Is media hyperventilating Swine Flu?

How loudly should a responsible person shout (or Whisper) “Possible Fire!” in a crowded theatre? Noting can be louder when news channels overreact to almost every crisis they report. This is quite evident when three deaths in Pune, recently, were wrongly ascribed to the Swine Flu without waiting for test results.

We all agree Swine Flu (H1NI) awareness is needed. But is there a need for media to see the world in a tabloid form always? Is there a need to hyperventilate and spread more misconceptions than correct medical position and scientific information on the Flu?

There is an immediate need to balance the act of staying informed about the danger without being carried away by fear created by media’s “over – hyping” of Swine Flu.

What is Influenza?
Influenza commonly referred to as Flu is a seasonal viral infection. We all are affected by it at least once in a year and then become immune to, in most cases, through our natural immunity system. Common symptoms are chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.

How is Swine Flu different?
Influenza A (H1N1) virus is just a subtype of influenza A, the most common cause of flu in humans. Swine Flu refers to influenza caused by any strain of the influenza virus endemic in pigs (swine) and rare in humans. The outbreak of flu due to a new strain of swine-origin H1N1 was responsible for the 2009 flu pandemic. This strain is commonly called "swine flu" or H1N1 flu by media.

How is it transmitted?
Typically, influenza is transmitted through the air by coughs or sneezes. It can also be transmitted by bird droppings, saliva, nasal secretions, feces and blood, contact with these body fluids or through contact with contaminated surfaces. We need to take care of children, elderly and people who have less immunity.

General Precautions.
Basic hygiene, close contact with sick people and avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth, washing our hands often with soap and detergent will help us more to protect us from germs. If affected then it makes more civic sense to stay at home from work for school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Do Face Masks Help?
Use of face masks and respirators do help to some extent but should be combined with other preventive measures for effective prevention and spreading of virus. N95 respirator mask, however are more effective than wearing normal surgical or dental mask as a fashion statement.

If our government is really taking measurable steps to fight H1N1 then these masks should be provided free of cost, if not then certainly not at a premium rate under Drug Act. It is also advisable to avoid crowded places and air-conditioned cinema halls where recalculated air leads to higher multiplication of the virus density.

Treatment
Amantadine and Rimantadine are indicated for the prophylaxis and treatment of influenza A or common flu while Antiviral: Oseltamivir (brand name Tami flu®) and Zanamivir (brand name Relenza ®) - are primarily recommended for the treatment and prevention of swine flu H1N1 virus infection.

If we remember two years ago SARS was blown out of proportion and what happened was humans developed immunity to the virus. The same could happen again and who knows our body is already developing the immunity, so why to get panic.

In India, we all know that infections like measles, Tetanus, Anemia, Diarrhea and other respiratory tract infections, unhygienic practices and unsafe drinking water take toll of thousands every year, which media has never hyped about, perhaps .

It is ironical that some of the best medical centers are either still not equipped to handle an emergency case of Swine Flu or perhaps are not willing to attend such cases. The health authorities perhaps have more excuses saying “It is too early to detect the virus or possibly too late”.

In such a situation when public health officials around the world who are trying to stress that people should be prepared for an emergency, even if one never materializes. To continue the metaphor, they are just whispering loudly, “Make sure the theater has fire extinguishers!”