Philippine News Today #84 :
(Originally Posted) Aug. 2009

Virus is everywhere and always ready to infect anything that has life. It is unable to grow or multiply outside of a living host and it needs another cellular entity in order to thrive. Any living unit including plants, animals, especially humans can be infected by virus. It could be sitting on any surface for a few hours waiting for unsuspecting victims or could simply be contacted then transmitted to another person due to personal lifestyles and habits.
Viruses spread in various ways: plant viruses often spread in the plant kingdom by insects that feed on sap or "plant fluid ", while animal and human viruses can be carried by blood sucking insects like mosquitoes, bedbugs, head lice, and free living- disease bearing worms like the slimy leeches in the tropics. Humans, being the biggest carriers of viruses, transmit the virus easily by coughing and sneezing. Some viruses are actually transmitted by the oral-fecal route. The virus, present in fecal particles, contaminate the hands, food or water and find their way to the mouths of the unsuspecting potential host. The viruses (Hepatitis A & E) make the host sick and infect organs like the liver. Rotaviruses, which are responsible for severe diarrhea among infants and young children, develop immunity in each infection, making it less severe the next time around or as the host gets older from a series of diarrhea episodes. This virus resulted in more than half a million deaths among children below 5 yrs old. Many teenagers and adults may not be aware that certain unconventional sexual practices can transmit gastro intestinal viruses and parasites. As I mentioned, the oral-fecal route transmits this virus... Use your imagination and go figure...
Another nasty virus, which has become pandemic, is HIV, Human Immunodeficiency Virus. It attacks the immune system to fail and opportunistic infections occur leading to life threatening situations. Infection with HIV occurs by the transfer of blood and bodily fluids such as semen, vaginal fluid, breastmilk, and the "pre-cum" or the fluid that comes out during sexual arousal. The modes of transmission maybe from contaminated needles, breastmilk, infected mother to her child at birth and unprotected sexual intercourse. Therefore, in my opinion, a sexual act, as simple as "fondling or touching" can transmit the virus present in the "pre-cum" of an HIV positive person to another person if the hand (or whatever part of the body) that touches the fluid has a broken skin!
Now here comes the Swine Influenza! Another dreaded flu virus that has caused high mortality rate in Mexico. According to science author Philip Boffey, "the swine flu is likely a descendant of the infamous Spanish influenza that caused a devastating pandemic in humans in 1918-1919." Descendants of this virus have persisted in pigs; they probably circulated in humans until the appearance of the Asian flu in 1957, and re-emerged in 1977. Direct transmission from pigs to humans is rare, with 12 cases in the U.S. since 2005."
Medical researchers worldwide say that the swine flu virus, originally not transmitted to humans, might have mutated and has become a reassortment of influenza virus strain endemic in humans, 2 strains endemic in pigs and the bird influenza. This is really scary because the influenza virus is the trickiest virus according to medical research. It changes, transforms, and mutates every 3 years or so in order to avoid the antibodies that human bodies develop overtime from exposures or vaccines. And before we know it, the virus comes back with such a lethal sweep that could wipe out a big chunk of the population.
Symptoms of the Swine Flu include seasonal flu-like symptoms such as fever, lethargy, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, lack of appetite, runny nose, chills and fatigue. If these symptoms are accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting, please see your doctor immediately and get yourself tested for swine flu especially during the first 5 days of the onset of symptoms.Swine flu in humans is most contagious during the first five days of the illness although some people, most commonly children, can remain contagious for up to ten days.
In any case of flu viral infection, transmission is through coughing, sneezing, and touching surfaces with virus on it. The hands then touch the face and the virus finds its way through the body crevices such as the eyes and mouth. According to the Center for Disease Control And Prevention, pork products cannot spread Swine flu, since the virus is not transmitted through food.
Every time there is an outbreak, people tend to be conscious, cautious and careful. But when everything seems to be smooth sailing, people tend to not care about their responsibility of preventing the virus they have from spreading. I see a lot of people who are very sick and still out and doing their thing in public.
Recommendations to prevent spread of the virus among humans include using standard infection control against flu. This includes frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially after being out in public. My usual beauty commandment, which my clients should follow, day in and day out: "THOU SHALT NOT TOUCH THY FACE" comes in as a good habit to fight the flu!
Social distancing is another logical strategy. It means staying away from other people who might be infected and can include avoiding large gatherings, spreading out a little at work, or perhaps staying home and lying low if an infection is spreading in a community. My brain tells me and I have to say my very own opinion : avoid confined spaces especially public spaces like theatres, gyms, and airplanes (most especially). Think ahead and imagine the quality of air in a specific area, if you feel grossed out by the stuffiness of the air, then by all means leave the area. My husband is scheduled to fly to Manila but I am persuading him to avoid airplane rides at the moment. Flights to Asia are tiring. The confined space inside the plane allows easy transmission of viruses. Fatigue, lack of sleep and dehydration during the flight, lowers the body's resistance, making it too vulnerable to viral infections.
To maintain a secure household during a pandemic flu, the Water Quality & Health Council recommends keeping as supplies food and bottled water, portable power sources and chlorine bleach as an emergency water purifier and surface sanitizer.
Anyone with flu-like symptoms such as a sudden fever, cough or muscle aches should stay away from work or public transportation and should see a doctor to be tested. Please stay home and confine yourself to your private quarters. You will do other people so much good for being conscientious and responsible.