Swine Flu Causes Lung Failure in Healthy Young People, Three Studies Find

[marmar]

Swine Flu Causes Lung Failure in Healthy Young People (Update1)
By Tom Randall


Oct. 12 (Bloomberg) -- Swine flu caused otherwise healthy younger people to develop severe respiratory failure, a pattern of attack not seen since the 1918 flu that killed millions of people, according to three studies published today.

Severe illness from swine flu, also know as H1N1, developed rapidly in patients admitted to the hospital, especially young people, and sent previously healthy people to intensive care units, according to studies of outbreaks in Canada and Mexico published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association. A third study from Australia and New Zealand found some patients benefited from a machine that replenished blood oxygen levels in extremely ill patients.

Today’s reports are consistent with previous research that found that while H1N1 produces similar symptoms and outcomes as seasonal flu in most cases, it targets a younger population and can lead to severe illness and death. The seasonal flu kills about 36,000 people a year in the U.S., though the majority of those deaths are in people over the age of 80.

“These studies provide important signals about what clinicians and hospitals may confront in the coming months,” said Douglas White and Derek Angus, professors of critical care medicine at University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, in Pittsburgh, in an editorial accompanying the studies. “H1N1 can produce rapidly progressive respiratory failure.” ...........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601124&sid=aaHE79qQ.drQ

[TheWraith]

1. By provoking cytokine storms, probably.

I've had one. It's not a fun experience.

[stray cat]

16. It actually has adhesins that bind to receptors deep in the lungs unlike seasonal flu

[Duer 157099]

2. Finally I can say "thank god I'm not young and healthy!"

Can't really say that that often.

[dixiegrrrrl]

3. "a pattern of attack not seen since the 1918 flu ".

And they re-created the 1918 flu virus awihle back.
Imagine that.

[Echo In Light]

5. Cue the incidental music

:thumbsup:

[redqueen]

10. I wonder if they'll ever name one Captain Tripps.

[FiveGoodMen]

4. They want that 1918 flu back so badly they can just taste it

We haven't had a resperatory disease in years, perhaps decades, that wasn't accompanied by breathless descriptions of 1918.

Maybe this one will be that bad, but every time I hear that SARS/BirdFlu/Whatever is 1918 all over again, I trust the reporting a little less.

[jljamison]

9. one important difference

while agreed that bird flu was the rage last year that did not materialize, the swine flu has definitely materialized and its progress and impact are measurable and significant. At this point, with all the warnings and a vaccine, as long as one has access to the vaccine, it would pretty much be one's own fault through ignorance and/or passivity if one were to die of swine flu having not gotten vaccinated, and it would be a pretty stupid one. And if one's child were to get killed by this bug (w/o faccination), I wouldn't hesitate to call it what it is - parental negligence - sorry if that is too strong for some.

[gatorboy]

6. Why would anyone unrec this article? n/t

[marmar]

7. Some people automatically unrec and dismiss anything with the words "swine flu" in it....

nt

[ctaylors6]

8. my son's getting over this flu now and I saw the respiratory symptoms get bad, fast

I posted this is another thread about the swine flu and don't want to be too repetitive. He had a little bit of sore throat on one day with mild fever. Within 48 hours his congestion was terrible, including in his chest. I took him to the doctor twice just so he could make sure he wasn't getting pneumonia. He had the flu test twice. The first was negative (less than 24 hours after 1st symptoms), but the doctor was sure he had it based on his symptoms. 24 hours later the test was positive. Thankfully, he got tamiflu right away - the doctor insisted that he start taking it after the first test. He is almost all better, just very tired with mild cough now.

Scared me a little bit, to be honest. He's a big, healthy 11 year old. He's had viruses that made him sick for a longer period, but I don't remember him sounding so bad so quickly before.

[redqueen]

11. Glad he's feeling better now.

:pals:

I don't even wanna think about what's in store for us over the next few months with this flu... I hope it's the same as last year and it's not so bad as it could be.

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. I am so glad your son is over it.

There are many reports coming out that Tamiflu does not help the swine flu.
Makes me wonder what is behind the reporting.

[Ms. Toad]

14. Tamiflu is about 95% effective against the swine flu

It is, however, not effective against many strains of the seasonal flu (which have through frequent non-lethal exposure mutated to become resistant).

There is a concern that people taking Tamiflu should isolate themselves because at least in the early stages of taking Tamiflu the virus they continue to shed has has come in contact with Tamiflu and may is more likely to have "learned" resistance - and that will result in Tamiflu becoming less effective . . . not that I could convince my daughter to remain isolated.

[ctaylors6]

15. thank you all for your kind messages

The doctors told us the Tamiflu helps mostly by shortening the time of the illness. I think it really helped my son. He seemed very sick quickly then got better pretty quickly after about 48 hours on the tamiflu. Hard to say if that would have happened anyway.

[jpak]

13. No - swine flu *VACCINE* causes lung failure in healthy young people

it's a conspiracy ya know