, WebMD
