Six months after the global outbreak of COVID-19, a study has come out documenting a relatively new strain of the H1N1 swine flu virus. The authors say that this strain, G4 EA H1N1, should be treated “urgently” to avoid a possible pandemic. At this point, the virus has only been found in China, and transmission occurs through contact between pigs and humans. Although person-to-person transmission has not yet been reported, it is still something that infectious disease experts are keeping a close eye on right now. Hear about another virus with pandemic potential during A global pandemic is definitely disturbing, but should we panic? Here’s what you need to know about this new strain, how it compares to previous H1N1 outbreaks, and what people should know about how to protect themselves.
How did you find this new strain?
For starters, this “new” variety really exists since 2016, he says. Dr. Theresa MacPhail, a medical anthropologist, professor at the Stevens Institute of Technology and author of The viral network: pathography of the H1N1 influenza pandemic. “Since 1952, we have had a global influenza surveillance and response system, which includes 143 national influenza centers worldwide,” she says. Rolling Stone. “And its sole purpose is to track changes in influenza strains.” The new research published June 29 in the magazine. procedures of the National Academy of Sciences it is part of that system.
This study monitored pigs in 10 Chinese provinces between 2011 and 2018. According to MacPhail, the influenza surveillance system first noticed that this H1N1 strain became more virulent in pigs in 2014. “[The virus] he started to have better control over pigs’ lungs, and that’s important because pigs have very similar organ systems to ours, and we exchange influenza strains with pigs with ease, “he explains. This strain has not only existed for a while, but this study itself was submitted for review in December 2019, before scientists thought the new coronavirus began to spread in Wuhan, China. So while it may seem new and scary, it has been on scientists’ radar for quite some time.
Should we be concerned?
At this point, probably not. It’s not unusual for researchers to find new virulent strains of existing viruses, they just don’t get as much attention. “I hate being this person, but it’s like the coronavirus has suddenly made everyone aware of [something that] it’s usually a threat, ”explains MacPhail. “Flu is a constant concern for global health, and we are actually much more prepared for a flu pandemic than we were to [COVID-19]. “Actually, this is business as usual, and evidence that the influenza surveillance and response system is working.” It is troubling, but it is only because people do not know that this is always happening, “she says.” I think which is a perfect storm right now for people to panic. “
What do we know about it?
Based on what is known about this particular strain, transmission occurs when humans come into close contact with pigs that are infected with the virus. Currently, there is no evidence that it can be transmitted between humans, he says. Dra. Claudia Hoyen, an infectious disease specialist at Cleveland University Hospitals. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible: The 2009 H1N1 outbreak in Mexico initially spread from pigs to humans, and then to humans. According to Hoyen, what worries researchers about this G4 EA H1N1 strain is that there are parts of its genetic material that could easily transform into a flu that could spread between people, should it end up mutating or collecting other genetic information. “The thing about viruses and bacteria is that they replicate pretty quickly,” she says. Rolling Stone. “And they often make mistakes. Occasionally, those mistakes will turn out to be your genetic advantage, so we can’t really accurately predict whether or when [human-to-human transmission] it will happen.”
The recent study found that 10.4% of participants working with pigs tested positive for the G4 EA H1N1 virus strain. This rate almost doubles to 20.5% for people ages 18 to 35, indicating that humans are being infected at increasing rates. “Such infectivity greatly increases the opportunity for adaptation of the virus in humans and raises concerns about the possible generation of pandemic viruses.” the authors write. The good news for now, Hoyen says, is that at this time, this strain has yet to be found outside of China. “It is really something that the Chinese are taking very seriously and are following closely,” he explains. “In fact, I am sure the Chinese seem to have a grip on this, and we hope to be able to contain it before it becomes a problem for anyone else.”
How does it compare to previous H1N1 outbreaks?
If H1N1 or swine flu is familiar to you, it’s because it’s been around for years, including 2009 outbreak in Mexicoand the 1918 flu pandemic. Although there is no global consensus on the origin of the 1918 outbreak, some people, including MacPhail, believe that it originated from a pig farm in Kansas. But while the new H1N1 strain also started with pigs, there are big differences between a possible swine flu outbreak today compared to a century ago. For starters, in 1918, there were no flu shots or antibiotics. Of course, antibiotics don’t kill viruses, but Hoyen says bacterial pneumonia was a common complication during the 1918 flu pandemic, which resulted in many deaths. Having effective antibiotics now could save lives if person-to-person transmission of G4 EA H1N1 occurs.
In addition, modern medicine is much more adept at making new flu vaccines. “That’s really what happened in 2009: People were able to quickly change gears and make a H1N1 flu vaccine for that specific strain,” explains Hoyen. “And so we were able to vaccinate many people at that time. Then it went extinct as a pandemic and became part of our natural grouping of influenza viruses that spread throughout the world. “Despite previous outbreaks of various coronaviruses, including SARS and MERS, researchers they never developed an effective vaccine, so when COVID-19 arrived, they started essentially from scratch.
COVID vaccine or not, both MacPhail and Hoyen believe that our experience with the new coronavirus can actually put us in a better position to deal with another potentially dangerous infectious virus. For example, travel restrictions already exist, making the new H1N1 strain less likely to spread internationally if it ends up being transmissible between humans. Additionally, American ranchers are being especially vigilant at the moment, Hoyen says, and will alert public health officials if they suspect that some form of transmission is occurring here. If it gets to that point, MacPhail says the same public health measures, such as physical distancing and the use of face masks, are used to stop the spread of COVID and the flu, so in theory, we’ve never been more prepared. And no, Hoyen says that people don’t need to stop eating pork.
Will this year’s flu shot help?
At this stage, the 2020 flu vaccine has already gone into production, so if the new H1N1 strain begins to spread among humans, it will not be included in this year’s vaccine. However, MacPhail urges everyone, especially older adults and immunocompromised people, to still get a flu shot this fall, because we must take all available precautions to protect ourselves and others from potential health risks. .
So no, there is no need to panic about the new strain of swine flu right now, particularly since it doesn’t seem like it can be passed from person to person, and most people are already in pandemic mode and are giving the steps necessary to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. “That said, we definitely don’t want this to become a problem, because we need all of our resources right now to focus on the coronavirus in terms of creating a vaccine,” says Hoyen. “I hope this [new strain of H1N1] it will not become a problem, so that our attention is not diverted from keeping ourselves and everyone else safe from the coronavirus. It’s here and it’s real, so it’s important that we stay physically distant, but socially connected. “
Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the new H1N1 strain was first detected in 2014; It was first detected in 2016.
