In the next few weeks or months, one of the most valuable attributes
of portable computers may be one that has nothing to do with clock
speed, video accelerators, RAM, or hard drive capacity - and everything
to do with the fact that computers in general (and laptops in
particular) can be powerful tools for keeping connected with our
livelihoods and other people without close physical contact.
There are plenty of viruses on the Internet, but happily not the
kind that give you influenza or pneumonia. Your computer my get the
digital "flu" - especially if it's a Windows PC - but you won't.
The Swine Flu Pandemic
With the brushfire advance of a new influenza A H1N1 (so-called
"swine flu") virus in Mexico proving alarmingly deadly, with the death
toll in that country climbing from 84 on Sunday to 149 at this writing
in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, cases of illness caused by this
novel virus have been confirmed in several US states, two provinces of
Canada, and a few in Spain and the UK.
The World Health Organization
raised its pandemic alert level to an almost unprecedented Phase 4 on Monday
(it has only gone to Phase 4 once, in 1999),
and this thing is getting truly scary. It's already an epidemic, and we
could very well be in the early phase of a global pandemic of a scale
not seen since the
"Spanish Influenza" pandemic of 1918-1919, which killed 20 to 100
million people worldwide. My late mother, who lived through that one as
a preadolescent, was traumatized by it for life, recalling that entire
families in the community where she resided died.
This "swine flu" really isn't, strictly speaking, and is reported to
be a nasty combination of human, swine, and bird flu viruses containing
the DNA of North American swine influenza, a swine influenza virus
typically found in Asia and Europe, another human influenza A, and a
North American avian influenza, and, unlike true swine flu, it
evidently has little trouble achieving human-to-human transmission,
which is the troubling factor here.
Don't Spread It
Ergo: Public health authorities in my region, and perhaps yours, are
already recommending that anyone manifesting symptoms stay home, avoid
contact with family or household members as much as possible, and not
show up at doctors' offices, health clinics, or hospital emergency
rooms without phoning for professional health care advice first.
It should go without saying that once the virus is established in
your area, staying home and out of contact with others as much as
possible will be the prudent strategy, which, as noted, makes computers
and the Internet a powerful tool for mitigating the negative economic
and social impact of quarantines, whether they be imposed by regulation
or self-imposed out of prudence and not-so-common sense.
I truly hate and dread colds and flu, being one of the unfortunates
who gets really sick from either. Even a simple, uncomplicated case of
common cold usually knocks me out of action for at least a week, while
I'm fortunate to get back to normal from a full-blown case of flu
inside of a month, and it sometimes takes longer than that.
Consequently, I take flu epidemics of any sort very seriously.
Flu Epidemic History
The first documented influenza epidemic was possibly the 16th
century "English Sweat",
thought to have been transported from the Orient by sailors. There have
been at least ten major epidemics or pandemics of flu since the 1550s,
including three in the 20th century, all type-A viruses, in 1918-19,
1933, and 1957.
In the 1918-19 Spanish flu pandemic it is estimated that between 80
and 90 percent of people in most countries worldwide contracted the
disease, including more than 500,000 North Americans, and an estimated
20 million to 100 million worldwide died - mostly young to middle-aged
people, which have ominously been the primary mortality demographic
with this current outbreak in Mexico. At one point during the Spanish
Flu pandemic, more than 10% of the US workforce was bedridden.
Of the 57,000 US soldiers who died in World War I, some 43,000 (85%)
were killed by Spanish influenza, not battle wounds. Entire villages in
remote parts of northern Canada and Alaska were wiped out by the virus.
Even on the isolated South Pacific island of Western Samoa, 20% of the
population died of the Spanish flu over a few months. The only country
in the world to escape relatively lightly was Australia, thanks to
strict quarantine regulations.
The World Health Organization has estimated that in the best case
scenario, the next flu pandemic could kill two to seven million people
and send tens of millions to hospital.
Flu Myths
Unfortunately, several durable myths are associated with colds and
flus.
Myth #1: There's nothing you can do to avoid flu and colds because
'they're in the air.'
Reality: They are only "in the air" when you're sharing it with an
infected person. For example, at polar research stations, no one gets
colds during long months of isolation from the outside world. You can't
catch a cold or flu virus unless you come in contact with someone
who already has the bug or something they've left germs on by touching
or sneezing.
Some people carry and spread viruses without getting symptoms
themselves, and, according to Nova Scotia's public health officer,
those infected with the H1N1 virus can be contagious from 24 hours
before onset of symptoms to up to seven days following recovery. A
person with an upper respiratory virus infection should feel obligated
to go into isolation as much as possible in order not to spread the
virus to other people.
In short: if you're sick - stay home. If your kids are sick - keep
them home too.
Myth #2: Flu and colds are spread by coughs and sneezes.
Reality: While airborne droplets from coughs and sneezes can indeed
spread colds, research indicates that the most efficient transmission
vector is hand-to-hand, or, more frequently:
"nose-to-hand-to-surface-to-hand-to-nose or eyes." Viruses can survive
on dry surfaces for 48 hours or more. It's prudent to wash your hands a
lot during epidemics - and keep them away from your face.
Unhappily, computers and cellphones used by more than one person can
be very efficient disease vectors, which is something to keep in mind.
An Apple Knowledge
Base article on the topic says:
"In addition to regular cleaning of your computer and input devices
(keyboards, trackpads, and mice), you may find it necessary to
disinfect them.
"Multiple people using the same computer, people using the computer
when they were ill, and the particular environment where the computer
is used, are a few reasons you may wish to disinfect areas of the
computer that people come into contact with the most."
The article goes on to suggest that "to properly disinfect these
areas, you should use Lysol Wipes, Clorox Disinfecting wipes, or Clorox
Kitchen Disinfecting Wipes...."
One avenue of vector interdiction and prevention has been use of
keyboards, mice, mouse pads, wrist-rests, and even cellphones that have
been coated with antimicrobial agents, organic (i.e.: either
antibiotics, probably not so good for you) or silver-based.
However, a damper - to say the least - was put on the antimicrobial
input device market when the
EPA fined ATEN Technology, Inc., of Irvine, CA, peripherals-maker
IOGear's parent company, $208,000 for selling "unregistered pesticides"
and making "unproven claims" about their effectiveness.
"We're seeing far too many unregistered products that assert
unsubstantiated antimicrobial properties," Katherine Taylor, associate
director of the Communities and Ecosystems Division in EPA's Pacific
Southwest region, is quoted
commenting. "Whether the claim involves use of an existing material
such as silver, or new nano technology, the EPA takes these unverified
public health claims very seriously. Consumers should always follow
commonsense hygiene practices, like washing hands frequently and
thoroughly."
Myth #3: Colds and flu are relatively trivial illnesses we should
just resign ourselves to putting up with.
Reality: Even in normal years, more than 100,000 people are
hospitalized in North America with flu and its complications - and
about 23,000 of them die. Complications of colds include bronchitis,
sinus infections, ear infections, mastoiditis, meningitis, pneumonia,
and exacerbation of chronic illnesses.
According to the late Nobel laureate
Linus Pauling, every viral illness a person suffers from "damages
his or her body in a permanent way to some extent, and shortens his or
her life expectancy."
Economic losses related to colds and flu amount to tens of billions
of dollars each year. The stock markets are already reflecting that in
this epidemic.
Myth #4: Modern medicines can cure colds.
Reality: While there are somewhat effective anti-viral medicines
such as amantadine, rimantadine, zanamivir and oseltamivir (Tamiflu),
they're far from surefire cures, and while some of the thousands of
over-the-counter cough and cold remedies that flood the market may make
you feel better temporarily, they just mask symptoms and are
emphatically not a cure. They may even make you sicker.
Prescription antibiotics can't "cure" colds or flu either, although
they can be effective against opportunistic bacterial infections that
sometimes accompany viral illnesses. In the case of uncomplicated colds
or flu, antibiotics are useless, and routine misprescription of these
powerful drugs for simple viral ailments has contributed to development
of antibiotic-resistant strains of serious bacterial diseases.
What to Do?
Is there anything you can do for flu beyond avoiding sick people,
and, if that fails, resting in bed and waiting it out? It's something
to discuss with your doctor, naturopath, or other health care
professional. However, here are a few interesting tidbits I've
encountered journalistically researching the topic of viral infections
for newspaper articles over the years.
Flu shots can help, but their effectiveness is more than a bit of a
crap-shoot depending upon how accurately the formulators of each year's
vaccine predict the particular viruses that will be troublesome. Some
critics suggest that the flu vaccine's real-world effectiveness rate is
at best about 20% and the risk of harmful side-effects outweighs
potential benefits from the inoculations.
Naturopathic doctors recommend eating a healthy, balanced diet and
taking vitamins, minerals, and other supplements to keep one's vitality
and immune system response optimized. Linus Pauling advocated
mega-doses of Vitamin C for prevention and treatment of colds and flu,
although Pauling's ideas were not endorsed by mainstream medicine and
have been been ridiculed by some.
Herbalists and naturopaths contend that a herb called echinacea is effective in
bolstering immune response to colds, flu, and other infections.
echinacea is thought to enhance the body's production of interferon and
other immuno-active compounds.
Naturopaths also suggest zinc lozenges for treating flu symptoms,
and oregano oil (origanum vulgare or Origanum dictamnus), which is
claimed also work as an antimicrobial and flu preventative. Others
recommend Lactobacillus
acidophilus and other probiotics.
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in the Canadian
Medical Association Journal several years ago found that subjects who
took two 200 mg capsules per day of North American ginseng had 25% fewer colds,
less severe symptoms, and shorter illnesses than those who took a
placebo.
Chinese herbalists claim that dried root of astragalus can stimulate
immune function and help prevent colds and flu. Extract of elderberry (Sambucus
nigra) is also claimed to contain compounds active against flu viruses
by preventing the virus from attacking cells.
The homeopathic cold and flu medicine Oscillococcinum
("Oscillo" for short) is reportedly the second-largest-selling single
product in French pharmacies. Homeopathics don't treat the disease or
its symptoms directly but are purported to activate the body's own
healing processes to fight the illness. Many people say they find
homeopathic cold and flu remedies effective.
Oscillo has no side-effects, and is safe for both children and
adults. I know people who swear by it, but its alleged effectiveness is
controversial, to say the least, with mainstream medicine dismissing
homeopathic remedies as having no side-effects because, they assert,
they have no effect at all other than perhaps acting as a placebo. On
the other hand, a German study cited by the British Homeopathic Journal
found that patients with flu symptoms treated with Oscillo had a 63%
greater recovery rates over 48 hours than a placebo-control group.
However, the best strategy in epidemics and pandemics is to avoid
getting sick in the first place if you can, wash hands frequently and
thoroughly, wear masks when around infected people (or in any human
contact situation if a pandemic materializes), and avoid touching you
mouth, nose, or eyes with your hands unless they've just been washed.
Disinfect surfaces that may have come into contact with the virus,
minimize direct human-to-human contact, and make use of computers and
the Internet for communication and socializing as much as possible,
which is a big advantage we have this time over previous global flu
crises.
Editor's note: Forbes has an article on Virtually
Flu-Free Meetings that promotes teleconferencing as another tool
for getting work done while vastly reducing the opportunity for
disease to spread.
Wikipedia already has an article about the 2009 Swine Flu
Outbreak, and there's also a Google
Map showing where cases and deaths have been reported. For more
news, see Swine
Flu Bulletins & Headline News.
Unfortunately, a lot of misinformation is being shared via Twitter
and other Internet resources - see Swine
flu allows Twitter to show its power to mislead.
