H1H1-The
Swine Flu
Petra 6A
In 2009,
something dark swept across the world; something dangerous, something…
invisible; something new. Many medications and vaccines were prepared, and many
were still saved even though many weren’t, falling to this mystery. It flew
through coughs and broke through defenses. Descending upon Earth, the H1N1
virus caused deaths and sadness, but also awareness and medicine.
The H1N1, also
called the swine flu, was a new influenza first found infecting people in the
U.S., in 2009, and quickly spread, through coughing, sneezing, or talking with
someone who was infected with the influenza, and even sometimes by touching
something with the flu viruses on it and then touching one’s nose or mouth. It
was called the swine flu because it was found similar to a flu virus that had
infected pigs, but scientists soon found that it was quite different and
infecting people fast. When a person started coughing violently, having fevers,
runny or stuffy noses, body aches, chills, and fatigue, they most often had the
influenza, or the H1N1. Really bad cases included vomiting and diarrhea, and,
sadly, many of the H1N1 cases resulted in death. Many people with other
illnesses, such as asthma or heart failure, often became worse if the person
with those illnesses was infected by the flu. People often fell to this
illness. Death and sickness cascaded on the land when the H1N1 took place.
Even
though the 2009 H1N1 virus was dangerous and life-taking, vaccines were soon
developed and were spread across the world.
It was made so that everyone six months and older was recommended to get
the vaccine. Everyone had to get the vaccine each season, but certain people
were urged to, because they were more at risk, such as pregnant women, children younger than five, but
especially children younger than two years old, people 50 years
of age and older, people of any age
with certain chronic medical conditions, and people who
live with or care for those at high risk for complications from flu, including:
Health care workers, caregivers for
people at high risk for the flu, caregivers of
children less than 6 months of age (those under 6 months were too young to get
the vaccines). Now, people might ask; “Why do I have to get another vaccine
each season? I got one not too long ago”. The answer to that is that the
immunity could decline after a while, and it is safer to get another to keep it
up. So go and get your vaccines, if H1N1 is coming your way!
Do you want to
know how bad it was? Around 43,771 people in the U.S. were reported infected
between April and June 2009 only,
and, out of those cases, 5,011 were hospitalized and 302 people died. Though,
these reports couldn’t have been too
accurate, because some people weren’t very badly affected with the flu, only
mildly, and so never sought medical attention. Others got medical attention,
but were never tested or diagnosed, and so that means that the count was only a
small bit of the true H1N1 attack. It’s estimated that, instead of 43, 771
people, over one million people got
infected with the swine flu. That is a lot of people, and a huge loss.
The H1N1 flu
spread across the world, but luckily vaccines came to the rescue and kept many
from getting it. This new influenza took many lives, leaving that many families
sad. It was terrible, but we were able to help others, keeping others from
death. Hopefully, next time the swine flu strikes in full force, we will be
ready.