When this last was a big topic of discussion on the site about 9 years ago we spent some time trying to figure out why this “avian” or bird flu was being discussed as such a danger.
In discussing that, we all became educated on the Spanish Influenza outbreak at the close of WWI and how it killed an astounding percentage of people across NA and Europe. These were not infants and elderly, but young, healthy people.
The explanation was that it too was a avian variant which most influenza viruses in humans are not. It had a characteristic of causing the body’s defenses to become part of what overwhelmed an infected individual. The healthy young victim’s response to the initial infection was so strong that many victims drowned in lung response to the infection in what is called a “cytokine storm”. In dealing with such an event a resperator is the only thing that modern medicine can use and we have world wide about 1% of the respirators that would be needed to stop a major outbreak’s death toll.
See this for some more discussion:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Bird-Flu-(Avian-Influenza)-Pandemic,-the-Cytokine-Storm:-What-Drugs-Work-and-Dont-Work&id=207162
The bottom line is that sometimes large healthy populations are the worst mortality rate and this ain’t anything like the Flu we all have known for ever. Tamaflu is ineffective, antibiotics are not able to touch a virus, and we need to understand that if this got into the worst case scenerio — it is a show-stopper.
From what I understand, the Spanish Flu (and by extension the new A-H1N1 variant) kills by provoking an immune system hyper-response, sometimes called the “Cytokine Storm” which severely damages the lungs and causes Acute Respiratory Distress (ARD) resulting in oxygen deprivation to the internal organs.
Here is an over the counter (OTC) formula that inhibits some of the major inflammatory mediators, and is now being suggested as a way to stave off ARD. All four factors must be included.
1a) A prescription ACE-2 inhibitor anti-hypertension drug. (Note: Healthy folks w/normal BP would experience a crash in BP, fainting, et al. Those already on other types of BP lowering meds would experience the same.) -or- 1b) If unavailable, 15,000 IU of Vitamin D* (Note: 15,000 IU is a huge dose of Vitamin D, a fat soluble vitamin. This means excess Vitamin D is stored in the liver, rather being excreted. The half life of Vitamin D is roughly three weeks, and Vitamin D toxicity can cause serious problems)In addition, it is also recommended to maintain just the MDAR of Vitamin A. Being short of Vitamin A is associated with having an excess of a very powerful inflammatory mediator called TNF-1. But it is easy to take too much Vitamin A, which is toxic. High doses of the provitamin Beta-carotene, which the body converts to Vitamin A, might work as well as straight Vitamin A, and are much less toxic.2) Histamine-1 blocker. Benedryl or the equivalent.
3) Histamine-2 blocker. Tagamet or the equivalent (normally used to block acid reflux.)
4) Ibuprofen. Advil or the equivalent, a prostaglandin blocker.
Care should be taken to avoid “health foods” that can artificially enhance the immune system, something to be avoided when there is the prospect of ARD.
This was extracted from an earlier thread I've lost track of, with some comments on Vitamin D from NautiNurse, and on ACE-2 inhibitors from reformedliberal added, and a flat out guess on Beta Carotene from me...
To which I might add zinc inhibits viral reproduction and oregano oil (20 drops/gallon shake well, and drink in place of ordinary water) is also said to help.