Swine Flu Fact

This greatest epidemic in memory is the Spanish flu in 1918 that infected 40% of the world’s population and killed nearly 50 million people. This was just on the onset of fast mass transportation, flight, and our understanding of viral infections.

Previous epidemics in 1976 did not kill nearly as many or infect as many, less then ten recorded deaths. Twenty five people died from the widespread use of the vaccine that caused complications in many of its recipients. Epidemics are a natural part of life, they come and go. Our scientists are hard at work to defeat this current epidemic and will not rest until they have conquered this new challenge.

This disease is not so different from the regular flu season, which I will remind you is fast approaching, and should not be forgotten in this haze of panic. Remember that the ordinary flu kills people every year with great regularity, but we do not surrender to its panic. Protect yourself, practice good hygiene and go forth in your lives without the grip of fear. Wheels are already set in motion that prevent and defeat the infection worldwide; our leaders have not forgotten the epidemics of the previous century.

The Swine Influenza virus began circulating in Mexico, which is also where the most deaths have occurred. To this point Mexican officials have said that 149 deaths have resulted from Swine flu causes. Over 1,300 people have been admitted to hospitals in Mexico for fear of the Swine Flu. Many cases have been reported in the exceptionally large densely populated Mexico City. There the Mexican military has passed out four million face filter masks that have been proven to slow and prevent the transfer of the disease; Mexico City has a population of twenty million residents.

Mexico City has been dealing the infection for weeks longer than any other country, but its emergency response programs are known to be less effective than those of first world nations, also overcrowding is known to help the spread of the virus. Recently Mexico City has closed its schools to prevent further infection, and the streets of the city have been deserted on many nights. These are signs of what awaits other countries in which the Swine Flu spreads. Great panic has resulted from the fact that many of the deaths in Mexico have been young adults who would usually shrug off the virus quickly; it is likely that these people had underlying conditions that quickened their demise.