If Bird Flu hits, we're better prepared than when COVID hit...

gosmitty · 2024-04-27T18:47:16.882Z

https://wapo.st/3xWtfxt Leana Wen is a doctor & health expert. I think what she's saying makes sense. We shouldn't panic if bird flu hits, for a few reasons: 1) Personal Protective Equipment is more accessible - Masks, goggles, and gowns won't be as difficult to procure, unlike in early 2020. So, the population and healthcare providers shouldn't struggle to ramp up if needed for things like masks. 2) Tamiflu - This can treat bird flu if given early enough, and it can be given to people who aren't yet infected to prevent them getting ill. Millions of doses might be needed. But it's something that's expected to work against bird flu. 3) Vaccines - There are vaccines using multiple technologies could be ramped up quickly within months. This isn't like Covid, where we had to wait almost a year for vaccine development & testing. Vaccines for the bird flu already exist, and millions could be released within weeks. We should be concerned about H5N1. But it's very likely that we'll be better prepared than we were in 2020.

Here's how H5N1 was found in cows. Interesting video. You'd think the CDC or

USDA found the virus. Nope. Basically a vet was treating a bunch of sick cows. The farmer mentioned half his cats had also recently died. Cats were positive for H5N1. Then they tested milk and it was positive. Luckily, the cows don't seem to be dying much from it. But the cats are. Farm workers have also been seen having flu-like symptoms as well. Now this could have come from a cat who ate a bird who gave it to cows and the farmers. We keep concentrating on the cows, but the cats may be the originators on these farms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N81wf0we3p0

And if you want to know how screwed up this is, farmers are refusing to let their cattle be tested for fear of having their herds slaughtered or being sold. You now have to ask yourself, just as I did countless times with covid, what is the science NOT BEING DONE that would provide answers? Here's what the CDC should do, assuming they're still "public health" and not top-secret need-to-know health.

They should do a proper, randomized, seroprevalence testing study among US cattle workers, particularly those on farms with cow herds known to have been infected. When people are exposed to influenza, they create antibodies, whether they ever feel sick or not. It is essential to know how many, if any, others have been exposed without illness. If 97% of farm workers carry antibodies, like with influenza-d for example, without illness, then this is a virus we don't need to worry about. If only 1-3% or workers are positive for antibodies, this is still a serious virus we need to watch.

Seroprevalence studies (as usual) have been done and published in other countries, but only with poultry workers. I saw at least 4-5 studies and all had numbers less than 5% (not good). But with cows and cats now infected on farms, this needs to be done on cattle farms here in the US. But I haven't heard a peep about this even being considered, much less done, and that's why this is so similar to covid. Hush hush. And the reason for that is simple. Wait it out as long as possible until it pops in another country then you can call it the Indian flu, or the Singapore flu, or the Brazil flu. No one wants to be the first outbreak, and it will be hidden until it can't be hidden anymore.

The story of human existence is a constant battle with disease, dying from it,

I may have missed it

You are correct - there has not been a soup to nuts accounting of the USA's

Tiggity®

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Well, the latest data shows

Nov 10, 2024, 11:59 AM

Over 400 infected cattle/dairy farms, 46 human cases confirmed, 7% of cattle workers carry antibodies, and there's a teenager in British Columbia hospitalized with it (and a Missouri case), both with no known exposure. And it's been found in ONE pig.

It's working hard on us, but so far we're in decent shape. Some additional research shows past flu viruses will provide some immunity to H5N1, which explains why it's wrecked so many bird and mammal species, while humans, and pigs, have been relatively unaffected. BUT, this study was done with the cow variant, not the bird/poultry version.

The problem is the animal world now carries this flu, and there are several variants. The cow version is relatively mild for humans, but it kills over 50% of cats. It's the bird version (some of those 46 human infections are from birds) is a different variant of H5N1 and that is more severe. 11 of the 46 infections are in Washington State, from a poultry farm, and that is a different variant of H5N1 than the cows and cattle-workers.

What will likely happen, my guess, is we get an outbreak similar to 2009, a pandemic strain, but only for certain people. IF you got the 2009 pseudo-pandemic H1N1 strain, and had a severe case and were immunologically naïve, OR if you're over 60yo, you're probably saf(er) from a severe case. This will hit younger people, and those who didn't get (very) sick in 2009, the hardest. As did the Spanish Flu. But we will see. What appears likely now, is humans will get some form of this flu in the next year or two.

CDC still has not released full genomes. We are patiently waiting and hoping this blows up somewhere else first. They also released some random PSA few days ago outlining the symptoms of H5N1. Conjunctivitis is one, also seen with covid, because a poorly adapted virus may infect the eyes before the lungs,although it can infect both as well. Below is a pic of a cattle worker from Texas infected with H5N1, a "mild" case of conjunctivitis (they lied). Don't think pink eye. Think bleeding eyes. He also had respiratory symptoms.