How does the swine flu compare to the regular flu?

[Hugabear]

I know the media is caught up in this whole swine flu hysteria, but how does this new flu compare to the regular flu virus? The reason I ask is that the "regular" flu bug kills millions of people every year, so I'm not quite sure how alarmed to be over this new version. Especially when I hear that most people who get this swine flu do recover, and that we have plenty of drugs available that are known to be effective against it.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Flu kills 36,000 Americans every year.

About a hundred every day if you average it out.

[Warpy]

2. Most people with confirmed cases in the US have gotten well

or have a standard case of the rotten old flu.

I see absolutely no reason to panic.

[tammywammy]

3. From what I heard from a guy with the local health dept

He said that it's actually milder than the normal flu. Fever, little cough, little scratchy throat, but the difference is that with this swine flu there's diarrhea involved. Also, he said that it actually goes away quickly 3-4 days or so. BUT if you start having these symptoms to go straight to the doctor.

[Hugabear]

4. The only thing that gives me pause is the # of deaths in Mexico

Apparently many of those were young adults, people you wouldn't normally expect to die from the flu, which usually kills the youngest or oldest. But then again, I don't know how many young adults in Mexico die from the regular flu, so it's really hard to get a good comparison.

[tammywammy]

5. Again, from what he said

It's actually pneumonia that's killing people.

I don't know, but I tend to wonder if there's a lack of medical treatment when someone's first getting the flu and it turns into pneumonia before they're getting help.


*again, not a medical doctor, not a nurse, didn't even like science class, I'm just repeating what he said and my own personal wondering which could be completely wrong*

[nadinbrzezinski]

7. What is killing the young ones is a cascade effect in the autoimmune system

leukotriene cascade effect

That is what this looks to me like right now

[Hannah Bell]

11. you don't know that. there are only 20 confirmed deaths in mexico, so

*no one* knows that.

one would think you were right there on the spot running the lab, to hear you talk.

[thewiseguy]

13. Do you mind educating yourself on this subject?

CNN: Sanjay, one question that we haven't gotten to ... most of the people who died from swine flu in Mexico were in the prime of their lives really, and this usually hits infants or the elderly. What does that say to you as a doctor?

Gupta: This is interesting. And the same thing happened in sort of a nonintuitive way when we were talking about SARS and when we were talking about avian flu.

Think about it like this: Typically, you think of someone who has a weakened immune system, who's going to be most adversely affected by an infection. Their immune system simply can't fight it.

But in these cases, it's the immune system itself that reacts robustly, and it's the immune system in that reaction to the virus that is causing death in these patients. So the virus starts that cascade, but all that fluid builds up in the lungs, and all those inflammatory cells throughout the body -- that's what's causing the problem. We saw the same thing with SARS and with avian flu as well.
Health Library

Which is why exactly as you said ... 20s and 30s and 40s, this hospital behind me, they say that's been the bulk of their patients with regard to swine flu.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/27/gupta.qanda/index.html?section=cnn_latest

[Hannah Bell]

14. I have an MS, Nutrition, have done university research, & work in a hospital.

Cytokine storm is a real phenomenon.

There's *no* evidence it has anything to do with the deaths in Mexico, particularly since only 20 are yet confirmed to be from this flu. It is *speculation,* & shouldn't be passed on as though it were gospel.

an Sanjay Gupta is a shill.

[thewiseguy]

15. Well he has a MD degree which you don't.

I do not see what a MS degree in nutrition has to do with having expertise in swine flu.

[Hannah Bell]

17. I'm the person formulating your tube feeding & TPN; I advise the docs.

and I do those things according to patient's disease states & lab values, having been trained to do so.

Besides which, one doesn't need specialized training to understand when people are speculating beyond the available evidence.

I repeat, there is *no* evidence that "cytokine storm" has anything to do with the deaths in Mexico. It's pure speculation, & Gupta is a shill. Just because someone has an MD & is on TV or in a leadership position doesn't mean they're a trustworthy info source.

[thewiseguy]

8. The diarrhea part is just for some of those affected

Unless you were tested you would not be able to tell if someone has the swine flu.

[tammywammy]

16. Which is why he said if you have any flu-like symptoms you should head to the doctor

And especially if you have normal flu-like symptoms plus diarrhea.

[Hannah Bell]

10. only 20 of those deaths are confirmed to be from this flu.

so it's a bit early to make a case for any profile of victims.

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. It is at the molecular level

regular flu tends to go through the population (human) every year in different disguises, why you need the vaccine

Swine flu has jumped the species barrier

This particular one has a strain of swine flu, one of bird flue, one of human flu and the mix probably happened in a piggy, as they have receptors for both human and bird flue

THe other thing that makes it different is that we have absolutely no immunity to it, and there is no vaccine

(Yes I am trying to keep this simple)

[MindPilot]

9. according to Fixed News, it is more expensive.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x5546110

[FedUpWithIt All]

12. I copied this from an earlier post of mine.

I wrote this to explain, in very simplified terms, the basic differences.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph...


The 1918 flu was also a swine flu that affected primarily the younger and otherwise healthy adults.

There is a significant difference between seasonal flu that further weakens and kills those who are already weak and a swine flu that kills through cytokine storms.

Edited to add the following about cytokine storms

http://www.fluwikie.com/index.php?n=Science.PrimerCytokineStorm