Archive for the ‘Swine Flu - H1N1’ Category

Swine Flu…Another Reason NOT to Use Antibacterial Soap?

Monday, May 4th, 2009

It’s hypothesized that the common use of antibacterial soap is helping create super strains of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

Why does this matter for a viral infection?  Because the high death rates in the 1918 flu epidemic may have been caused by secondary infections.

Although my other posts have pointed out that hyper immune response to 1918 virus may have caused increased mortality, it may have been the condition caused by this hyper response (i.e, fluid in the lungs) that led to bacterial infection.

Take Vitamin D to Avoid Swine Flu?

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Well, maybe.  I can’t find a place that says it needs to be taken with a fat of some sort.  The D supplements I took this winter were not in fish oil, I wonder if that is why they didn’t work?  Or if its hogwash!

Pathophysiology of Swine Flu (H1N1)

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Lethal Secrets of Spanish Flu Revealed

“This study in macaques, combined with our earlier research showing the host response in mice infected with the 1918 flu, suggests that the host immune response is out of control in animals infected with the virus.”

So how do we “turn off” this immune response?  My experiments with Vitamin D did nothing to quell my symptoms of flu this winter…of course it did work LAST winter…maybe I got a bad batch?  Or maybe taking megadoses of Vitamin D to ward off elevated immune response is hogwash?

1918 Spanish flu treatment may also be effective for current avian influenza patients

Monday, May 4th, 2009

3 year old article, relevant now.  According to research, during the 1918 flu pandemic, people who were treated with transfusions from others who recovered from the flu had a 50% reduction in death rate from H1N1 (swine flu).

I hope more study is done of this.  In the event of a pandemic this could be a much faster than waiting for a vaccine to be developed.

Snoutbreak ‘09 - What to Call Swine Flu

Monday, May 4th, 2009

Heh.

Swine Flu

Friday, May 1st, 2009

…at last something intelligent on the subject (yet accessible!)

This blogger writes from the point of view of a physician and covers two things that have been bothering me lately:

The pathophysiology of Swine Flu

…and why government response to swine flu has been so weird.

I haven’t read anything this useful on the MSN.  Hmmmm, and major newspapers are going out of business.  Connection?  Nahhh…..