June 2009

We’re inundated with general TV news about swine flu, but as residents of Shanghai, what do we really need to know about the immediate threat and how to prevent it?  To answer this question, Shanghai Family talks with pandemic and crisis management expert Dr. Jeffrey Staples of ParkwayHealth.

SF: Does the Influenza A (H1N1) virus, or swine flu, pose a real and immediate threat to families in Shanghai?

Dr. Staples: Swine flu poses a real threat, but not at present. Influenza viruses are temperature sensitive. They are less active in warm weather and more stable at colder temperatures, making them seasonal viruses. Swine flu looks like an emerging influenza pandemic virus which will behave differently than the seasonal flu, but should still exhibit temperature-sensitive behaviors. We don’t know if the virus will come to Shanghai this spring or summer. If it does, we will probably only see a smaller number of cases. It’s quite likely that the threat of this virus to families living Shanghai will increase as fall turns to winter.

SF: How does the danger posed by swine flu compare to bird flu or SARS?

Dr. Staples: The threat that swine flu poses is both greater and less than SARS or bird flu. It’s less than the earlier epidemics in that the mortality rate of those infected is lower. The threat is greater, however, in that the swine flu virus is more robust. SARS was a coronavirus, less stable than influenza. Though both viruses are spread by droplets (coughing and spitting), the SARS virus could only live in a droplet outside a host for a few hours. The influenza virus can survive in a droplet on a smooth surface, such as a desk or a phone, for up
to 48 hours.

SARS also had a long incubation period, enabling more time for a medical response. Influenza viruses have a short incubation period, allowing the medical community less time to stop the virus. With SARS, people only became contagious when they developed a fever. With influenza, people are contagious for up to 48 hours before showing symptoms. So in the bigger picture, SARS was easier to identify and stop once it became understood. With regards to bird flu, it has remained primarily an animal disease; the rate of human infection has been low. Through effective measures, the virus has been contained.

SF: Are we more at risk of exposure to swine flu in China, or less?

Dr. Staples: There are two advantages to living here in China. The first is that this society lived through SARS and bird flu. The medical community understands the threat of a virus. The government takes the threat seriously and the surveillance systems are very good. Another advantage to living in China at this time is that surprisingly, this pandemic emerged on the other side of the world, so here in China,
we have more time to mitigate it.

SF: Do you think the virus will come to Shanghai? Are there some basic precautions that we should take against it? Does the seasonal flu vaccine protect against swine flu?

Dr. Staples: There is no protection from swine flu in the current strains of the seasonal flu vaccine.  It will probably be six months before we have a swine flu-specific vaccine,
but even then, availability will be very limited.

So, there are two things you should do right now to protect and prepare against swine flu:
1. Practice effective hygiene at home, school and work.
2. Stock emergency supplies: canned and dried goods, medicines such as Tylenol and Robitussin, candles, anything you’d need to be self-sustaining for a few weeks

Families need to understand that the virus will almost certainly come here at some point in time, and that we should take it seriously and be prepared.

MORE INFORMATION
ParkwayHealth is organizing health talks for the community to provide relevant information on influenza A (H1N1). For more information, contact chloe.zhao@parkwayhealth.cn.

Dr. Jeffrey Staples of ParkwayHealth and son Campbell.