BELIZE IS FLU FREE AND WELCOMES TOURISTS

SWINE FLU OUTLOOK IN BELIZE (BELIZE IS FREE OF THE FLU AND WELCOMES TOURISTS THAT HAVE NO COLDS, FEVER, OR SICKNESS ) OUR SALT SEA INSIDE THE BARRIER REEF IS 4 TIMES SALTIER THAN FLORIDA WATER AND CURES ALL AILMENTS. JUST GARGLE AND SWALLOW A BIT IF YOU HAVE A COLD.

The radio talk shows had callers from Corozal this morning, worried about Mexicans entering Belize . Since there are reports of outbreaks in the Yucatan , this concern is not without reason.

In Mexico City the death toll is about 7%, which means 1 person in 14 that comes down with Swine Flu would die. A virus mutates fairly rapidly, so it may get weaker, or even stronger. This at the moment we don’t know? Mexico City has a population of 20 million, so the death toll if nothing is done in a preventative manner could be 1.5 million people. The virus has already got outbreaks in various parts of the USA and even in New York City . Mexico City is being shut down in order to isolate clusters of infected persons and starve the virus of victims.

Gauze masks are the method of prevention most common. It is possible to make virus vaccines, but these are slow to make and since the virus mutates is of questionable performance.

During the SARS virus outbreak some years ago, isolation or quarantine was the method of making the virus die off, from lack of victims. The EBOLA virus for instance was starved for victims more easily, as the method of transmission was by bodily fluids. Quarantine resolved that problem. We do have anti-virals, but these are more for HIV and not for flu virus strains.

One caller this morning to the radio shows in Belize was recommending a strong immune system by eating hot peppers, such as our Jabanero pepper. I myself believe in this therapy and haven’t had any problems with colds or flu for years and I’m 72 years old this year. The medical doctors in the government though, remind us this is not scientifically proved. The reports also from Mexico City are saying that the ones who die are healthy people in their prime, not the little children and old people that normally die from the flu and subsequent pneumonia complications.

The Belize Health Department are meeting with emergency responders today this Monday, to decide on the course of action for what is currently a SWINE FLU FREE country. Flu that is airborne in almost impossible to contain though. Also to be considered are the economic activities and impact, versus the dangers. The SARS virus had a 50% death rate and the 7% death rate of this Swine Flu is not nearly so bad. Little else is known about this swine flu yet. As the world population keeps multiplying exponentially, the war on humans by virus attacks are expected to become more frequent.

China advises that they learned their lessons six years ago. Speed and isolation is of the essence, which slows spread and gives the medical establishment time to identify the virus and come up with solutions. Hong Kong is taking the temperature of EVERY arriving plane passenger, with an ear thermometer. If you have any fever they whisk you to isolation. They have a 1000 bed dormitory for quarantine. It is hermetically sealed, with lower pressure maintained in the dormitory. They say that the General Hospitals were the worst incubators of the flu virus during the last epidemic. The best attack is isolation until the virus runs it's course of two weeks. Followed by washing of hands all day regularly and wearing a mask.