Is the current hysteria surrounding the H1N1 flu a mere hype? Conspiracy theorists are working overtime: Is the US government behind this in order to take over the health insurance sector? A bid by Donald Rumsfeld, investor in and former chairman of Gilead Sciences - the firm that receives royalties from Tamiflu manufacturer Roche - to rake in some cash? A man-made lab experiment? Population control? A pandemic that may or may not arrive? “The World Health Organization (WHO) says a pandemic is happening when a new disease emerges in a population; when it infects people, and the disease spreads easily among people,” said Cheryl Pellerin, a science journalist and writer for America.gov, who covers infectious diseases. Pellerin has a degree in science journalism from the University of Maryland and previously worked as an independent science journalist for print and broadcast. Responding to questions from Saudi Gazette in a web chat, she said that she was not aware of the allegation that the flu was linked to a government plan to privatize healthcare. As unlikely as it sounds, there has been a history of scams perpetrated jointly by governments and pharmaceutical companies. In 1976, much alarm and panic was created about an imminent swine flu outbreak that never actually spread. The vaccine industry boomed as 40 million Americans were vaccinated for the ‘pandemic' that never happened. At the moment, however, everyone wants to know how the H1N1 started and what or who the original carrier of the virus was. “There are three kinds of flu viruses – influenza types A, B and C. Influenza A viruses - which mutate much more rapidly than influenza types B and C - infect people, birds, pigs, horses, seals, whales and other animals, but wild birds are their natural hosts. H1N1 is influenza A virus. It's a novel virus that has genes from people, birds and swine,” Pellerin explained. Signs and symptoms of the H1N1 virus in people, according to CDC, include fever, coughing, a sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. “H1N1 has the same properties in terms of spread as seasonal flu viruses. With seasonal flu, studies have shown that people may be contagious from one day before they develop symptoms to up to seven days after they get sick,” said Pellerin. She added that flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by infected persons, touching something with the virus on it - like money or computer keyboards, or touching mouths and noses. However, the risk in transmission with the latter is low. “There are no official reports of H1N1 from Saudi Arabia,” she said, recalling that in 2007, Saudi Arabia's agriculture ministry discovered the highly pathogenic H5N1 bird flu in the country, and conducted tests on birds like peacocks, turkeys, ostriches and parrots. Pellerin added that antiviral medication, such as, oseltamivir or zanamivir, can make the illness milder and make one feel better, faster. “It is best to take antiviral drugs within 24 to 48 hours of exhibiting symptom,” she said. Perellin believes that the outbreak of other virus infections, such as, the H5 and H7 subtypes, have been instructive in preparing the world agencies to deal with more serious viruses, such as the H1N1. “Every bit of the important work the world did to get ready for highly pathogenic avian flu - H5N1, which is now endemic in 60 countries around the world - is helping us deal with H1N1” she said.
