In 2009,
this disease infected millions of people,
now it could be back.
This is the Swine Flu.
Although we managed to largely avoid it
over 10 years ago,
there's now a new strain of the virus.
And experts think that
this new strain has the potential
to cause another worldwide pandemic.
This new strand of H1N1, or swine flu,
is known as the G4 virus.
It comes from pigs,
and has been transferring to humans
for a couple of years now.
Based on early lab tests,
this virus has remnants
of the 2009 swine flu pandemic
as well as the Spanish flu.
Meaning that this new strain
could possibly cause
another worldwide pandemic.
So, what would happen
if you caught this disease?
One tenth of people in China
who work in the pig industry
have caught this new swine flu.
If the G4 strain
is similar to the original swine flu,
here's what you could expect.
If you happened to accidentally touch
an infected surface,
or get sneezed on by someone with swine flu,
then there's a chance you could get it.
That's how the disease has spread.
Once the virus enters your body,
it might take 1 to 4 days before you really start to notice anything.
And the symptoms you do experience
might be pretty similar to
something you've experienced before.
The first day,
you'd likely get a fever and some chills.
At one point you'd be sweating,
and the next, your entire body might be freezing.
This would also be accompanied by muscle aches
and general fatigue.
You'll need to stay away from people
as you could easily infect others during this time.
After a day or two go by,
you could also be met with a cough,
runny nose, and some sneezing.
During the original swine flu,
some patients also reported having diarrhea,
but it didn't happen to everyone.
At this point,
just stay in your bed and rest.
Drink lots of water,
and do what you can to heal up.
The vast majority of people who catch swine flu
are most likely to experience something along these lines.
And after a little more than a week,
you should be as good as new.
But there is a slight chance that these issues
could get worse.
If these symptoms last more than a week,
you could develop pneumonia
or respiratory issues.
If you start to have a tough time breathing,
it would be best to contact a doctor
or get to a hospital.
They'll be able to give you the medical treatment you need.
It's quite rare that you'd die from swine flu
but not impossible.
According to the CDC,
over 150,000 people died from it in 2009.
This was most likely due to the pneumonia
or breathing issues that the virus can cause.
Or the fact that getting the flu can affect
any previous medical issues that people have had.
So we know what to expect if you get it but,
could this G4 virus start a new pandemic?
Well, according to experts,
you shouldn't be too worried,
at least not yet.
This G4 strain of the virus
has been around for over five years
and has yet to severely spread.
Not only that, but it's only been able to spread from pigs to people
rather than through the population.
Also, remember that when swine flu
was at its peak in 2009,
a person who had the disease would only affect
on average less that two people.
This is less infectious than COVID-19.
According to recent studies,
a person with COVID-19 can infect 5 to 6 people.
Not only that, but dealing with swine flu is
supposed to be a lot easier than dealing with COVID-19
since the virus is more similar to things we've had in our system before.
COVID-19 is so dangerous because
it's something humans have never experienced.
That being said, we probably shouldn't just brush this off.
But what can we do to avoid this virus
and all other viruses?
The best thing you can do
is wash your hands often,
don't touch your face,
and practice social distancing.
And while you're at it, would you wear a mask?
"You literally cannot mandate somebody to wear a mask,
knowing that that mask is killing people."
Okay, don't be like her and just wear a mask.
Now, since you're wearing a mask,
what if everyone on the planet decided to wear one?
Well, we'll leave that story for another WHAT IF.