As the world continues to grapple with the COVID-19 pandemic,... there have been reports
that a strain of the swine flu virus is circulating in China with the potential for pandemic spread
in humans. The new strain bears similarities to the swine
flu that caused a pandemic in 2009 and has, since then, acquired increased infectivity"
among Chinese swine workers who were exposed to infected animals.
Just how worried should we be about this virus, we connect with Dr. Bruce Y. Lee, Professor
of Health Policy and Management at City University New York, who is a systems modeler and a Senior
Contributor for Forbes. We also have Dr. Theresa MacPhail, professor
at Stevens Institute of Technology and author of The Viral Network: Pathography of the H1N1
Influenza Pandemic.
1. Dr. LEE: What are
the
main symptoms of swine
flu
and are there any strains that overlap with COVID-19?
2. Dr. LEE: How contagious and how fatal is swine flu? Should we be worried about it turning
into a pandemic? 3. Dr. MACPHAIL: How does the current swine
flu compare to the H1N1 influenzas of the past?
4. Dr. LEE: If the swine flu outbreak becomes bigger, what consequences
should we expect to see? Would we be able to cope
with it, considering how we are struggling to do so with COVID-19?
5. DR. MACPHAIL: Comparing the current COVID-19 pandemic to the H1N1 pandemic
in 2009, the coronavirus outbreak appears more severe. Is that really
the case? 6. Dr. MACPHAIL: Are
there
any medications or
vaccines for
swine flu? 7. Dr. LEE: Authorities are saying it doesn't
pose immediate threat to public health. But should public health officials still prepare
nevertheless? How can health authorities, and members of the public, prepare for a possible
outbreak of swine flu? 8.
Dr. MACPHAIL What are some good prevention measures?
We'll have to wrap up the discussion here now. That was Dr. Bruce Y. Lee
and Dr. Theresa
MacPhail both joining us from New York.