That dreaded virtually invisible army of monsters is ready to wage war on mankind again this fall. Observed only through an electron microscope, cold and flu virus troops advance – menacingly
No, not a fertile science fiction plot, but rather a medical science fact. A harsh and brutal reality that we face every year of our lives.
In an ordinary cold and flu season these ravenous, ruthless sub-microscopic invaders will claim between 250 000 to 500 000 lives across the planet, and infect billions more with myriad illnesses. Archives of Internal Medicine reports that the cost of the cold to the U.S. economy is $40 billion a year, and probably 3 times that worldwide.
Will this be an average year? We can only hope and pray, as this time the human race faces an even more ominous onslaught. The bird flu or avian influenza has engorged the ranks of this ever expanding, ever mutating virus force.
Professor Mackenzie, a member of the World Health Organisation’s Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network warned: ” …Such a virus is suspected to have caused the 1918-1919 influenza outbreak which killed about 40 million people – 1.5 per cent of the world’s population at the time…We’re closer to a flu pandemic than we have been for many years…If it happens in Beijing today, it’ll be in New York tomorrow…”
So How Do You Protect You And Your Family?
The WHO and CDC work in concert to provide the flu vaccine. It makes sense to get immunized. Always consult your doctor first, as some people are at risk from the vaccine.
Stay abreast of the latest cold and flu news, and visit the WHO and CDC websites for helpful advice and guidance.
Build up your immune system, and research alternative methods – Echinacea, Vitamin C, Zinc, Garlic and other herbs, vitamins and supplements. Approach with caution as many of the proclaimed benefits are often unproven.
Practise sound health and hygiene habits, and prepare to defend and attack where necessary against these lethal and relentless invaders. At the first signs of symptoms – act fast and decisively.
Author: Arthur Craig Miller
Arthur Craig Miller is a writer and researcher. He became interested in the common cold and flu cure, after nearly losing his child to a near fatal lung disease.