Pandemic Vs. Seasonal Flu: What's the Difference?
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Avian Influenza “Bird Flu”
AVIAN FLU CONCERNS ESCALATE WORLDWIDE Louise Shimmel Avian influenza (“bird flu” as it is sometimes called in the press) is making its way into the news almost daily and causing worry among global health authorities, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO), and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). Avian influenzas are not new; they come in many types with widely varying levels of disease-causing capability. Definition: Influenza type A viruses, which include human and avian flu viruses, are categorized by H and N components, which denote specific types of proteins on their surface. The H component governs the ability of the virus to bind to and enter cells, which become virus-making factories. The N component governs the release of the newly made viruses from the animal host cell." [Reuters alertnet, 16 Nov 2005, edited.] There are 16 different HA subtypes and 9 different NA in type A influenza viruses. "There are only three known A subtypes of human flu viruses (H1N1, H1N2, and H3N2). When discussing “bird flu” we are talking about the influenza A subtypes chiefly found in birds. They do not usually infect humans, even though we know they can. [Fact Sheet, Avian Influenza, William T. Ferrier, DVM - prepared for falconers.] The virus making headlines is a specific subtype-H5N1-but there is more than one form of H5N1, specifically high- and low-pathogenic strains. The high-pathogenic form of H5N1 is the one in Asia that is causing global concern. There has been a low-pathogenic form of H5N1 found in migrating wild birds in Canada this fall, which is no cause for alarm. -
Pandemic Flu Planning for Schools
PandemicPandemicPandemic FluFluFlu PlanningPlanningPlanning forforfor SchoolsSchoolsSchools EdenEden Wells,Wells, MD,MD, MPHMPH Michigan Department of Community Health Influenza Strains •Type A – Infects animals and humans –Moderate to severe illness – Potential epidemics/pandemics • Type B – Infects humans only Source: CDC – Milder epidemics – Larger proportion of children affected •Type C –No epidemics –Rare in humans A’s and B’s, H’s and N’s • Classified by its RNA core – Type A or Type B influenza • Further classified by surface protein – Neuraminidase (N) – 9 subtypes known – Hemagluttin (H) – 16 subtypes known • Only Influenza A has pandemic potential Influenza Virus Structure Type of nuclear material Neuraminidase Hemagglutinin A/Moscow/21/99 (H3N2) Virus Geographic Strain Year of Virus type origin number isolation subtype Influenza Overview • Orthomyxoviridae, enveloped RNA virus •Strains –Type A –Type B –Type C Source: CDC • Further classified by surface protein –Neuraminidase (N) – 9 subtypes known – Hemagglutinin (H) – 16 subtypes known Influenza A: Antigenic Drift and Shift • Hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminadase (NA) structures can change •Drift: minor point mutations – associated with seasonal changes/epidemics – subtype remains the same •Shift:major genetic changes (reassortments) – making a new subtype – can cause pandemic Seasonal Influenza •October to April • People should get flu vaccine • Children and elderly most prone • ~36,000 deaths annually in U.S. Seasonal Effects Seasonal Influenza Surveillance Differentiating -
Influenza Vaccine Directive
FAQS: INFLUENZA VACCINE DIRECTIVE FLU VACCINE UPDATES: Flu shots are now required for all staff working in healthcare settings in Alameda County and Berkeley, as recently ordered in a joint mandate by public health officers for Alameda County. This new mandate notes that with the flu season overlapping the COVID-19 pandemic, the risk is higher for health systems to be overwhelmed by patients with critical respiratory illness. Although there is no vaccine yet for COVID-19, the flu shot remains a safe and effective way to minimize the impacts of flu season and thousands of related doctor and hospital visits. Under Alameda County’s new order, all workers in healthcare settings must receive a flu vaccine to help protect themselves, teammates, patients and the wider community. Within our organization, all employees who work in Alameda County and have direct patient contact, must receive a flu shot no later than December 3, 2020. The new mandate specifies that you may only decline a flu shot if you provide a signed certification from your primary care provider stating that you have a medical condition that makes it unsafe to receive the flu vaccine. Masking is not an acceptable alternative to receiving the flu shot. If you haven’t yet received your flu shot, and you work in an Epic Care location within Alameda County, you must receive a flu vaccine on or before December 3, 2020. Flu vaccines are available at your local pharmacy, your doctor’s office, or Epic Care (while supplies last). If you are unable to obtain a flu vaccine through Epic Care, and you instead receive it from a different pharmacy or doctor’s office, the out of pocket cost of the vaccine will be reimbursed to you with a valid receipt for payment. -
A Comparative Evaluation Between the Impact of Previous Outbreaks and COVID-19 on the Tourism Industry Has Been Made Based on Statistics and Previous Research Studies
The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available on Emerald Insight at: https://www.emerald.com/insight/2516-8142.htm Impact of A comparative evaluation between COVID-19 on the impact of previous outbreaks the tourism and COVID-19 on the industry tourism industry Gulcin Ozbay, Mehmet Sariisik and Veli Ceylan Received 11 November 2020 Revised 9 January 2021 Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, Sakarya University of Applied Sciences, Accepted 10 January 2021 Sakarya, Turkey, and Muzaffer Çakmak Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, Istanbul_ Gelis¸im University, Istanbul, Turkey Abstract Purpose – The main purpose of this study is to make a comparative evaluation of the impacts of previous outbreaks and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the tourism industry. COVID-19 appears to have disrupted all memorizations about epidemics ever seen. Nobody has anticipated that the outbreak in late December will spread rapidly across the world, be fatal and turn the world economy upside down. Severe acute respiratory syndrome, Ebola, Middle East respiratory syndrome and others caused limited losses in a limited geography, thus similar behaviors were expected at first in COVID-19. But it was not so. Today, people continue to lose their lives and experience economic difficulties. One of the most important distressed industries is undoubtedly tourism. Design/methodology/approach – This study is a literature review. In this review, a comparative evaluation between the impact of previous outbreaks and COVID-19 on the tourism industry has been made based on statistics and previous research studies. Findings – The information and figures obtained show that COVID-19 and previous outbreaks have such significant differences that cannot be compared. -
The Next Influenza Pandemic: Lessons from Hong Kong, 1997
Perspectives The Next Influenza Pandemic: Lessons from Hong Kong, 1997 René Snacken,* Alan P. Kendal, Lars R. Haaheim, and John M. Wood§ *Scientific Institute of Public Health Louis Pasteur, Brussels, Belgium; The Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA; University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway; §National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Potters Bar, United Kingdom The 1997 Hong Kong outbreak of an avian influenzalike virus, with 18 proven human cases, many severe or fatal, highlighted the challenges of novel influenza viruses. Lessons from this episode can improve international and national planning for influenza pandemics in seven areas: expanded international commitment to first responses to pandemic threats; surveillance for influenza in key densely populated areas with large live-animal markets; new, economical diagnostic tests not based on eggs; contingency procedures for diagnostic work with highly pathogenic viruses where biocontainment laboratories do not exist; ability of health facilities in developing nations to communicate electronically, nationally and internationally; licenses for new vaccine production methods; and improved equity in supply of pharmaceutical products, as well as availability of basic health services, during a global influenza crisis. The Hong Kong epidemic also underscores the need for national committees and country-specific pandemic plans. Influenza pandemics are typically character- Novel Influenza Viruses without ized by the rapid spread of a novel type of Pandemics influenza virus to all areas of the world, resulting In addition to true pandemics, false alarms in an unusually high number of illnesses and emergences of a novel strain with few cases and deaths for approximately 2 to 3 years. -
1918/19: 100 Years On
ESSAYS Ewald Frie 1918/19: 100 YEARS ON Open Futures 1918/19 – War and victory, collapse and defeat, revolution and reform, peace and re- organisation, civil war and violence, famine and Spanish flu and much else. The elements can be separated analytically, and many of them have been analysed individually in a historical context. They have been interpreted and incorporated into the narratives of revolution research, the history of warfare and violence, peace research, the history of diseases and epidemics. But the historical dynamics of 1918/19 resulted from the interplay of the various elements in very different constellations. 1918/19 is therefore a challeng- ing anniversary for a historical scholarship that is exploring new conceptual territory: – spatially: leaving the construct of the nation state and instead ›playing with scales‹1 from the local to the global; – temporally: departing from era- and progress-based master narratives and instead ›zooming in and out‹ and playing with temporal perspectives;2 – conceptually: departing from conceptual constructs due to the blurring of categories like ›crisis‹3 or ›revolution‹4 and instead focusing on a broad range of phenomena of social transformation on the premise of ›multidimensional understandings of emergence and destabilization‹.5 1 E.g. James Retallack (ed.), Imperial Germany 1871–1918, Oxford 2008. 2 E.g. Emily S. Rosenberg (ed.), A World Connecting. 1870–1945, Cambridge 2012 (A History of the World, ed. by Akira Iriye and Jürgen Osterhammel). 3 Cf. Thomas Mergel (ed.), Krisen verstehen. Historische und kulturwissenschaftliche Annäherungen, Frankfurt a.M. 2012, pp. 9-22, and the Leibniz Research Alliance ›Crises in a Globalised World‹: <http://www.leibniz-krisen.de/en/start/>. -
Novel H1N1 Influenza Updated Key Points June 11, 2009 • On
Novel H1N1 Influenza Updated Key Points June 11, 2009 • On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 6. • Designation of this phase indicates that a global pandemic is underway. • There are now community level outbreaks ongoing in other parts of the world. • State and international borders don’t matter at this point. The bottom line is that this new virus is among us all. • While U.S. influenza surveillance systems indicate that overall flu activity is decreasing in the United States, novel H1N1 outbreaks are ongoing in different parts of the U.S., in some cases with intense activity. • In the United States, this virus has been spreading efficiently from person-to-person since April and, as we have been saying for some time, we do expect that we will see more cases, more hospitalizations and more deaths from this virus. • Because there is already widespread novel H1N1 disease in the United States, the WHO Phase 6 declaration does not change what the United States is currently doing to keep people healthy and protected from the virus. • Thus there is no change to CDC’s recommendations for individuals and communities. • WHO’s decision to raise the pandemic alert level to Phase 6 is a reflection of epidemiological changes in other parts of the world and not a reflection of any change in the novel H1N1 virus or associated illness. • At this time, most of the people who have become ill with novel H1N1 in the United States have not become seriously ill and have recovered without hospitalization. -
Chapter 19 Influenza
Chapter 19: Influenza October 2020 19 Influenza Influenza The disease Influenza is an acute viral infection of the respiratory tract. There are three types of influenza virus: A, B and C. Influenza A and influenza B are responsible for most clinical illness. Influenza is highly infectious with a usual incubation period of one to three days. The disease is characterised by the sudden onset of fever, chills, headache, myalgia and extreme fatigue. Other common symptoms include a dry cough, sore throat and stuffy nose. For otherwise healthy individuals, influenza is an unpleasant but usually self-limiting disease with recovery usually within two to seven days. The illness may be complicated by (and may present as) bronchitis, secondary bacterial pneumonia or, in children, otitis media. Influenza can be complicated more unusually by meningitis, encephalitis or meningoencephalitis. The risk of serious illness from influenza is higher amongst children under six months of age (Poehling et al., 2006; Ampofo et al., 2006; Coffin et al., 2007; Zhou et al, 2012), older people (Thompson et al., 2003 and 2004; Zhou et al, 2012) and those with underlying health conditions such as respiratory or cardiac disease, chronic neurological conditions, or immunosuppression and pregnant women (Neuzil et al., 1998; O’Brien et al., 2004; Nicoll et al., 2008 and Pebody et al., 2010). Influenza during pregnancy may also be associated with perinatal mortality, prematurity, smaller neonatal size and lower birth weight (Pierce et al., 2011; Mendez-Figueroa et al., 2011). Although primary influenza pneumonia is a rare complication that may occur at any age and carries a high case fatality rate (Barker and Mullooly, 1982), it was seen more frequently during the 2009 pandemic and the following influenza season. -
The Forgotten Fronts the First World War Battlefield Guide: World War Battlefield First the the Forgotten Fronts Forgotten The
Ed 1 Nov 2016 1 Nov Ed The First World War Battlefield Guide: Volume 2 The Forgotten Fronts The First Battlefield War World Guide: The Forgotten Fronts Creative Media Design ADR005472 Edition 1 November 2016 THE FORGOTTEN FRONTS | i The First World War Battlefield Guide: Volume 2 The British Army Campaign Guide to the Forgotten Fronts of the First World War 1st Edition November 2016 Acknowledgement The publisher wishes to acknowledge the assistance of the following organisations in providing text, images, multimedia links and sketch maps for this volume: Defence Geographic Centre, Imperial War Museum, Army Historical Branch, Air Historical Branch, Army Records Society,National Portrait Gallery, Tank Museum, National Army Museum, Royal Green Jackets Museum,Shepard Trust, Royal Australian Navy, Australian Defence, Royal Artillery Historical Trust, National Archive, Canadian War Museum, National Archives of Canada, The Times, RAF Museum, Wikimedia Commons, USAF, US Library of Congress. The Cover Images Front Cover: (1) Wounded soldier of the 10th Battalion, Black Watch being carried out of a communication trench on the ‘Birdcage’ Line near Salonika, February 1916 © IWM; (2) The advance through Palestine and the Battle of Megiddo: A sergeant directs orders whilst standing on one of the wooden saddles of the Camel Transport Corps © IWM (3) Soldiers of the Royal Army Service Corps outside a Field Ambulance Station. © IWM Inside Front Cover: Helles Memorial, Gallipoli © Barbara Taylor Back Cover: ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ at the Tower of London © Julia Gavin ii | THE FORGOTTEN FRONTS THE FORGOTTEN FRONTS | iii ISBN: 978-1-874346-46-3 First published in November 2016 by Creative Media Designs, Army Headquarters, Andover. -
The Spanish Flu
through electron microscopes, would that actually than normal for the elderly. The common have empowered them to halt the pandemic? explanation is that this strain of influenza was so There was no cure for the disease then, or now. new that it startled its victims' immune systems Vaccines? Another generation would pass before into overreaction, and the more vigorous the even partially effective vaccines against victim, the greater and deadlier the overreaction. influenza were developed. Even if all the The defensive swelling of membranes and knowledge and technology to produce flu increased secretion of fluids of the respiratory vaccine had been at hand in 1918, would it have system went to extremes in young adults, filling been possible to produce it in sufficient quantity their lungs with liquid until they drowned. and to distribute it across oceans and continents Overstimulation of the immune system is a in time to stop the swiftly spreading breath- plausible theory, but we could subject it to borne pandemic? Even today, when similar rigorous testing only if something like the 19 18 questions are asked each time a new virus returned. strain of the virus appears, the answer falls short of This distinctive influenza epidemic swept over being a confident "yes.” the world in three major waves during 1918 and 1919. We cannot be sure where and when the The influenza of the 1900s is still something of an initial wave in the spring of 1918 started, but the enigma, but the influenza that was sweeping around earliest scientific and statistical evidence points the world at the time of the Armistice ending to the United States in March 1918. -
Flu Season Which Can Last As Late As May
What Everyone Should Know About Seasonal Flu and the Seasonal Flu Vaccine Seasonal flu is not just a really bad cold. The flu is a contagious illness that affects the nose, throat, lungs and other parts of the body. It can spread quickly from one person to another. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something - such as a surface or object - with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Every year in the U.S., on average: • 5% to 20% of the population gets the flu, • More than 200,000 people are hospitalized from seasonal flu complications and; • About 23,500 (and as high as about 48,000) people die from seasonal flu. The best way to prevent seasonal flu is by getting a flu shot or flu spray vaccination every year. When to get vaccinated against seasonal flu: Yearly flu vaccination should begin in September, or as soon as vaccine is available, and continue throughout the flu season which can last as late as May. This is because the timing and duration of flu seasons vary. While flu season can begin early as October, most of the time seasonal flu activity peaks in January, February or later. http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm You can't get flu from getting a flu vaccine! The flu vaccine does not give you the flu. -
Antiviral Drugs for Influenza Prevention and Treatment
Antiviral Drugs for Influenza Prevention and Treatment Antiviral drugs are not a substitute for influenza (flu) vaccination. However, prescription antiviral medications play an important role in preventing and controlling the spread of influenza. These medications are a critical component of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) “Take 3” Actions to Fight the Flu. Take 3 urges everyone age 6 months and older to get vaccinated, follow good hand hygiene and cough/sneeze etiquette, and to take antiviral medications if they are prescribed.1 Influenza antiviral drugs are available to treat and prevent influenza: For Treatment: Antiviral drugs can reduce influenza symptoms, shorten the duration of illness, and prevent serious complications, like pneumonia, if taken within 48 hours of symptom onset.1,2 For Prevention: Antiviral drugs may also be prescribed to help prevent influenza in individuals who have been exposed to the virus. Antiviral drugs are about 70 to 90 percent effective when used as directed for prevention.3 For the 2014-15 flu season, CDC recommends use of either oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) or zanamivir (Relenza®) for treatment and prevention of influenza.2 Oseltamivir and zanamivir are dosed and administered differently, and are recommended for patients based on age and risk factors. A healthcare professional is best equipped to make an appropriate flu diagnosis and determine if antiviral treatment is recommended. More information about antiviral treatments is available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/antivirals. Time Is of the Essence With antiviral therapy, timing is critical. A healthcare professional should be contacted at the first sign of influenza symptoms such as sudden onset of fever, aches, chills, and tiredness (for more information, see the fact sheet “Understanding Influenza”).