Flu virus with 'pandemic potential' found in China

[RhodeIslandOne]

Source: BBC

A bad new strain of influenza is among the top disease threats that experts are watching for, even as the world attempts to bring to an end the current coronavirus pandemic.

The last pandemic flu the world encountered - the swine flu outbreak of 2009 that began in Mexico - was less deadly than initially feared, largely because many older people had some immunity to it, probably because of its similarity to other flu viruses that had circulated years before.

That virus, called A/H1N1pdm09, is now covered by the annual flu vaccine to make sure people are protected.

The new flu strain that has been identified in China is similar to 2009 swine flu, but with some new changes.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-53218704

[Dream Girl]

1. Sounds about right.

[TomCADem]

28. Trump ended program to detect potential pandemic-causing viruses before they spread

Well that is too bad that scientists found a flu virus before it spread, because Trump ended the program designed to help detect new viruses and develop vaccines before they become pandemics.

https://thehill.com/homenews/news/491004-trump-ended-program-to-detect-potential-pandemic-causing-viruses-before-they

The Trump administration cut a $200 million program that trains scientists in China and other foreign countries to detect viruses that could become pandemics two months before the first case of COVID-19 was detected in Wuhan, China, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The program was launched by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in 2009 and reportedly supported staff in the Chinese lab that eventually identified the new coronavirus. The initiative, dubbed Predict, was launched in response to the 2005 ”bird flu” outbreak.

According to the Times, USAID on Wednesday gave a $2.26 million grant to help labs around the world control the virus.

“Look at the name: Our efforts were to predict this before it happens. That’s the part of the program that was exciting — and that’s the part I’m worried about,” Peter Daszak, president of EcoHealth Alliance, a key player in the program, told the Times.

[LiberalArkie]

2. I wonder what would happen it they started giving the animals the drugs like they do over here?

[SergeStorms]

12. Eureka!

A Donald Trump moment just hit me! We'll stuff those animals full of hydroxychloroquine, Clorox bleach, Lysol and Vitamin D. That virus (or the animals) won't stand a chance.

[LiberalArkie]

14. We go through the flu every year that starts from the animals. There is a reason a long time ago

the US started giving shots to the chickens, hogs etc.

[luvtheGWN]

21. No. That's not the reason.

It's legal in the US to regularly give antibiotics to livestock to prevent herd infections. The problem is that those animals are slaughtered and the beef, chicken, and pork full of those antibiotics is ingested by humans. Cows are regularly given hormone injections in order to produce more milk.

Guess what that does to your immune and endocrine systems when you eat meat or drink milk?

No, I'm not a vegetarian, but I fortunately live in Canada where hormone injections are forbidden and the only time an animal is given antibiotics is when an infection is actually present. If it's a cow with mastitis, the milk is thrown out and the cow is only then given meds until the infection clears.

[csziggy]

26. It used to be that calves were given antibiotics because they made them grow faster

Antibiotics in their feed somehow gave the calves a growth spurt. Now, my knowledge of this is entirely hearsay and I never raised calves for meat, but when buying feed for my horse foals, there were certain varieties that were not recommended for them. Horses tended to get diarrhea from those feeds so we avoided them.

That practice may have been discontinued because of the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria - I have not heard of livestock feed with antibiotics for years.

[brewens]

3. I've been expecting a RW mantra, "this is a once in 100 years event" to head off big changes

that need to be made to deal with these things happening. The way I see it, we could be in for these shutdowns and precautions every decade. There has to be a way to deal with it without millions of people being ruined every time. That won't benefit the 1%. They know that and will want to stop it.

[cstanleytech]

9. 1789 in France is an example of what can potentially happen to the 1% if they keep

this shit up.

[dem4decades]

4. Covid 19, new swine flu and regular flu. I'll be in my basement, see you in May.

Hopefully.

[SergeStorms]

11. When the "warm weather" makes the virus disappear?

Let's see, it's summer here in New York, so it must be summer in Florida, Texas and Arizona too. I guess our preznit was wrong again! Don't count on seasons changing to make any virus go away. I'm never leaving my house again!

[appalachiablue]

27. +1

[msongs]

5. yet another gift to society from meat eaters nt

[Peregrine Took]

7. +1

[Ziggysmom]

19. Meat Stinks! Now it's killing us faster and with more diseases.

"For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love."
Pythagoras

[JudyM]

20. Industrial meat producers, more directly.

[Coventina]

24. You said it! All of this could be simply solved if people went vegetarian.

Sadly, selfishness and cruelty win out.

[bucolic_frolic]

6. I read a post yesterday

that said forget the fever, the universal COVID symptom was diarrhea. Tough to stay warm for the flu with diarrhea.

[RhodeIslandOne]

13. It's so weird

We are told it's a respiratory virus, so why would diarrhea be the big reveal?

[bucolic_frolic]

17. I just did some Googling

Yes diarrhea is reported in about 25% of cases. News to me. The post I referred to was from a nurse who said it was 'the' tell in her facility. I think the post was on Twitter, but it could have been (re)posted here.

[Strelnikov_]

22. Virus attaches to Ace2 receptor

ACE2 is present in many cell types and tissues including the lungs, heart, blood vessels, kidneys, liver and gastrointestinal tract. It is present in epithelial cells, which line certain tissues and create protective barriers.

[cstanleytech]

8. Assuming people continue to travel less than they used to internationally due to the current

pandemic I am honestly not freaking out as the spread will probably be greatly slowed.

[SergeStorms]

10. I may never leave my house again.

And except for not seeing my grandchildren, I'd be alright with that.

[Skittles]

15. I bet a lot more people will be getting the flu shot this year

yes indeed

[marie999]

16. No they won't,

and at least a third won't get the Covid-19 vaccine if there ever is one.

[Skittles]

18. we'll see

[marie999]

30. I can't find it again,

But you might want to watch Fauci's interview with Elizabeth Cohen on CNN a couple of nights ago. It is not optimistic.

[yellowdogintexas]

23. Hopefully the extra precautions taken for COVID 19 will make the flu season less

deadly. I know I am washing my hands more frequently and more thoroughly than before COVID..

I'm reading that COVID is changing rather rapidly. It could end up that we have to get an updated COVID vaccine every year just as we do flu shots now. It makes sense if it starts morphing into new strains

[GulfCoast66]

25. Poor 2020. What did it do to deserve this shit?

But it will be remembered for one great thing. Americans will reject trump.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

31. K&R