G Health P2

Global Health

BHS380

May 28, 2022

Influenza Virus

Introduction

There are four different strains of the influenza virus: the Influenza A virus, the Influenza B virus, the Influenza C virus, and the Influenza D virus. Influenza A and B are the two most common strains of the influenza virus, and this distinction is based on the viral surface proteins present in each virus. These are then broken down even further into substrains such as A(H1N1) and A. (9H3N2). When several infections of what looks to be reinfection, the virus mutates by changing the proteins hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase, this causes the virus to spread more effectively (NA). If the proteins are located on the virus's surface, it will give the impression that it is an entirely different virus. According to Fredric Cohen's explanation in How Viruses Invade Cells, the genome of the influenza virus is not a single continuous strand of RNA like the genomes of other viruses; instead, it is segmented into eight separate strands (2016).

Brief History

Pandemics caused by Influenza have been occurring for as long as 500 years, and some researchers believe the virus has been around ever since humans first evolved. Like many others before it, this epidemic began in southern Asia and then moved northward, eventually reaching North America and Europe. The months of December through February are considered winter in the northern hemisphere. In contrast, the months of June through August are considered to be winter in the southern hemisphere. The influenza virus is believed to have started in Asia, then traveled throughout the globe, and then came full circle by making its way back to Asia. The elderly, especially those over the age of 65, are the demographic that is in the greatest danger of passing away (Potter, 2008). As a direct consequence of this, countries in South America south of the equator do not see an increase in influenza cases from December through February, in contrast to the United States of America, Mexico, and Canada. It is expected that they will see an upsurge in cases from June through August, making this virus a hazard throughout the whole year.

Individuals At-Risk

The World Health Organization estimates that between 250,000 and 500,000 individuals pass away a year; however, more recent studies suggest that the actual number is closer to 290,000 to 650,000. Those 65 and older account for almost two-thirds of all deaths. According to Lisa Clayville's research, in 2011, over 20 percent of the population in the United States was infected with the influenza virus. In contrast, just 9 percent of the world's 7 billion people were infected. Older people make up only 15 percent of the total population in the United States, yet they are responsible for 66 percent of influenza-related hospitalizations and 90 percent of influenza-related deaths. When it comes to fatalities among those aged 65 and older, it is almost always ranked in the top 10 most prevalent causes.

Worldly Outbreaks Among the Elderly

If a vaccine is not created and widely distributed, our country and the rest of the world will experience a new pandemic every seven to forty years. Even while younger people in the United States are less likely to pass away from Influenza than older people, this virus has the potential to rapidly spread across a community during an outbreak of the disease. Immunocompromised adults under the age of 65 and newborns are at exceptionally high risk and have to get the yearly vaccine. The vaccination of older people in a community results in a fifty percent reduction in fatalities caused by influenza-related complications, such as pneumonia, respiratory issues, congestive heart failure, and other long-term repercussions (Clayville, 2011). According to the study's findings, in 2004, more than half of the deaths were documented in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. Because of a lack of access to high-quality medical treatment and worsening socioeconomic

circumstances, the great majority of deaths among persons under the age of 65 are restricted to Sub-Saharan Africa.

Conclusion and Goals

It has been ten years since 70 countries disclosed their yearly influenza statistics, and 33 countries provided their weekly or monthly rates. When compared to ten years ago, this represents a significant advancement. Researchers can get a more accurate estimate of the total number of new outbreaks now that there has been more communication across nations about the virus's propagation. Back in the year 2000, medical professionals from all around the globe called for more and more rapid monitoring, not just of humans but also of animals and wild birds. At the end of their book, the researchers Taubenberger and Morens argue that "new vaccine approaches are within reach, but international agreements on production, intellectual property, distribution, and administration must be sought out as soon as possible" (2010).

In the past decade, increasing surveillance has been one of the most important goals for monitoring this virus. Unfortunately, monitoring the virus is more complicated when other countries do not report weekly or monthly (at least consistently). It makes it more challenging to distribute vaccines to those communities. According to studies, a shocking 99 percent of mortality in children under the age of five in developing countries is caused by Influenza or other infections of the lower respiratory tract that are acquired as a consequence of Influenza (WHO, 2018). A recently published study in the Journal of Global Health said that "monitoring of mortality involves the collection of data from a wider number of countries over a longer period." This study was conducted in the previous year. At the moment, only about seventy countries provide annual figures. However, even if all countries did so, it would still be helpful to monitor the seasonal

spread of Influenza in both hemispheres "and forecast the effect of new or enhanced intervention methods, such as universal influenza vaccines currently under development" (Paget. et al., 2019).

Pennsylvania

The current influenza season, which runs from October 2020 to May 2021, started in the last week of September 2020 and will continue until the end of the month. The 40th week of the year falls somewhere around October, and the beginning of the monitoring for the next year begins in the 20th week of the following year. The next influenza season will begin in October 2020 and run through May 2021. The World Health Organization and the National Respiratory and Enteric Virus Surveillance System (NREVSS) receive and report weekly data from the state's 13 labs. As of the 30th of January, it had been reported that 2,479 influenza cases were laboratory-confirmed throughout the whole state. Since September of the previous year, there had been 31 people sent to the hospital, and 11 people lost their lives (DOH, 2021). There is still a total of four months left, but compared to the 62,504 cases and 75 deaths reported as of March 13, 2019, for the 2019 season, this is a drop in the bucket (Stauffer, 2019).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as of the end of 2019, there were 129,912 cases of influenza-related illnesses, and 102 people lost their lives due to the virus (Benscoter,2020). As a result of enforced shutdowns, business and government closures, and other measures, the rate of Ebola transmission has dropped to between 98 and 99 percent. Because most individuals who have the flu do not report it or go to a doctor to be checked out, the state's health agency predicts that up to 20 percent of the state's population will have the virus. In the United States, an additional 120–2,000 persons pass away due to complications associated with the flu each year. These deaths are not recorded. In line with "when and where the virus appears, trends compared to previous seasons, and what types/subtypes of the virus are spreading," the

Pennsylvania Department of Health has been providing updates (2021). Through methods such as these, the researchers monitor the development of the virus and evaluate its severity.

Lawrence County

Despite Lawrence County's population of 85,000 people, there were only 85 confirmed cases of Influenza recorded, owing to the county's influenza incidence rate of 96 per 100,000. (Satullo, 2020). Although the whole state had the worst rate in years last year, the rate in Lawrence County stayed below 100. Even though the entire state saw the worst rate in years, this was the case. There have been 1,474 cases of Influenza in Beaver County, while there have been 6,144 cases in Allegheny County, which is 30 minutes farther south and has a more significant population. In Beaver County, there are 877 cases for every 100,000 people, whereas, in Allegheny County (which includes Pittsburgh), there are only 500 cases for every 100,000 people. (Satullo, 2020). Consequently, the murder rate per 100,000 persons in Lawrence County is often lower than it is in other counties, and the fact that the county has a low total incidence means that many incidents are not discovered.

If the virus reappears and spreads in the future, two different kinds of preventative targets have been developed. People who are community members, those who work in scientific fields, and people who work for the government are all instances of this. The priorities of a scientist are to do further study and regularly update data and statistics. The mission of the Department of Health, which is a government organization, is to provide vaccinations as rapidly and effectively as possible. In addition to making the public aware of new information and instructional materials that could convince individuals to be vaccinated against the flu during flu season, it is necessary to keep the public well-informed. This should be done throughout flu season. Taking into account the

changes that have been implemented this year across the entirety of the community, including the use of face masks, the use of gloves by many seniors in public places, and the increasing duration of time spent inside by many seniors, we can see that there has been a significant reduction in the spread of the flu virus. 4) Businesses had no choice but to shut down, and as the final step in controlling the disease's spread, a sizable number of individuals received preventative vaccinations early on. Improvements made and experiences gained throughout this winter have already shown to be so helpful to persons aged 65 and older and those with pre-existing health difficulties that they should be the focus of future efforts. Wearing masks and gloves, having friends and family do the majority of one's shopping for them, and finally spending more time inside during the colder months will significantly reduce one's risk of contracting the flu. This assumes that the virus does not mutate into a form that causes a pandemic. Businesses will not be required to close in the future because of the flu.

References

Benscoter, Jana, 2020, Flu season ends in Pa., coronavirus continues: report, https://www.pennlive.com/news/2020/04/flu-season-ends-in-pa-coronavirus-continues- report.html

Clayville, Lisa R., 2011, Influenza Update, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3278149/

Cohen, Fredric S., 2016, How Viruses Invade Cells, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4788752/, doi: 10.1016/j.bpj.2016.02.006

DOH, Department of Health, 2021, 2020/2021 Influenza Season Data, https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/Flu/Pages/2020-21-Flu.aspx

Paget, John, et. al., 2019, Global mortality associated with seasonal influenza epidemics: New burden estimates and predictors from the GLaMOR Project, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6815659/, doi: 10.7189/jogh.09.020421

Potter, C.W., 2008, A history of Influenza, https://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1046/j.1365-2672.2001.01492.x, https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2672.2001.01492.x

Satullo, Sara K., 2020, Pennsylvania sees big jump in flu deaths (MAP), https://www.lehighvalleylive.com/news/2020/01/pennsylvania-sees-big-jump-in-flu- deaths-map.html

Stauffer, Heather, 2019, Weekly Pennsylvania flu report: 62,501 cases & 75 deaths confirmed so far this season, https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/weekly-pennsylvania-flu-report- 62-501-cases-75-deaths-confirmed-so-far-this-season/article_9bf4dc0e-44ff-11e9-892b- afcdbbe1bd8b.html#:~:text=A%20total%20of%208%2C539%20new,the%20state %20Department%20of%20Health.

Taubenberger, Jeffery K., Morens, David M., 2010, Influenza: The Once and Future Pandemic, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862331/

WHO, World Health Organization, 2018, Influenza (Seasonal), https://www.who.int/news- room/fact-sheets/detail/influenza-(seasonal)#:~:text=Worldwide%2C%20these %20annual%20epidemics%20are,65%20or%20older%20(1)?