Initially the Swine Flu was only known to swine… though because it mutated, for an unknown reason, the H1N1 virus mutated.  It combined the Swine strand with common influenza {known to humans} and the Avian flu… yes the one everyone was fearful about just two years ago.

As of today, May First, there are 343 cases in Mexico, 1 lone case in Asia, 4 cases in New Zealand, 2 cases in Israel, 1 person in Austria, 4 in Germany, 1 in Denmark and 1 in The Netherlands, 1 in Switzerland, 10 in Great Britain, and 13 in Spain bringing Europe’s total to 31.  In Canada there are a known 35 cases and right here in America there are 146 people infected.  The numbers are overwhelming… though still somewhat small.

The United States has issued a preparedness alert, in which the pentagon and the country’s leader’s have told the country over and over that you can help prevent it.  The Swine Flu is spread like Influenza… the plain old flu.   The virus enters the humans respiratory system… usually though the nose, mouth or eyes.  The virus will then land on a cell’s membrane… and be engulfed into the cell where it then releases RNA… duplicate blueprints to it’s DNA….. allowing to create more.  It then must be released from the cell, this is where the “cure” we’ve all heard about would come in.

Tamiflu and Relenza are the antiviral medications of oseltamivir and zanamivir.  Both Tamiflu and Relenza refuse to allow the virus to leave the cell making it so the virus is unable to infect a different cell, which in turn allows the virus to be less dangerous.

Out of 50 states, 22 are holding large amounts of either Tamiflu or Relenza.  Nine of those 22 are already infected… California, Kansas, Missouri, Indiana, Ohio, Virgina, South Carolina, Delaware, and New York.   A total of 19 states have at least one positive case.  The federal government recommends that each state have enough of either Tamiflu or Releza to cover twenty-five percent of it’s population.

Only one person has died in the United States so far, a man from Texas.  A state that has yet to reach the federal government’s preparedness standards. Personally I find that the 19 states which have proven cases of the Swine Flu should be the first to receive and stockpile the “antidotes”. Hopefully then it could be quarantined.

It is human nature to fear for one’s life.  It’s also human nature to be stubborn, willful and a pain in teh butt at times. I personally am going to choose the second set.  Sure I’ll be carefull and travel back to kindergarten where I was taught to sing Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star or the ABCs when washing my hands.  I’ll make sure to cover my cough and no kiss anyone who’s recently been ill with anything.  However I will not live my life in fear. I refuse to be one of those crazy parents who wish to hide their children in a cave because one child caught the Swine flu at the school.  I am not going to drop everything to hide whenever someone coughs or sneezes.

Here’s how I see it… if the Swine Flu reaches pandemic level and everyone in the world catches it then we’re all doomed.. or most of us are.  If it reaches pandemic level I won’t cower in fear and wait for the Swine Flu to find me.. I’ll still go to school, I’ll still learn.. and overall I’ll still enjoy my life.  Now that doesn’t mean if I catch it that I’m going to go parading around town.  There has to be some limits.  The Federal Government is arguing.. if you get ill… including a common head cold, STAY AT HOME.

The Swine Flu can be deadly… but don’t run in fear. If you ran from everything that could be potentially dangerous, you be continuously running.  Everything, Chicken Pox, Mononucleaus, the common cold, and regular Influenza, can all be deadly if you don’t take precautions.  Stay home, drink liquids, rest… blah blah blah..  Everyone knows the routine.  The key point with any illness is don’t freak out. Breathe  and rest. Living in fear never did anyone any good.

~Dark Angel