The first US casualty of the flu has been announced. This is tragic news for the family and loved ones of the 2 year -old. It is horrible when children die. This is however normal flu behavior, still. Flu deaths are much more common in those younger than 5 and older than 50. So this does not change the fact that the flu outside Mexico has not acted like the flu inside Mexico. In Mexico the deaths have been clustered in young adults. That is much more worrisome for a killer flu that kills by cytokine storm.
So stay yellow. Keep watch for a change in the mortality pattern. Do not panic.
Can you explain what a 'cytokine storm' is?
ReplyDeleteAlso, do you think the virus morphed/evolved or does it have more to do with Mexican's socioeconomic status, cultural beliefs, etc?
ReplyDeleteCytokine storm is when the bodies own immune system becomes so hypercharged in fighting the bug that it causes severe collateral damage to the body itself. This is what was seen in 1918. It causes hemmorhage of blood into the lung and Gi tract, massive fevers etc.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the Mexican people, the medical circumstances they face with difficult medical access for the poor, etc would definitely increase the mortality of the disease. However the pattern of deaths would still skew to the elderly and infants and probably even more so. What has been reported however so far is a high incidence of mortality in young healthy adults in Mexico which is unexplainable.