Smallpox, The Plauge, and . . . Swine Flu?

Smallpox, The Plauge, and . . . Swine Flu?

David McAfee:

As H1N1, more commonly known as Swine Flu, sweeps across our country and the world, you may find yourself worried sick about the outbreak. This article will serve as an informative guide filled with preventative measures as well as a humorous time-waster to assist in the elimination of the placebo effect that seems to be even more common than the actual flu.

In addition to the common flu and H1N1, the little known Piglet Flu has also been creeping up on people across the world. If you haven’t heard of Piglet Flu, Urban Dictionary describes it as “The common flu during times of pandemic. While less deadly than Swine Flu it still makes you feel like shit. However, because it is not infamous like swine flu you get no respect from having it. So you feel like crap and no one gives a damn because you don’t have H1N1.”

Though there have been only 266 California deaths supposed to have been caused by the H1N1 virus, there is nothing like a good old-fashioned pandemic to excite the American people and the world. With the major news networks dedicating enormous amounts of time to reporting on the Swine Situation, vaccines being created and distributed throughout the world, and many sufferers of the common flu being whisked away to the hospital, it is easy to see why so many people are deathly afraid of the virus.

To ease the minds of all of you hypochondriacs out there, I’d now like to outline the primary symptoms of H1N1 Virus according to the Center for Disease Control’s briefing on the pandemic. “Symptoms, which last up to a week, are similar to those of seasonal flu, and can include fever, sneezing, sore throat, cough, headache, and muscle or joint pains. To avoid spreading the infection, the CDC recommended that those with symptoms stay home from school, work, and crowded settings; wearing facial masks was not recommended except in health care settings.”

Now that we all know about the Swine Plague and its symptoms, death tolls, and media publicity, it is important to realize that, except in rare cases of high risk groups (such as those with asthma, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, children with neurodevelopmental conditions, or persons who are pregnant or have a weakened immune system), The H1N1 Flu should be no more frightening or debilitating than the common flu.

In light of this, my advice is simple: Suck it up, make sure to wash your hands often, and go on with your lives.

Just To Be Safe, Check Out Ole Today’s Health Care Cheat Sheet

For More Health Tips, Check Out: How To Handle Stress

VN:F [1.6.7_924]
Rating: 10.0/10 (3 votes cast)
VN:F [1.6.7_924]
Rating: +1 (from 1 vote)
  • Share/Bookmark

About the Author