HONG KONG -- When word came in April that an entirely new, highly infectious disease--swine flu--was spreading beyond Mexico, this was the most paranoid city in the world. Land at the airport with a fever and runny nose, and you'd risk being quarantined for a week, just in case you'd brought the new disease with you.
People in this city, scarred by the SARS epidemic, still shudder when they hear someone cough. For Hong Kongers, the sound brings back memories of the scary time when the city nearly shut down and residents feared death from a new mystery disease. Schools were closed. When people left their homes--which wasn't often--many wore medical masks to reduce their exposure to anyone who might be sick.
Fast-forward. If you catch the flu in Hong Kong today--or in most places--you won't be rushed to the isolation ward just in case it proves to be the new swine flu. You'll be told to go home and rest and not cough on anyone. "Everyone has finally realized that this is going to spread," said Dr. Anthony Mounts, a flu specialist at the World Health Organization.
What a change.
Here's why they think it's a good thing:
Health professionals are counting on the arrival of swine flu shots. "The safest way to acquire immunity is to get vaccinated," said Dr. Chung of the Hong Kong Center for Health Protection.
In a study released Tuesday, the University of Hong Kong found that in households where one person had the flu, the risk of infection for others in the family dropped by nearly 70% when those in the house wore surgical masks and frequently washed their hands.
Pandemic specialists agree that simple precautions are the answer now that quarantining people is passé. "If you're sick, stay home. If you have to go out, cover your mouth when you cough. Wash your hands frequently," said the WHO's Dr. Mounts.
The disease may be new, but the best solution is old-fashioned prevention.
So, basically: "This is good for you in the end. We will pump unsafe vaccines into you anyway."
This makes absolutely no sense to me.
"In the U.K. and Europe and America, it is spreading so fast that it is very likely that most people will be exposed to or get swine flu, and this will help them develop immunity before the second wave," said Dr. Raymond Ng, a doctor with OT and P, a family practice in Hong Kong. That second wave could be a mutated, more lethal flu. "Having some immunity gives us some protection against this virus," Dr. Ng said.
And even so, early infection with swine flu could produce false confidence about beating it again later. "For instance, if the flu mutates in the fall enough that you are not protected by having caught this one, but think you are protected, you might be at risk," McKenna said.
Lots of ifs, mights and coulds there. The overall message of this story seems to be "catching swine flu is good for you because then you'll know that you are required to get the new vaccine".
Sick.
No comments:
Post a Comment