Past Essays:

The flu & you: what if this year is an epidemic/pandemic?

During 2004, a strain of Avian flu has been active in Asia. It is expected to make a species jump to pigs, and from there, humans are the next likely target. Such viruses are referred to as Influenza "A" type strains, and unlike Influenza "B" types, they aren't as easily addressed by vaccines. So, the shortage of influenza vaccine, and the controversy over pharmaceutical companies making enough (due to lack of profit) vs. the government taking over such vaccination programs in the future is just a small part of the picture.

I am a survivor of the last flu pandemic -- the Hong Kong Flu of 1968. While not as devastating as the 1918 flu (Spanish Flu), they were both type A viruses. The difference: in 1918, there were no antibiotics to prevent death from secondary infections that took place as a result of the flu (congested lungs are a ripe breeding ground for bacteria). In 1968, the deaths were among the elderly and children (I was 10 years old; I missed 2 weeks of school).

The difference between 1918 and 1968: we have antibiotics to curtail opportunistic infections. The difference between 1968 and today: we are far more likely to be OUT OF THE HOME and spreading the virus to others. This difference is even more pronounced in an era when schools frown on keeping children home sick, where employers begrudge their employees sick leave (even though there are laws against this), and many people are working 2 jobs to make ends meet, whereas in the 60's, one job would do (with only 1 breadwinner).

So, in addition to the CDC and WHO guidelines about personal sanitation (frequently washing hands, making sure not to touch hands to eyes, and nose, or even face) may help:

IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE THE FLU, STAY HOME!

This means you may be staying home for a week to two weeks if it is a serious case.

Does your employer like this? Probably not. The alternative? Infect your entire force of coworkers, customers if you're in retail, and spread the virus to someone who may die from complications.

Does this have economic repurcussions? Certainly. If a large number of people are out of the work force, economic productivity will slow. The alternative is an increase of deaths among the very young and the very old (those who are sensitive enough to die from complications from the flu).

Can your doctor do anything? Yes, if you ask for antiviral medications. Many health care facilities are working to stock up on antivirals that act against the flu in the event that there may be a widespread outbreak of the flu. If your symptoms sound like the flu to your MD, ask for the antiviral. Does it mean you can take a pill and go back to work? No -- it's likely that you will still need to be home for several days, but the symptoms will be less severe and you will recover more rapidly than without the antiviral (rapid still means days, not just hours, ill and at home).

Years ago, I had a conversation with my acupuncturist, Sara Charno, L.Ac., about the unwillingness in our culture to condone sick leave. Especially in the case of an easily transmissible and potentially devastating virus as Type A Influenza, sick leave, while an economic loss to shareholder in a corporation, could better be viewed as a long term investment not only in the working population but in one's own personal health.

During flu season, you never know who has touched the doorknob before you, and whether it's someone reporting to work with an active case of the flu because their supervisor frowns on, and even penalizes them, for taking sick leave.

Sick leave is not a luxury -- it is a vital aspect of Public Health. If you are an employee, and you believe you have the flu, or your children have it, insist on this. If you are an employer, and you believe an employee may have the flu, send them home. The life you save may not be yours, or theirs -- but it could be someone's. Type A Influenzas can be lethal, and they are such a moving target genetically from person to person that it's unlikely a vaccine would ever be as effective as keeping the infected person home.

My grandmother survived the 1918 flu epidemic, as did her sister, their father, and even their stepmother -- who had a heart defect and helped care for neighbors with the flu -- but in those times, life was slower, and the number of people they met in a day was much smaller. We are the vector the next pandemic seeks...unless, when we are ill, we slow down, and stay at home to take care of ourselves.

For more information, visit the CDC and WHO websites, and search for information on the Avian Flu, or AH5N1 virus.

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