Fire Starter

The latest Swine Flu virus has the latest death toll of 176 in Mexico. Also, a 23-month-old toddler has died from Swine Flu in the United States. This is the first death from Swine Flu occuring outside Mexico. The toddler was Mexican and died in the United States while getting treatment there. The World Health Organisation has declared a Phase five health alert saying that this Virus could quickly mutate to become a rapidly spreading, and a pandemic is said to be imminent. Phase 5 is 1 step short of a Phase 6 health alert of a full scale pandemic, such like that of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome or SARS for short. However, an overkill should not be performed and a level of calmness needs to be maintained and this matter needs to be dealt with rationally.

In Europe, four cases of Swine Flu were confirmed - two in Britain and two in Spain - with Austria investigating five suspected cases. Spanish officials were probing about 25 other suspected cases, and potential infections were also being investigated in the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Poland and Sweden.
Across Asia and the Pacific, New Zealand reported 10 confirmed cases of Swine Flu, and both Thailand and South Korea reported suspected cases. China was investigating several suspected cases. *statistics from google news*

Symptoms of the Swine Influenza Human Strain, influenza A virus subtype Hemagglutinin 1 N1:
Influenza-like symptoms like, chills, sore throats, muscle aches, general discomfort, weakness, headache and coughing. These symptoms are quite like those seen affecting some 14 of my class mates the last two weeks. However, such symptoms are also the likes of the rhinovirus, which is the normal, and usually non-lethal, Influenza strain affecting humans.

Rhinovirus subtypes A and B are the causes of domestic colds. Sporting microtubular Ribonucleic acid chains of the positive sense, this virus thrives best in temperatures ranging from 31 to 35 degrees Celcius, which is the temperature Singapore is generally experiencing. The dettol spray used by Jeremy in our class stops Rhinovirus and disinfects it. However, only conventional medications like Interferon-alpha, which is intranasally effective but causes side-effects like nose bleeding, and Pleconaril, which is orally bioavailable, can stop the virus once it is already in the body.