In the early aughts, I had the poor judgment to write a biothriller. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I have a background in biology and I’m a writer. But the ensuing research into some of the world’s scariest diseases and outbreaks—Ebola, Hanta virus, Marburg, The Great Flu Pandemic of 1918—and the detailed imagining that went into writing the novel ended up scaring the crap out of me. So when SARS came along, I was perhaps a little more freaked out than the average person. I heaved a huge sigh of relief when global health organizations managed to get it under control (an impressive feat, as a matter of fact, considering how fast it spread), but I knew it was only a matter of time before another virulent and highly contagious virus would take the stage.

 

And now the Swine Flu has appeared.

 

It’s believed that Great Flu Pandemic of 1918 started out in Kansas, when an influenza virus jumped the species barrier from pigs to humans. Normally, a viral illness is most virulent when it makes that first jump; very few people have any kind of immunity to the novel combination of genes. But as it continues to be passed from human to human, the severity of the illness can mitigate. Some people develop an immunity or partial immunity, and as the virus uses human genetic machinery to repackage itself, the fatality rate can drop considerably. This didn’t happen with the 1918 Flu Pandemic. It’s speculated that in this case, exporting the virus to the WWI theater in Europe caused it to mutate into an even more potent scourge with exposure to the chemical warfare and poisonous gases that were used in that war.

 

I read that the fatality rate even with the Great Flu Pandemic was something like three percent (though more recent figures would seem to indicate the fatality rate was more like eight percent); what makes a flu pandemic so deadly is its infectiousness—just about everyone who’s exposed gets it. The mortality rate for SARS, in contrast, was about 20 percent (ironically, an extremely high mortality rate, like that for Ebola—somewhere around 95%—makes it less globally threatening, since the disease tends to burn itself out before it spreads). The aspect of SARS that helped health officials get it under control was its mode of contagion. You had to touch something an infected person had touched, then touch your eye, nose, or mouth before washing your hands thoroughly enough to sterilize them. Flu is also spread this way, but in addition, it can be spread through the air. Just by inhaling the virus, you can come down with the flu. This is why it is crucial that infected people cover their mouths when coughing or sneezing. Better yet, if you know you have the flu or are coming down with it, quarantine yourself.

 

Unfortunately, with influenza, people are often infectious before they’re symptomatic. This is another reason the flu can spread so quickly. With something as potentially serious as this Swine Flu, it makes sense to cut out nonessential travel or exposure. One of the reasons influenza can spread so quickly in our times is that global travel is so fast and easy. Before Mexico even realized it had a potential epidemic on its hands, travelers had returned home to the United States, Spain, Canada, and New Zealand, taking the virus with them.

 

What else can we do to protect ourselves? There are a number of things.*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The oils that I use are: Thyme geraniol (heavenly-smelling), Rosemary, Ravintsara (spellings vary), Marjorum, Palmarosa, Hyssop, and Eucalyptus. If I were going to use just one, I think I would use either Thyme or Ravintsara. You can do a little research on the Internet, too, and find out more about these and other essential oils.

 

 

I have a few more suggestions about boosting your immune system on my blog post, “Remedies to Keep Colds and Flu at Bay,” if you’re interested.

 

For the more apocalyptically-minded, it wouldn’t hurt to have a two-week or more supply of food and essentials on hand, should a 1918-style pandemic actually strike the planet in our lifetimes and a general quarantine become necessary.

 

The good news is, epidemiology has made great strides since 1918. Back then, they didn’t even know what was causing the flu and had no clear idea how to contain it. The rapid pace of travel makes it easier to spread influenza nowadays, but at the same time, it allows health officials to realize what’s going on much sooner, and thereby take steps to contain it sooner. We do have some anti-virals, although they are not always effective. And we have antibiotics to treat bacterial illnesses that can invade the lungs that are weakened from a serious bout with the flu. We also have superior hospitals to help people survive extreme symptoms (although, if a true pandemic occurred, the number of gravely ill patients would overwhelm our current systems that we have in place).

 

We do not, however, have a vaccine for this virus. First, the viral genome needs to be obtained and isolated (I believe this first step has been achieved); then it takes several months to develop the vaccine and manufacture enough to distribute effectively. Last year’s flu vaccine will not offer protection against this strain. That makes it all the more important for all of us to behave sensibly and responsibly to keep this flu from spreading.

 

 

* Note: As always, if you have any questions about your health, a particular remedy, or how a remedy might interact with a medication you are currently taking (this is very important), you should contact your health care provider.