Are Tamiflu sales for H1N1 a scam?

For every crisis, there are people eager to jump in and make some money off of the fears of others. After 9/11, bogus sellers of "terrorism kits" (i.e. duct tape, plastic sheeting, and candles) popped up all over. H1N1 (i.e. Swine Flu) is one of our current crises, and it appears that we may have found out that overinflated claims for Tamiflu may indicate it is the next scam targeting our fears.

The Cochrane team eventually concluded that the evidence that Tamiflu reduces complications, hospitalizations, or deaths is weak at best, and if the drug does offer any benefit, it is slight indeed. This is precisely the conclusion of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). As we reported in our story in The Atlantic, the FDA directed Roche to state on the drug’s label the following caveat: “Tamiflu has not been proven to have a positive impact on the potential consequences (such as hospitalizations, mortality, or economic impact) of seasonal, avian, or pandemic influenza.” An FDA spokesperson told the BMJ, "The clinical trials . . . failed to demonstrate any significant difference in rates of hospitalization, complications, or mortality in patients receiving either Tamiflu or placebo.” Yet in the wake of the H1N1 pandemic, the FDA gave temporary approval for the drug to be given to hospitalized flu patients, who are at risk of dying.

Irony, Thy Name is Human Nature

Perspective is Important

From here.

H1N1 (Swine) Flu self assessment

At my work, the arrival of autumn meant one thing - the simultaneous arrival of many, many sick people. And of that mob of sickos, many are quite afraid that they may have H1N1, because of the many news reports. Paranoia and hypochondria truly know no bounds.

However, there is help! If you are afraid that you may have H1N1 (swine) flu, then Emory University offers this online self-assessment. It is admittedly not a replacement for seeing your doctor. But it may help to preserve your sanity the next time you have the sniffles..

H1N1 (Swine) Flu may present without a fever

I have been critical of the panicky tone that mainstream media stories about H1N1 (i.e. Swine) Flu have taken on. During slow news times, it has been the default story with the clear undertone - "We're all gonna die!"

But the H1N1 truly is a weird mutation of the virus, and it is preventing doctors from always getting a tight grip on what they are fighting. The newest wrinkle is H1N1 infection may NOT spike a fever in some patients. Fever is used almost universally as the sign of a serious flu, and the lack of this in many Mexican patients may indicate that American flu counts may be low. The virus is also presenting with diarrhea, which is not typical of most influenza infections.

The moral of the story? If you feel sick, and there is no clear cause like allergies or that week-old slice of moldy pizza you ate last night, go to the doctor for diagnosis. Properly treated, H1N1 is easily cured. Left untreated, it can be deadly... and highly infectious.

Don't panic over Swine Flu "Pandemic"

Since I was mostly out-of-pocket this weekend, I was unable to post. But it was interesting to watch on my iPhone's browser as the swine flu repots swelled from concern to panic to pandemic in about 72 hours. Currently, the latest news/rumor is that the World Health Organization is ready to declare the Mexican swine flu to be a pandemic. Why, exactly, it is a "pandemic" at this point is unclear, since the spread appears to be moderate.

The WHO raised its pandemic alert level for the swine flu virus to phase 4, indicating a significantly increased risk of a pandemic, a global outbreak of a serious disease.

The last such outbreak, a "Hong Kong" flu pandemic in 1968, killed about 1 million people.

Although the new flu strain has so far killed people only in Mexico, there were more than 40 confirmed cases in the United States, including 20 at a New York City school where eight cases were already identified.

At this point, the unique point about this flu is that there is no vaccine for it. Therefore, your best strategies to avoid infection are the usual ones: (1) try to stay healthy - eat well, get plenty of sleep, (2) avoid people who are known to be sick with the flu, and (3) if you are sick, try to stay home rather than "working through it" in the office, which is likely to spread the virus farther. People are making much of the fact that 149 people have died from the disease, but remember that millions die annually from the flu despite vaccines, and most of those are because people were already in a weakened condition.

Fight the panic with facts, and take care of yourself. Those are your best bets.