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A serious health issue is in the news
lately. Did you hear about the killer pneumonia virus that just seemed to
come out of nowhere? It’s kind of scary. It seems that this mystery bug
came out of China back in November 2002, give or take.
We now have the Centers for Disease Control
seriously looking into identifying this nasty little virus, which is
sickening people around the world. Did you ever see the movie Outbreak
with Dustin Hoffman? Well, it’s a little like that. But first let’s
get some background info before we jump the gun and panic.
This germ started in southern China where
hundreds were reported to be sickened from it. But because the government
of China is so secretive and unwilling to share information with the
outside world, they just suppressed the news of the nasty little virus
until this past week, when they finally released the information.
From China, it seems that the virus had
spread to Vietnam, where an American businessman somehow contracted the
virus. Despite trying to treat the 49-year-old man in hospitals in Hanoi
and then in Hong Kong, the poor guy died. To make matters worse, some of
the hospital staff also became sick, and one of them, a nurse, died.
Within a period of 72 hours, cases were
reported in Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, Germany, and here in the United
States. In the U.S., we have reports of 22 people falling ill. It’s been
reported in California and New York.
Just think, if only China had let the CDC
or World Health Organization know what was going on way before this got
out of hand, proper containment measures could have been taken. Maybe we
wouldn’t be in this difficult situation—and what a situation it is.
Because the virus spreads quickly through
the respiratory system, the nasty bug has been named SARS, which stands
for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. Symptoms include fever, cough,
shortness of breath, and difficult breathing. Many researchers define it
as a “mystery flu.” But the flu itself was never like this.
Overseas researchers identified a possible
suspect. They thought it may be a member of the paramyxovirus family, a
virus which causes a wide variety of diseases in animals and humans. It is
related to the measles, mumps and canine distemper.
But recently, that possibility has been
changed. Many now think the coronavirus may be the sole cause of the
outbreak. The coronavirus was identified in the tissues of some patients.
This particular virus is the cause of the ordinary common cold. While some
countries have issued quarantines on businesses, hospitals, and its
citizens, the bug has still not been contained. I really hope that they
find out exactly which virus is responsible for the deadly pneumonia.
Because of the fear of catching the virus
in Hong Kong, some hotels have reported as many as 80% of their bookings
have been postponed or cancelled. And that many of the regions airlines
are canceling flights as well. It seems this thing is beginning to
snowball. Because similar events are also happening in Vietnam, Singapore,
and even mainland China, we’d better work quickly on this one before it
really gets out of hand.
The World Health Organization has issued a
rare worldwide alert, and the CDC handed out warning cards to passengers
who had been flying from the Far East. They felt that people needed to be
aware of the situation in an attempt to avoid an outbreak.
Everyone is acutely aware that in 1918, a
huge influenza outbreak took the lives of more than 20 million people.
They’re trying to avoid a repeat of that disaster. Since this virus
seems to have originated in a colder climate, they hope that the coming of
spring and warmer temperatures will naturally help slow down the spread.
There is no specific treatment yet, other
than to manage the symptoms. Scientists are still busy checking their data
and trying different antiviral drugs to see if anything can fight this new
virus strain.
While you can’t guarantee that you
won’t get sick, you can take some basic, common-sense precautions that
can protect you against many different diseases. Make sure you wash your
hands frequently, especially when traveling, visiting hospitals, or
contacting any surfaces that may have been handled by others. Try to avoid
being around anyone with symptoms of a cold or flu. Cover a sneeze and
wash your hands to prevent passing it along.
Dealing with Stress
If you picked up a copy of last month’s
Letters, you might have read about the stress we are all going through in
these tough times. And since that article, we’ve now engaged in war with
the country of Iraq.
So how’s the war going? Are you unable to
turn away from the TV set? Do those blurry images of the desert and oil
wells keep you mesmerized? Do you seem more hostile, yelling at the
opposition and the politicians who appear everyday for their news
conferences?
Well, I have to admit it. I watched the
news coverage for nearly five days straight. But after that, I gave up on
being notified 24/7. I turned it off, and now I only listen to a bit at
the end of the night. My interest level has really come down.
I really support the troops over there, but
I don’t support Mr. Bush’s war. So I’ve relegated myself to getting
back to living like a normal person again. Hopefully, you can all do the
same.
Rick
Moore is a personal trainer certified by the American Fitness
Professionals & Associates. Visit him at www.ricksfitness.net,
or call 302-684-0316.
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