“It was only a matter of time when it would show up here,” said Haraldur Briem, the main epidemiologist working on H1N1 in Iceland, which has now been confirmed in the country. Swine flu came to Iceland from New York; the infected person arrived before the weekend and became ill shortly after. Briem says that the person was not showing any symptoms on arrival and would therefore not have infected anybody else onboard the flight to Iceland.
According to information from epidemiologists, it seems likely four other people are also infected in the capital region and South Iceland. All are believed to be members of the same family.
If nobody else is already infected, it is hoped the illness can be stopped from spreading any further, as it can spread very rapidly if left unchecked.
Swine flu has turned out to be a relatively mild strain of flu. While highly infectious, global deaths have been few and the illness has failed to gain a strong foothold in any European country.
Iceland has enough immunisation medicine for a third of all inhabitants and it is being left to doctors’ discretion who, if anybody, needs to be immunised.
Photo of Haraldur Briem by Heiðar Kristjánsson/mbl.is
Briem says that the person was not showing any symptoms on arrival and would therefore not have infected anybody else onboard the flight to Iceland.
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Is it true? Have all the people on board in the same flight found to be not infected?
WELL, THE LOCAL NEWS SAY SOMETHING DIFFERENT, UP TO 5 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ISOLATED AND ARE IN OBSERVATION.
BUT THIS COULD BE AN AUTHENTIC DRAMA AS ICELAND HAS ONLY MEDICINES FOR 1/3 OF THE POPULATION… AND NO RESOURCES…
NOW WE WILL SEE ANOTHER KIND OF HELP… START PACKING YOUR MEDICINES, WE WILL NEED THEM HERE…
S.0.S.
It’s already spreading in Reykjavik. Kreppa flu. It’s God’s way of punishing the bankers.
This is why these airport controls are totally useless…
In such a small city we are all going to be infected very soon.
Are you not the most contagious before having the symptoms?
I did non understend about immunisations.Vacina against N1H1 dont exist yet.Full ignorance!
Elena,
You are right that no specific swine flu vaccine exists yet. I think in this case they are talking about the general annual flu vaccine which can offer an increased immunity to most types of flu, even if not 100% successful.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_vaccine
Alex, editor
Swine flu kills at a rate 30 times more than seasonal flu. Worldwide deaths from this strain are expected to be 14million with 40% of the worlds population eventually infected (which will be impossible to prevent, its already out there). Older people are less likely to die than younger infected people. Death can be caused by an very healthy immune system overreacting.
Well Peter, maybe unemployment won’t be such a big problem in the future then?
Spanish flu killed 50 millions just after WW I and that was a lot of poeple given lower overall populations.
Since then there are these pandemics a couple of times but with the mutatiojn of the viruses they seem to be getting weaker not stronger since then with less victims dying despite the bigger populations and worldwide travelling.
But we should never underestimate course these age old forms of live. They can be sneaky and this one might combine with other flu virus to make something stronger.
24-hour incubation period before symptoms occur. Then after you have got over it you should stay home for 7 days according to medical sites talking about it.
Obvisouly babies and young children and old peopel should be watched for the serious symptoms.
But being sensibal about it all is the best thing. You are far more likely to die by being hit by a car than this flu virus.
Stay out of bars and bio – and you’ll be fine ;-)
Flee for your lives! Follow Gus and run for the hills!
or…
think.
a) Common flu kills a million every year, I see nobody panicking about that. In comparison, swine flu has about 10000 confirmed cases and under 100 deaths. I’d be more worried about Ebola.
b) Tamiflu and Relenza already exist and work against the virus. In addition, a vaccine will be ready and in production in a matter of months.
c) The speed at which an illness spreads isn’t linked to the size of a city but to density. Reykjavik: 437 ppl/km². In comparison, Paris: 24,948 /km². In addition, Paris gets way more international traffic than Iceland does. Yet somehow, it seems we’re not all in our death throes.
d) No country has stockpiles matching their population in medicine. Think France has 65 million doses of Tamiflu lying around? Think the US has 350 million? Hint: no.
So all of you already busy writing your wills, take a chill pill. You’ll live.
the spread of AH1N1 or Swine Flu is really scary. It is a good thing that this virus is not very deadly. We are advised to take Vitamin-C and to wear face masks.
there is extensive data suggesting that keeping ones vitamin D levels up will protect against colds and flu. Here is a link to a review that tells the story well:
August 2009-Vitamin D3 deficiency and its role in influenza
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs026/1102452079631/archive/1102685428884.html
Whatever you do ,dont get the vacinne,it has mercury and all sorts of toxics in it ,its unsafe its been proven, just deal with it has a ormal flu that is if your unwell.TAKE CARE
>its unsafe its been proven
Cite?