Preview

Disease in the News: Swine Flu

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1158 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Disease in the News: Swine Flu
Disease in the News: Swine Flu
Debra Wilson
HCS245
January 13, 2014
Windy Tanner
Disease in the News: Swine Flu
In November, 2013 an article appeared in PLOS Medicine, which is a weekly peer-reviewed medical journal that covers the whole spectrum of medical sciences. PLOS stands for Public Library of Science. This article has to do with swine flu deaths from the 2009 global outbreak and a new study by researchers in 26 different countries that point to the fact that the number of people who died in the 2009 swine flu outbreak was much higher than original World Health Organization official figures have shown. The new study presented in PLOS Medicine gives an estimate of world-wide swine flu deaths to have been about 203,000. This figure is roughly ten times higher than that given by the World Health Organization (WHO)-which based its total only on laboratory confirmed cases and deaths. Also, this study looked into the number of deaths by causes that became exacerbated or intensified by swine flu infection. When these deaths were taken into account, the total number of deaths due to infection by swine flu nearly doubled the 203,000 total. This was approximately more than twenty times higher than the WHO total-which, just to reiterate, was solely based on lab confirmed cases, etc...
When making comments on the study (which was funded by WHO to look into the details of the outbreak and to try to come up with a more accurate death toll), one of the main researchers and author, Lone Simonsen, a researcher and professor of the Department of Global Health at George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services in the United States stated: “We found that the mortality burden of this pandemic fell most heavily on younger people (in the past it was usually older persons and the elderly that were most affected by flu viruses) and those living in certain parts of the Americas.” (Paddock, C, 2013) The certain parts of the


References: Paddock, C. (2013, November 28). "Swine flu deaths in 2009 much higher than previously estimated." Medical News Today. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/269461. Additional Reference http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    hcs457 r2 website review wk2
    • 325 Words
    • 2 Pages

    hcs457 r2 website review wk2

    Swine flu incidences have decreased. There are now isolated cases, compared to the fall of 2009.…

    • 325 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Lymphatics Web Quest Essay Example
    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Lymphatics Web Quest Essay Example

    What year (within the past 100 years) did the world experience a flu pandemic? The Spanish Flu in 1918.…

    • 595 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Scarlet Anne Persuasive Speech Outline
    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Scarlet Anne Persuasive Speech Outline

    Imagine getting a call from your child’s school telling you your child has a fever. Like most parents you would probably give your child some Tylenol and let them sleep it off. One mother did just that. Rebecca Hendricks received that call from her daughter's school around 2:30 p.m. in December of last year. The school nurse called to report Scarlett Anne had a temperature and needed to be picked up from school. Scarlett’s mother Mrs. Hendricks then brought her 5-year-old home, gave her Tylenol, fixed her a bowel of hot soup and let her rest on the couch. Within two days, Scarlett Anne seemed to be improving. She ate cereal for breakfast, then curled up on the couch with her mother to watch cartoons. Within half an hour Scarlett Anne was asleep. While asleep her mother became concerned by her labored breathing, her mother then woke her up, dressed her in pajamas, and rushed her to the emergency room. Three and half hours later, the little girl with beautiful blue eyes was dead. The CDC estimates that up to 20% of the population gets sick from the flu each year. Of that percent indicated only 40% are regularly vaccinated against the flu. Sadly, Scarlet Anne did not receive a vaccine that could have saved her life.…

    • 1226 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    1580 Pandemic Research Paper
    • 333 Words
    • 2 Pages

    1580 Pandemic Research Paper

    The beginning of this pandemic (In the Spring 1918) was fairly mild, the people who did get sick experienced the normal symptoms, and recovered after a few days. But in the fall of the same year a second and extremely contagious wave of this virus appeared. After showing symptoms, patients would die between hours and days. Due to this the average life expectancy in America was reduced by 12 years. The deaths that this pandemic caused have been estimated at 20 - 50 million. But the most unusual aspect of this strain of influenza was that it infected so many young men and women; people who were normally not affected by the…

    • 333 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How To Bristow Influenza Pandemic
    • 918 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How To Bristow Influenza Pandemic

    In the early years of 1918 through 1920, influenza stormed around the world in the worst pandemic in recorded history, killing at least fifty million people, and more than half a million of them were Americans. Yet, despite the devastation, many groups of people within the United States handed this epidemic very differently from each other. There were differences between “men as well as women, whites as well as people of color, middle and upper classes, as well as the working class…”(Bristow p.9). After all the commotion of this monstrosity, and how it was feared, Americans had also neglected the pandemic and soon erased all events from their memory and history.…

    • 918 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Website Review Table
    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Website Review Table

    Swine flu incidences have decreased. There are now isolated cases, compared to the fall of 2009.…

    • 509 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Compare And Contrast The 1918 Flu Pandemic
    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page

    Compare And Contrast The 1918 Flu Pandemic

    Most influenza outbreaks disproportionately kill juvenile, elderly, or already weakened patients; in contrast the 1918 pandemic predominantly killed previously healthy young adults. Modern research, using virus taken from the bodies of frozen victims, has concluded that the virus kills through a cytokine storm . The strong immune reactions of young adults ravaged the body, whereas the weaker immune systems of children and middle-aged adults resulted in fewer deaths among those groups.…

    • 207 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    General Purpose Statement For Influenza Persuasive Speech Outline
    • 1338 Words
    • 6 Pages

    General Purpose Statement For Influenza Persuasive Speech Outline

    Many people think that flu shots are not important each year but what they don’t know is that the number of deaths each year from influenza keep rising. You may think that…

    • 1338 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Task 1: Avian Influenza And SARS Disease
    • 1981 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Task 1: Avian Influenza And SARS Disease

    World Health Organization. (2011, April 1). Avian Influenza. Retrieved Feb 23, 2014, from www.who.int: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/avian_influenza/en/…

    • 1981 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Avian Flu To Spread Summary
    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Avian Flu To Spread Summary

    The title of this article is, “How Hard Would It Be for Avian Flu to Spread?” In this article two teams of scientist genetically altered a deadly flu virus (H5N1) to make it more contagious. The two teams consisted of scientist from Erasmus Medical Center, in the Netherlands, and the other at the University of Wisconsin (McNeil & Grady, 2012). Some argued that the research should have never been done, while others believe that the research may be beneficial for finding vaccines and antiviral drugs to combat the virus. There is one point on which the factions agree: The ability of a virus to spread easily from person to person is the key to determining whether it can cause a pandemic (McNeil & Grady, 2012). The main risk factor for catching bird flu is working at a chicken farm or a live bird market (McNeil & Grady, 2012). According to McNeil & Grady, (2012), “The rare cases of apparent human-to-human transmission have usually involved long, close contact, like a mother caring for a sick daughter with the flu”. The new virus which has been tested by both teams was used in…

    • 621 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Flu 1918
    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Flu 1918

    In my personal option when people walked down any given street in the year 1918 between the months of June and December, I’m sure one would have taken notice to the coffins that lined the sidewalks. Nobody was on the streets, and dead bodies were stuffed into every available space. The Flu Epidemic not only was the most devastating event of the twentieth century but the most deadliest. In the ten months 675,000 Americans died of influenza and pneumonia. When compared to the number of Americans killed in combat in World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam combined- 423,000- it is apparent that the influenza epidemic of 1918-1919 was far more deadly than the war that we were a part of. The influenza pandemic of 1918 had not only altered the lives of thousands, but the habitual lives of family and work as well. These peoples writings could be used in any history books to make it known just how bad the flu outbreak was. In which today if the flu would have never happened, I am sure we would not have a vaccine for it now a days. I am sure in a lot of cases that soldiers that were engaged in war, they were also losing family members due to the flu. There had to be a shortage of medical supplies and stuff because so many people were getting sick and or dying. Just I would have to say not only were we fighting a war to end all wars but a viral war that claimed more lives then the actual war. The videos were so true and informative, that I had to watch more because honestly I had heard of this but I had not known just how extreme and horrible it truly…

    • 303 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Great Influenza
    • 862 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Great Influenza

    In one of the most recent outbreaks of infectious disease since the Black Plague, The flu epidemic of 1918 caused mass hysteria around the world. During the 1918 flu outbreak, it became evident that challenging aspects of scientific research required different characteristics of scientists. In this excerpt from “The Great Influenza”, John M. Barry describes in detail about many ideas relating to this event, including the side of a scientist and the methodologies of research. The author analyzed the tactics and qualities of scientists of the time to paint a picture of uncertainty and certainty that faced the early 20th century affected by the flu. To convey to his audience what a scientist’s or researcher’s role consists of, Barry uses syntax, exemplification, figurative language, and diction to elaborate.…

    • 862 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Spanish Influenza
    • 138 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Spanish Influenza

    In today's world, we would be better suited against a similar epidemic to that of the Spanish Influenza; but it would honestly depend on that said hypothetical virus. Due to our rapidly growing cities and the increase in travel, the virus would be able to spread at a quick pace. If the virus is deadly and spreads quickly in a short amount of time, we would have a better chance of making an antibiotic for it. If the virus beings relatively harmless and slowly spreads, inconspicuously, and then begins to mutate more deadly strains, we would have a lesser chance of fighting it off. With our medical advances, we would be able to fight it off for a while. Although, sooner than later, the virus would begin to adapt to our vaccinations and an arms…

    • 138 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Influenza Epidemiology Paper
    • 1984 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Influenza Epidemiology Paper

    The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that seasonal influenza and complications from the virus are responsible for an average of more than 20,000 deaths annually. According to the CDC data, the 2013-2014 season was notable for widespread disease and a higher death rate than was reported in previous years. Influenza associated pediatric mortality for the 2013-14 flu season reported 108 pediatric deaths. The CDC also reports that in the United States, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized with the flu. The CDC reports approximately one in three people or 36% (97.9 million) people in the United States are at risk for being infected with influenza. Historically the mortality and morbidity rate of influenza has been low with the exception of the influenza pandemic in 2009. (CDC,…

    • 1984 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Synthesis Of Swine Flu
    • 191 Words
    • 1 Page

    Synthesis Of Swine Flu

    Wayne Madsen asserts that swine flu was engineered from genetic material taken from a dead Inuit woman who died in the 1918 pandemic, also known as the Spanish flu. He claims that it was determined that this particular flu was gene-spliced from two forms of avian flu, two form of swine flu and one form of human flu. This claim is pseudoscience as it presents itself as scientific, however, it does not adhere to the scientific method. It seems to make sense that a new strain of flu would be created by gene-splicing of three different flu strains, however it does not follow that scientists would create such an infection to infect individuals. Swine flu was created by the recombination of another form of the swine influenza, and influenza A and…

    • 191 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More

Related Topics