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Swine Flu Reality Check
By Linda | April 29, 2009
If you believe the media, you’re probably thinking you and your family are headed for a flu virus that originated on a pig farm. Some question the reality of this.
A total of 164 cases of swine flu have been confirmed worldwide. There has been one death, and that was in a young boy from Mexico. In Mexico, where poor diet leaves immunity compromised, there have been 26 cases and 7 deaths. To put that in perspective, each year aspirin (used correctly in the U.S.) results in roughly 500 deaths. If you throw in painkillers, we’re talking close to 7600 deaths. Another 1170 Americans die from lightening strikes.
Just a few years ago President Bush said 2 million people would die from the bird flu. Remember that? It actually killed 257 people. More than 100,000 people die per year from correct use of their medications. Another 365,000 people die each year from poor diet and lack of exercise.
In 1976, 25 people died and hundreds were paralyzed or otherwise permanently injured — not from the dreaded swine flu — but from the swine flu vaccination! The flu pandemic never happened.
Do we have this in perspective? And even if it is becomes a pandemic should you fight for the last dose of Tamiflu?
Nothing is better than this kind of paranoia for drug companies, especially makers of Tamiflu, a “treatment” that may reduce symptoms, and only by a day to a day-and-a-half. Tamiflu is not a vaccine; it does not prevent the swine flu. Furthermore, it may leave you at higher risk of other infections. Tamiflu also comes with 1800 potential side effects, most being flu symptoms, the very things you want to avoid in the first place. And your kids? 14 children have died from taking Tamiflu.
Most medical experts (especially those with no pharmaceutical ties) believe you can effectively protect yourself and your family from ALL infections through nutrition and lifestyle strategies.
Sign up for my Top Tips Newsletter for detail on prevention. Here’s the summary.
Flu prevention strategies include: adequate vitamin D from sunlight; regular hand washing; avoidance of sugar; extra vitamin C, vitamin A and zinc; and a daily dose of raw garlic plus immune boosting herbs including astragalus, goldenseal and echinacea. Colloidal silver is also antibacterial and antiviral.
Sign up for my monthly Top Nutrition Tips newsletter for detailed steps to block the flu. Share your comments on this issue here, including your own prevention tips or reality checks.
Topics: Immunity, Uncategorized |
May 7th, 2009 at 7:27 pm
I suppose there could be a real pandemic at some point, but I did get real tired of hearing about this. I listen to podcasts when I am working and I could not believe how many of them last week were on the Swine Flu.
May 8th, 2009 at 1:52 pm
My sense is it is a lot of fear mongering. I read somewhere that drug companies want to sell their big stockpiles of tamiflu before it goes bad. Notice nowhere do you read of the many natural anti-virals out there.
October 10th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Linda, Yes, the swine flu and other flu influenzas are deeply frightening for me to imagine my girls contracting them, especially with a 14-day old newborn! My 4 year old has a fever now and I am fearful of our newborn getting sick along with my 2 year old!!!!
You recommend specific doses of Vit C and Zinc. Are those acceptable to give to my little ones?
Hope you are doing great. Looking forward to our personalized session very soon:)
–Andria
December 22nd, 2009 at 10:09 pm
One of my sisters got infected with H1N1 or more commonly known as Swine Flu. Fortunately, she did not have very high fever and she was able to recover fast .
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January 1st, 2010 at 10:57 pm
My brother got infected with H1N1 or Swine Flu in Mexico. He got a mild fever and luckily he did not die.
January 4th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
If you look at the pandemic of 1977, when H1N1 or Swine Flu re-emerged after a 20 year absence, there is no shift in age-related mortality pattern. The 1977 “pandemic” is, of course, not considered a true pandemic by experts today, for reasons that are not entierely consistent. It certainly was an antigenic shift and not an antigenic drift. As far as I have been able to follow the current events, the most significant factor seems to have been that most people, who were severely affected, were people with other medical conditions.