The Swine Flu (H1N1 Virus)/ The New York Times.

It is known that in 2009, it was found that a new type of the Swine Flu appeared in the world. The first victims of the new type of Swine Flu were located in Mexico. Later, it was informed by the World Health Organization that the A H1N1 strain of this terrible disease was the first world wide pandemic in 41 years. The article Swine Flu (H1N1 Virus) found in The New York Times touches upon the theme of one of the most serious disease in the world ”“ Swine Flu. The article is built in such a way that it represents all the necessary information concerning this disease: overview of the situation in the world, the origins of this disease, symptoms and transmission, responses from public health officials form all over the world.
The article represents information concerning the total number of people who were infected and died. It is from 30,000 to 90,000 people. It is also known that Swine Flu has reached about 200 countries including all the European countries.

The article highlights the major reasons which caused so wide spreading of the flu. Among them are some national weaknesses such as rather old vaccine technology, the reliance on the foreign vaccine manufacturers, problems with hospitals.

According to the statistical data, Swine flue “killed about one of every 2000 people who were ill. (Swine Flu (H1N1 Virus), 2010, para.1)
The information concerning the origins of Swine Flu given in the article proves the fact that there are no accurate facts which define the major reasons of this disease. It is reported that “the outbreak was first identified in March 2009, in Mexico, when several young people who had rather good state of health suddenly died. (Swine Flu (H1N1 Virus), 2010, para.2)
The other fact shows that Swine Flu is connected with domestic animals as the next several cases are found on the Mexican farms. The Federal Officials stated that Swine Flu was connected with Asian pigs’ diseases and later Swine Flu was carried to North America in a human. According to the information given by CDC( Center of Disease Control), the virus A H1N1 has some pieces of the human flu, bird flu and Asian swine flu. It is a new type of Swine Flu.

The article discussed in this paper represents information concerning the methods of transmission of swine flu. They include the airborne method and the method when a person touches the surface where the virus lives and does not wash his hands.

The article makes claims about the treatment of this disease. It is known that “the swine flu virus had not mutated in any threatening way” since the last outbreak in 2009. The old vaccine was good for it. However, a great deal of people all over the world have no immunity to the Swine Flu. The problem is connected with ages of the victims. According to the statistical data, this type of the Swine Flu infected a great number of young people. It means that the young people have more chances to be infected. That is why special attention should be paid to this category of people.
The article also discusses some other forms of viruses including the A H5N1, or the bird flue, Spanish influenza, SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. The comparison of these severe diseases in represented in the article. The difference between the above mentioned viruses is concluded in the ways of transmission. Thus, SARS is an easily spread form of virus which killed 17% of all the people who were infected during the outbreak in 2003, in Hong Kong. However, the bird flue has no such an ability to be passed from person to person. Usually the poultry is infected and those people who eat it or have a contact.

The article represents the responses of public health officials concerning the Swine Flu. They offer to declare a pandemic, to close schools, restaurants, theaters, gyms, swimming pools and other places where a lot of people gather, to don masks in order to protect themselves outdoors, to close borders, to raise the global alert level to 5, to quarantine those people who the signs of illness to hospitals.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, it is necessary to say that the article Swine Flu (H1N1 Virus)is a rather interesting one as it represents a great deal of useful information concerning the disease. However, I think that some important facts are simply omitted. For example, the article does not inform the readers of the concrete symptoms of the swine flu which include the following ones: high temperature (over 100.4F/38C), headache, running nose, aching muscles, running nose, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea. (Swine Flu Symptoms, 2010, para.2)
All in all, the article is rather informative. It provides a global perspective about the disease and is worth reading.



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