By James Ong
It is apparent that the much-feared global flu pandemic that experts have been warning us about for several years could finally be upon us. The World Health Organization has raised its alert level to Phase 4, indicating that there is sustained human-to-human transmission of the virus causing outbreaks in at least one country. The World Health Organisation (WHO) revised on Monday (April 27) its 6-point scale for pandemic alerts, saying that phase 5 would correspond to a strong signal that a pandemic was ‘imminent’. A full-blown pandemic, level 6, denotes sustained, human-to-human spread over many countries of a new and serious virus. As of today (April 28), the suspected number of deaths rose to 149 in Mexico, the epicenter of the outbreak with nearly 2,000 people believed to be infected. Worldwide there were 73 cases, including six in Canada, one in Spain and two in Scotland. The number of US cases doubled to 40.
We are issuing this health advisory for the benefit of our customers; indeed all who are residing in Singapore.
First of all, here are facts you should know about the swine flu (extracted from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website, from an article entitled “Swine Influenza and You”):
What is swine flu?
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person, but in the past, this transmission was limited and not sustained beyond three people.
Are there human infections with swine flu in the U.S.?
In late March and early April 2009, cases of human infection with swine influenza A (H1N1) viruses were first reported in Southern California and near San Antonio, Texas. Other U.S. states have reported cases of swine flu infection in humans and cases have been reported internationally as well. An updated case count of confirmed swine flu infections in the United States is kept at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/investigation.htm CDC and local and state health agencies are working together to investigate this situation.
Is this swine flu virus contagious?
CDC has determined that this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it not known how easily the virus spreads between people.
What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?
The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.
How does swine flu spread?
Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
How can someone with the flu infect someone else?
Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after becoming sick. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.
What should I do to keep from getting the flu?
First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Are there medicines to treat swine flu?
Yes. CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).
How long can an infected person spread swine flu to others?
People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic and possible for up to 7 days following illness onset. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.
What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?
Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth. Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. Germs can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.
How long can viruses live outside the body?
We know that some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. Frequent handwashing will help you reduce the chance of getting contamination from these common surfaces.
What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
- If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?
If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. Do not go to work or school if ill. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.
What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?
If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. Do not go to work or school if ill. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.
What is the best technique for washing my hands to avoid getting the flu?
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Wash with soap and water. or clean with alcohol-based hand cleaner. we recommend that when you wash your hands — with soap and warm water — that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. The gel doesn’t need water to work; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands.
What should I do if I get sick?
If you live in areas where swine influenza cases have been identified and become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact their health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.
If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.
If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.
In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
- Fever with a rash
In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
How serious is swine flu infection?
Like seasonal flu, swine flu in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe. Between 2005 until January 2009, 12 human cases of swine flu were detected in the U.S. with no deaths occurring. However, swine flu infection can be serious. In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman in Wisconsin was hospitalized for pneumonia after being infected with swine flu and died 8 days later. A swine flu outbreak in Fort Dix, New Jersey occurred in 1976 that caused more than 200 cases with serious illness in several people and one death.
Can I get swine influenza from eating or preparing pork?
No. Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe.
We concur with the advice given by the CDC on preventive measures that one should take to protect himself from swine flu. If you suspect that you may have any of the signs and symptoms of swine flu, please see your family doctor as soon as possible. Seek immediate medical attention if you experience the following warning signs:
- Breathing difficulty
- Confusion
- Persistent vomiting
- Sudden dizziness
- Complications
We do not however agree with the advice that it is safe to continue eating pork products so long as they are properly handled and cooked. It should be borne in mind that before pork is cooked, it has to be handled as raw meat, that is if you are doing your own cooking. Can one be 100% sure that the raw pork did not come from a pig that was harboring the virus? Why take the risk? Perhaps it’s time to think about going halal or kosher for a few weeks. Your body will thank you for it. For an in-depth article on why it is best to avoid pork and shellfish, read Old Testament Dietary Laws on our weblog.
What is lacking in CDC’s advice is information on the vast array of foods and dietary supplements that God/nature has provided to help us ward of infectious diseases caused by viruses, bacteria or fungi.
First of all, make sure you follow as closely as possible our recommended Prevention Diet and Lifestyle (also found on our weblog). It will ensure that you have a strong and robust immune system. When all else fails to prevent contamination by the swine flu virus, the last line of defense is our body’s immune system. Make sure you nourish it and give it the nutrients and nurture it needs.
Next, consider supplementing your diet with the basic supplements – a high-potency multivitamin/mineral, essential fatty acids, antioxidants such as Vitamins C and E and probiotics (friendly bacteria).
In addition, we would recommend specific immune-fortifying and microbe-fighting supplements such as Elderberry, Echinacea, Garlic, Ginger, Olive Leaf Extract, Astragalus, Andrographis, Yin Chiao formula, Medicinal Mushrooms, Oregano and Colostrum. Add ginger, garlic, astragalus, lemongrass and cinnamon to your cooking on a regular basis as these are potent herbal antivirals. Tom yum soup, which includes many of these herbs and spices, is an excellent antiviral tonic.
Below is an extract from Body + Soul’s article, 10 Best Cold and Flu Fighters:
More than a billion colds wallop the United States every year, setting off a storm of sneezes, sniffles, aches, and pains. The flu, meanwhile, waylays tens of millions of Americans with fever and fatigue each winter. Although it’s nearly impossible to escape exposure, you can take steps to stop those dreaded viruses from knocking you out this season. First, make sure you are doing these three things:
1. Build up your immune defenses with a plant-based diet high in vitamin C (think kiwi, citrus, and broccoli), stay hydrated and drink green or black tea, both shown to aid the immune system.
2. Become slightly germ-obsessed, at least for the winter months. Wash your hands and wipe down kitchen and office surfaces as often as you can.
3. Be sure to get plenty of rest and relaxation; chronic stress and sleep deprivation are both known to wear down your immunity.
Then, when a cold or flu does strike, act fast. No matter what you use as treatment, start taking it right away, as viruses duplicate within the first 48 hours of symptoms. Here, our experts list their choices for the best ways to keep colds and flu at bay. All are available at natural-foods stores; a few you might already have in your kitchen.
Experts
Dr. David Rakel, director of the University of Wisconsin integrative medicine program; Dr. Tieraona Low Dog, director of education for the University of Arizona’s program in integrative medicine; Steve Gomberg, a Los Angeles-based herbalist, acupuncturist, and nutritionist
1. Echinacea
Antiviral and antibacterial, the traditional Native American remedy contains polysaccharides that can raise levels of infection-fighting white blood cells, among other functions. To reap those benefits, Low Dog recommends getting 3 grams of Echinacea purpurea (a well-studied species) daily when you’re sick, reducing the dose as you start to feel better. “The only people who should be careful about dosage are those who have severe allergies to the aster family of plants,” she says. “There’s clear controversy over echinacea, but I’ve used it in my practice for 25 years and found it very effective when taken correctly.” In fact, a recent meta-analysis in Lancet Infectious Diseases came out in favor of using the herb.
2. Astragalus (Huangqi)
A member of the pea family, this root can be stirred into soups to bolster your immune system during cold and flu season. If you feel a cold coming on, Rakel recommends taking 2 to 6 grams of astragalus in capsule form daily. “It seems to work mainly through antiviral properties and appears to have a beneficial influence on T-cell activity, which is one of the important immune modulators,” he says. Indeed, a 2006 study from Phytotherapy Research found that astragalus triggered even more activity in one class of T-cells than echinacea when given to a group of 16 healthy adults.
3. Yin Chiao
At the first sign of sickness, practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine often prescribe a formula that contains nine cold- and flu-countering herbs. Yin chiao (also spelled qiao) blends commonplace botanicals like licorice (said to heal sore throats and suppress coughs) and peppermint (known to relieve stuffiness) with lesser-known herbs like schizonepeta and reed rhizome. “It’s especially helpful for colds that have sore throat as a predominant symptom, says Gomberg. Try taking 60 drops of the tincture in water every two or three hours for the first two or three days of a cold; for tablets, check the dosage on the box and take frequently.
4. Garlic
A 2001 study discovered that participants who popped a garlic supplement daily from November to February were less likely to get colds than those who took a placebo. But Low Dog suggests going for the fresh herb, both in preventing and banishing colds. “Crushing up a clove, mixing it with olive oil and lemon juice, and putting it on your salad is something easy for people to do every day,” she says. When you’re sick, Gomberg recommends downing at least three cloves of garlic daily. Besides salad dressing, try mashing up a clove and spreading it on toast; eating a few sprigs of parsley afterward will help stave off garlic breath.
5. Elderberry
So sweet it’s sometimes used in jams and lemonades, elderberry is packed with quercetin (an antioxidant with antihistamine and anti-inflammatory properties). This native European, Asian, and North American plant may also help activate the immune system, according to a 2001 study from Jerusalem’s Hadassah University Hospital. The extract tested is Sambucol, a black elderberry syrup recommended by Low Dog. “It tastes great, and it’s easy to get kids to take,” she says. “The research suggests that if you take 1 to 2 teaspoons four times daily for three to four days when feeling sick, it can shorten the severity and duration of the flu.” Sipping elderberry tea can also soothe flu symptoms, adds Gomberg.
6. Andrographis
Long used in traditional Indian and Chinese medicine, this herb revs up the activity of natural killer cells (the immune system’s first line of defense against infection). And when paired with Siberian ginseng (also known as eleuthero), andrographis may attack the flu more effectively than some antiviral drugs. “Andrographis is one of the natural cold and flu remedies with the most promising scientific evidence for its efficacy,” says Rakel, who recommends taking 400 mg three times daily as soon as your symptoms appear.
7. Ginger
So far, most ginger research has focused on the herb’s ability to tame nausea in pregnant women, post-op patients, and motion-sickness-prone travelers. But the pungent root can also act as an antihistamine and decongestant, two cold-easing effects embraced by Chinese herbalists for millennia. Tossing some fresh, chopped ginger into your stir-fry or soup can lessen cold symptoms, as can making a strong cup of ginger tea. Try the following simple tea recipe from Low Dog: Shave the skin from a piece of fresh ginger, cut off about 2 inches, then slice it up and drop it into 2 cups of water. Simmer the mixture for about 20 minutes (uncovered), pour it into a tea mug, add a tablespoon of honey and juice fresh-squeezed from half a lemon, and drink it down. “Ginger is perfect when you are really congested or you’ve got the chills,” says Low Dog. “The only time I would not use it is when someone’s throat is really red and inflamed, such as in the case of strep.”
8. Olive Leaf Extract
Heart-healthy olive oil isn’t the only gift bestowed by the Mediterranean’s most treasured trees. Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, olive leaf extract interacts with the protein in cold and flu virus particles to halt infection, according to a report published in Alternative Medicine Review last March. Although it’s available in capsule form, Low Dog likes the versatile, easy-to-use liquid extract. “If you put three to five drops in warm water, it makes a great gargle for sore throat,” she notes.
9. Oscillococcinum
As with any type of homeopathic medicine, oscillococcinum aims to restore health by delivering a highly diluted dose of a substance that produces symptoms characteristic of the illness being treated. Here, that substance is extract of muscovy duck heart and liver, identified by homeopaths as reservoirs of the influenza virus. A 1998 study from the British Homeopathic Journal gave either oscillococcinum or a placebo to 372 patients with the flu, finding that the remedy both lessened their symptoms and shortened the duration of sickness. If you’re intrigued by the “like cures like” approach to wellness, Gomberg recommends using one or two tubes of oscillococcinum once or twice weekly for the flu, in combination with other immune-enhancing supplements (such as echinacea or elderberry).
10. Medicinal mushrooms
Chinese and Japanese healers have understood the magic of mushrooms for centuries, using shiitake, reishi, maitake, and others to both prevent and treat a variety of ailments. Western researchers have yet to explore medicinal mushrooms’ impact on colds or flu, but several studies have shown that certain friendly fungi can stimulate immune function. Medicinal-mushroom blends, available at natural-foods stores, can be taken for illness prevention, says Gomberg; start early in the season for best results, and follow package instructions. And reishi mushrooms may help treat acute cold symptoms, he adds.
What would I personally take to protect myself from swine flu? In addition to my regular general health supplements, I would add Sambucol, NAHS’s OregaRESP or Oreganol, Colostrum and a product from Nature’s Plus called Tri-Immune or Futurebiotics’ excellent ImmunActive. Two minerals that I would take more of are zinc and selenium. I would also keep a bottle of Hand Sanitizer from All Terrain with me to sanitize my hands on a regular basis. In the workplace, I would burn essential oils of lemongrass and eucalyptus in an aromatherapy burner to sanitize the air. That’s how the ancients protected themselves from deadly pestilences. I suggest you do the same. May you stay healthy!
For more information:
Health Promotion Board’s Advisory on Swine Flu: http://www.hpb.gov.sg/hpb/default.asp?pg_id=865&aid=1823&altid=0
Ministry of Health’s FAQs on Swine Flu: http://www.moh.gov.sg/mohcorp/uploadedFiles/Web_Parts/Home/Annex%201_SwineFluFAQ%2027%20apr.pdf
CDC’s Podcast on Swine Influenza: http://www2a.cdc.gov/podcasts/player.asp?f=11226
Visit Sambucol’s websites: http://www.sambucol.com and http://www.sambucolusa.com
Information on Black Elderberry: http://www.blackelderberry.info
Research on Oreganol and OregaRESP: http://www.p-73.com/research.asp
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ding, The Glycemic Index Made Simple (Wiley, 2007), Winning at Weight Loss (Wiley 2004) and Breaking the Age Barrier (Penguin Books, 2003). She is a frequent guest on radio and TV talk shows where she discusses a variety of complementary medicine and health topics.
r health risks, now seek an immediate ban of all GM foods and GM crops to protect the health of humankind and the fertility of women around the world.