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The truth about swine flu
1st May 2009
• Killer pigs on the loose!
• The truth about Swine Flu
• 4 ways to give viruses less of a foothold...
A while ago, I watched a documentary about
teenage killers that rampage around schools
shooting everyone on sight. But this documentary
was different from most of the blood and gore
types on the subject...
Rather than dwell on the reasons as to why these
killers were so disturbed and alienated, it focussed
on what drove them to actually decide to turn up at
school and start killing their schoolmates and
teachers.
And it all boiled down to one thing:
Fame.
These killers thrived on the attention they'd get.
They'd be important. The world would notice them
especially if they beat the 'world record' for
massacring people in a shoot out.
So, psychologist after psychologist after
psychologist lined up to say that the best way of
curbing these attacks is to starve the killers of the
media attention they desire.
In short, they shouldn't show pictures of the killer
or name the killer. They shouldn't mention the
number of people injured or killed. They shouldn't
read out the killer's manifesto. And they shouldn't
rank it in some sort of league table by calling it the
2nd largest mass murder in Texas etc etc.
So what do the media do whenever a tragic
incident like this happens...?
58 SLAUGHTERED IN HIGH SCHOOL
MASSACRE!
KILLER KNOWN AS THE DARK ANGEL
MOWS DOWN INNOCENTS IN 7 MINUTES OF
CARNAGE!
That's what happens. The media practically drool
over the incident, and fall over themselves to talk
up every gory twisted detail, like they're talking
about a Batman villain.
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Of course, the screaming coverage doesn't turn
your average person into a murderer. But those
already damaged can only be encouraged to pick
up a gun and get shooting. 'Heeeey, look at him.
He's on the telly. Neat! And I can easily beat his
record of 33 in 5 minutes. That'll get me noticed
by Alison Kelly in the 6th form.'
Basically, the media do what they shouldn't do.
And that's exactly what's happening right now
with Swine Flu...
Killer pigs on the loose!
Nearly every headline I read that deals with this
outbreak leads with the bad stuff. Actually,
sometimes it isn't even REAL bad stuff. Instead,
it's stuff that COULD happen - possibly, maybe.
Take one headline I read today...
WORLD ON BRINK OF PANDEMIC.
MILLIONS AT RISK.
You can almost hear the writer dribbling on the
keyboard as he types, and the editor rubbing his
heads with glee as his paper outdoes the others
with the body count.
Then there's the pictures...
Scientists at NATO addressing fellow scientists
and politicians at emergency meetings...
Commuters in Mexico and Japan wearing
facemasks...
Even evil looking pigs.
Basically, it's like something out of a Hollywood
film. Pictures tomorrow should see George
Clooney striding into an evil pig pen to place a
bomb that will snuff out the threat, bravely
sacrificing himself for the sake of humanity.
But here's something I read that seems to put this
'greatest threat in the history of man' into some
context...
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So far, Swine flu has killed under 200 people in
Mexico, and one toddler (a Mexican child) in the
U.S.
Of course, this is terrible, terrible news.But
consider this...
Seasonal flu (that's good old normal flu to you and
me) kills between 250,000-500,000 people
EVERY YEAR.
And it happens all across the globe.
Now, I don't know what officially counts as a
pandemic, but those figures - read in plain black
and white - sound pretty terrifying. But really,
that's a tiny, tiny fraction of the world's
population. Hardly newsworthy. And it happens all
the time.
But get a pig involved and hey presto - it's RUN
FOR YOUR LIVES!
So, to help us get this in perspective, here's the
truth about Swine Flu, and how it could effect
you...
The truth about Swine Flu
- So far, the majority of people with swine
flu have suffered only mild flu symptoms.
Apparently there are more cases of
diarrhoea than normal, but that's more
unpleasant than anything else.
- This outbreak of flu is a strain of H1N1 flu,
which is the same variety that causes the flu
we're used to. This strain has altered
genetically (which is something these
viruses do all the time), so it's a new one on
us.
- Any flu virus that can be passed from
person to person (which this one can) has
the ability to spread. And what with
international travel being so cheap and
easy, it can spread relatively quickly, from
country to country. But the same can be
said of ANY flu virus that spreads from
person to person, and that's plenty.
- THIS FLU VIRUS IS TREATABLE. This
is not some scary bug from Planet X that
has no known cure. There are two drugs
that often prescribed for flu - Tamiflu and
Relenza - and both are working on the
swine flu. The only downside is that the flu
must be caught in the early stages. Even
over the counter and natural remedies could
have the power to beat this flu, but it's not
been tested yet.
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- What YOU should do... if you've been in
contact with anyone who's been to Mexico
AND feel usual flu symptoms creeping up
on you, you should seek medical advice.
But try phoning your GP as a first port of
call. If you have flu (and I mean ANY flu)
you want to stay indoors to try and stop it
spreading to others.
- How to protect yourself and others. Follow
the simple steps that help prevent catching
a common cold.
Cover your mouth when you sneeze or
cough.
Use a tissue and throw it away immediately
after use.
Wash your hands and face frequently
during the day.
You can walk around wearing a mask if
you want, but experts are still undecided if
this really helps or not. But if you add a
pair of tights and a cape, you could start
fighting crime.
And perhaps most importantly of all...
- Can you eat bacon? Yes. There's no
evidence that swine flu can be caught by
eating a bacon buttie, or any pork. Just
make sure you cook the meat properly.
And to give your body a better chance of fighting
off this - or any - virus - here are some great ways
to boost your immune system...
4 ways to give viruses less of a foothold...
- Astragalus is a powerful little plant that
protects your liver from toxins and
recharges your immune system, but you
should NOT take this if you already have a
fever.
- Bayberry is a powerful antibiotic that can
help beat sore throats, cold and flu
symptoms.
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- Garlic - on old favourite, but only because
it's so good. It's been shown to help beat at
least 30 types of bacteria, and can wade
into viruses with equal vigour.
- The perfect tonic... mix two cups of hot
water with 1 tsp of echinacea root, half a
tsp of chamomile leaves, half a teaspoon of
shizandra leaves and half a tsp of
peppermint leaves. Your virus won't know
what hit it.
To recap - Swine Flu is something to worry about,
just as ANY usual flu is something to worry about.
But it's certainly not something you should move
your family into a bunker in your garden for.
There are plenty of ways to protect yourself, and
the best ways seem to be the oldest ways...
Consult your doctor if you feel unwell... try to stop
germs from spreading... protect your health with
powerful natural remedies ALL YEAR ROUND to
give your body the best chance of landing a
knockout punch if it's under attack.
It's as simple as that.
Okay. Lecture over. By the time you've finished
reading this Swine Flu will probably have been
knocked off the front pages by a newer, deadlier
threat posed by alien-pigs from outer space.
That's what keeps ME awake at night anyway.
That's it for today. I'll be back again on Sunday.
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