According to the World Health Organization, the infected cases of the H1N1 virus in the United States have way passed Mexico. As of May 13, 2009, Mexico has reported 2059 laboratory confirmed cases of infections including 56 deaths while the United States has reported 3009 cases alone including 3 deaths. Meanwhile, Canada reported 358 cases including 1 death. These three countries seemed to have the highest number of cases so far. Not only was that. The infected cases were now traveling across the Pacific Ocean and exported to Asia. Officials of the Asian countries were in high alert and remained vigilance.
Given that the frequent traffic between Asia and the United States, it would be very difficult to avoid the spreading of the virus to the Asian countries, especially when the United States seemed to be ill-equipped for the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic and showed no sign whatsoever to deter the virus from spreading to other countries. For example, there were already several confirmed cases in Tokyo, China and Hong Kong in this week only and all of them were infected in the United States. Perhaps, port authorities and the CDC in the Unites States should take up stricter measurement so that the H1N1 virus could be over sooner.
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Monday, May 11, 2009
A Long Battle Ahead of Us
You must have asked “when are all these going to end?” Number of confirmed cases for the influenza A (H1N1) virus seemed to reach new high every week and confirmed cases began to appear in countries where they never had the H1N1 virus before.
The H1N1 had traveled across from Ontario to Japan as three people who returned to Japan from a High School visit in Canada were tested positive for the H1N1 virus, making Japan to report the H1N1 for the first time. As the confirmed cases seemed to be unusually high in this flight, 49 other passengers who took the same flight from Detroit to Tokyo were also needed to be quarantined.
Meanwhile, China reported its first confirmed case of the influenza A (H1N1) virus. A 30-year old man who returned from St. Louis, Missouri, the United States to Beijing via Tokyo developed a fever after he had landed in Beijing and made a local fight connection to Chengdu. He felt ill on the local fight and went straight to the hospital for treatment and he was later confirmed as a mild case of H1N1. Officials tracked down other passengers on the same fight for quarantine.
The H1N1 had traveled across from Ontario to Japan as three people who returned to Japan from a High School visit in Canada were tested positive for the H1N1 virus, making Japan to report the H1N1 for the first time. As the confirmed cases seemed to be unusually high in this flight, 49 other passengers who took the same flight from Detroit to Tokyo were also needed to be quarantined.
Meanwhile, China reported its first confirmed case of the influenza A (H1N1) virus. A 30-year old man who returned from St. Louis, Missouri, the United States to Beijing via Tokyo developed a fever after he had landed in Beijing and made a local fight connection to Chengdu. He felt ill on the local fight and went straight to the hospital for treatment and he was later confirmed as a mild case of H1N1. Officials tracked down other passengers on the same fight for quarantine.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
One Virus, Too Many
A 25-year old Mexican was tested positive for the Influenza A (H1N1) virus after he arrived in Hong Kong via Shanghai. The Metropark Hotel, where he stayed was closed immediately after he was confirmed with the infection. As a result, everybody including 200 guests and 100 staff had to put into segregation for 7-day quarantine for fear that there might be a chance of spreading the virus further.
As the city was hard hit by the SARS virus in 2003, officials from the Government acted quickly to respond to this Mexican situation which was exactly the same in 2003 and was still haunted in their minds. In 2003, a doctor infected with the SARS virus came to Hong Kong from Guangzhou. During his only one-night stay in the hotel, he spread a massive dosage of the SARS virus and infected at least 10 different people from various countries. The chain reaction caused a series of outbreak in Canada and Europe.
This time the officials took no chance and traced down everybody including the nearby passengers who sat close to the Mexican in the plane for 7-day quarantine. Even the two cab drivers who took the Mexican to the hospital and from the airport to the hotel was not excluded.
Only one sick person and over 400 people had to be put into isolation. Though the virus is so small and one cannot even see it with the naked eyes, the effect is more like a giant monster.
Please take care of yourself from getting the H1N1 virus.
As the city was hard hit by the SARS virus in 2003, officials from the Government acted quickly to respond to this Mexican situation which was exactly the same in 2003 and was still haunted in their minds. In 2003, a doctor infected with the SARS virus came to Hong Kong from Guangzhou. During his only one-night stay in the hotel, he spread a massive dosage of the SARS virus and infected at least 10 different people from various countries. The chain reaction caused a series of outbreak in Canada and Europe.
This time the officials took no chance and traced down everybody including the nearby passengers who sat close to the Mexican in the plane for 7-day quarantine. Even the two cab drivers who took the Mexican to the hospital and from the airport to the hotel was not excluded.
Only one sick person and over 400 people had to be put into isolation. Though the virus is so small and one cannot even see it with the naked eyes, the effect is more like a giant monster.
Please take care of yourself from getting the H1N1 virus.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Influenza A (H1N1) – A New Name for Swine Flu
People were afraid to eat pork because of the widespread of Swine Flu viruses which was originated in Mexico and kept on spreading like wild fire across the Unites States to Europe and now, landing in Asia.
It seemed that the viruses showed no sign of slowing down and the infected cases has reached a new high. People in the world including the World Health Organization called it the ‘Swine Flu” Viruses, deeply agitating the farmers in the United States whose pork was banned by many countries such as China, Dubai and Russia and others even though Government officials repeatedly reassured that swine flu viruses could not be transmitted to human body just by eating pork, providing that the pork was well-cooked. However, more and more people joined the ‘no pork” line. To regain the confidence of the public of eating pork, the swine flu virus was changed to influenza A (H1N1) by the World Health Organization.
As of May 3 2009, the type A has caused 19 deaths and 506 were confirmed human cases of infections in Mexico. As for the United States, 226 were laboratory confirmed human cases of infections, including 1 death.
As for the rest of the world, no death was reported yet and infected cases were Austria (1), Canada(85), Hong Kong(1), Costa Rica(1), Denmark(1), France(2), Germany(8), Ireland(1), Israel(3), Italy(1), Netherlands(1), New Zealand(4), Republic of Korea(1), Spain(40), Switzerland(1) and the United Kingdom(15).
It seemed that the viruses showed no sign of slowing down and the infected cases has reached a new high. People in the world including the World Health Organization called it the ‘Swine Flu” Viruses, deeply agitating the farmers in the United States whose pork was banned by many countries such as China, Dubai and Russia and others even though Government officials repeatedly reassured that swine flu viruses could not be transmitted to human body just by eating pork, providing that the pork was well-cooked. However, more and more people joined the ‘no pork” line. To regain the confidence of the public of eating pork, the swine flu virus was changed to influenza A (H1N1) by the World Health Organization.
As of May 3 2009, the type A has caused 19 deaths and 506 were confirmed human cases of infections in Mexico. As for the United States, 226 were laboratory confirmed human cases of infections, including 1 death.
As for the rest of the world, no death was reported yet and infected cases were Austria (1), Canada(85), Hong Kong(1), Costa Rica(1), Denmark(1), France(2), Germany(8), Ireland(1), Israel(3), Italy(1), Netherlands(1), New Zealand(4), Republic of Korea(1), Spain(40), Switzerland(1) and the United Kingdom(15).
Friday, May 1, 2009
Medicines for the Swine Influenza (H1N1)
Unfortunately, there are no vaccines which can contain the swine flu virus that killed many in Mexico and sickened at least 2,000 people in the rest of the world. As the swine flu viruses can change quickly and can go through a form of mutation rapidly, medical professionals are working in light speed to develop a vaccine that can stop the circulation of the virus strain.
As for the medicines which can provide treatment of the swine influenza (H1N1), sources from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that the swine flu viruses in the United States are sensitive to inhibitors of influenza neuraminidase (oseltamivir and zanamivir). Oseltamivir is actually the brand entitled “Tamiflu” and Zanamivir is “Relenza”.
As for the medicines which can provide treatment of the swine influenza (H1N1), sources from the World Health Organization (WHO) indicate that the swine flu viruses in the United States are sensitive to inhibitors of influenza neuraminidase (oseltamivir and zanamivir). Oseltamivir is actually the brand entitled “Tamiflu” and Zanamivir is “Relenza”.
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