Topic: Health
H1N1 flu vaccine by Beijing-based drug maker Sinovac Biotech Ltd. in Beijing, China,
October 12, 2009 by Riette
A worker inspects vials containing H1N1 flu vaccine by Beijing-based drug maker Sinovac Biotech Ltd. in Beijing, China, Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009.
The World Health Organization said information provided by Sinovac showed that in studies, the vaccines were tested in three formulations of 15 micrograms per dose, and all gave antibody responses that satisfied regulatory criteria.
That vaccine dose is the same amount the U.S. government is testing.
(AP Photo/Elizabeth Dalziel
What's Inside a Cup of Coffee?
October 6, 2009 by Riette
Article By Patrick di Justo -
WIRED MAGAZINE: 17.10
Caffeine
This is why the world produces more than 16 billion pounds of coffee beans per year. It's actually an alkaloid plant toxin (like nicotine and cocaine), a bug killer that stimulates us by blocking neuroreceptors for the sleep chemical adenosine. The result: you, awake.
Water
Hot H2O is a super solvent, leaching flavors and oils out of the coffee bean. A good cup of joe is 98.75 percent water and 1.25 percent soluble plant matter. Caffeine is a diuretic, so coffee newbies pee out the water quickly; java junkies build up resistance.
2-Ethylphenol
Creates a tarlike, medicinal odor in your morning wake-up. It's also a component of cockroach alarm pheromones, chemical signals that warn the colony of danger.
Quinic acid
Gives coffee its slightly sour flavor. On the plus side, it's one of the starter chemicals in the formulation of Tamiflu.
3,5 Dicaffeoylquinic acid
When scientists pretreat neurons with this acid in the lab, the cells are significantly (though not completely) protected from free-radical damage. Yup: Coffee is a good source of antioxidants.
Dimethyl disulfide
A product of roasting the green coffee bean, this compound is just at the threshold of detectability in brewed java. Good thing, too, as it's one of the compounds that gives human feces its odor.
Acetylmethylcarbinol
That rich, buttery taste in your daily jolt comes in part from this flammable yellow liquid, which helps give real butter its flavor and is a component of artificial flavoring in microwave popcorn.
Putrescine
Ever wonder what makes spoiled meat so poisonous? Here you go. Ptomaines like putrescine are produced when E. coli bacteria in the meat break down amino acids. Naturally present in coffee beans, it smells, as you might guess from the name, like Satan's outhouse.
Trigonelline
Chemically, it's a molecule of niacin with a methyl group attached. It breaks down into pyridines, which give coffee its sweet, earthy taste and also prevent the tooth-eating bacterium Streptococcus mutans from attaching to your teeth. Coffee fights the Cavity Creeps.
Niacin
Trigonelline is unstable above 160 degrees F; the methyl group detaches, unleashing the niacin—vitamin B3—into your cup. Two or three espressos can provide half your recommended daily allowance.
What will happen if swine flu comes to Africa?
I am not a doctor and I don't have any degrees so remember this as you read. This is an article based on things I read, see and think.
Mexico has a very good health system where most medical is for free and they actually have doctors, and the virus is hardly being contained. Africa has some of the best doctors in the world but unfortunately it is also so expensive most people cannot even afford basic medical care. If you go to the local state hospitals most of them are overrun and understaffed as it is.
The virus is fast spreading and is not easy detectable. At the moment it is winter in South Africa so most people already have colds and flu so a couple of extra cases won't be noticed until it is already far spread. Especially seeing as the only way to be sure if you have it or not is by doing blood test. Africa has the highest HIV and Aids rate in the world and one of the biggest killers are TB. Think about it TB a lung sickness, if a person should start showing signs of increase symptoms I do not think it would be noticed. With the HIV/Aids the people who have it their immune system is already weak so to become sick would hit them the hardest and fastest.
To me it sounds like an disaster. We do not have the capacity to quarantine people and by far we do not have enough vaccines to help those detected. It will be the poor affected the most because lets face it if you have a expensive medical aid and money to back that up you will be helped but with our health system in the state that it is what will the poor do?
The disease would skip from city to city over an 18-to-24 month period, infecting more than a third of the population. World health Organization officials believe as many as 1.5 billion people around the globe would seek medical care and nearly 30 million would seek hospitalization. Based on the last pandemic and current world population, as many as 7 million people could die, epidemiologists said. CNN
In the past the viruses that came from animals was not able to spread from human to human because in most cases it killed the human before it could become contagious. Meaning capable from spreading from person to person. Swine Virus is not that lethal, which is good for the bearer but that means it can spread as well. So the person won't necessarily die but the virus can now spread through human contact so it can move from continent to continent. It would not help to kill the pigs like with bird flu where thousands of birds was killed. It is no isolated, farmer touching animal, farmer get sick, that's it. Swine flu farmer gets sick and so does anyone who comes in contact with him.
The main problem I see with this is our government is not taking this at all seriously enough. It can take one person and it could be a couple of days before anyone knows that person is sick. Then you have to track everyone who was in contact with the person etc. It can become ugly very very fast. The DA has raised it's concerns that the government should not dismiss it so easily. If USA has stated they have a health crisis what makes them think it would just pass us by.
I think it is time they government started listening to the other parties as well. Panic won't help this situation, the fact remains when you look at the figures of how fast this can spread and how densely populated South Africa is. It doesn't take a genius to figure out if/when it comes it would be hard to control.
What would happen if swine flu hits Africa? Honestly I don't know ... the word catastrophe comes to mind.
Hold on to your onions, Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is coming back
April 1, 2009 by evl
The onion queen Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is about to hit back in parliament with her super onions and muti that would wake up a dead horse, this old cow that doesnt really believe in AIDS along with her sidekick and previous president of South Africa caused chaos and death with their AIDS beliefs for the past few years. Now chaos Manto Tshabalala-Msimang is about to strike back and this time the empire wants her back. Such is the speculation and its also reported in the TimesWell-placed sources said Tshabalala-Msimang, who is renowned for her opposition to the use of antiretroviral drugs to fight HIV-Aids, will regain her position this week in a Cabinet reshuffle.So, lock up your drink cabinets and stock on onions because Barbara Hogan's opinion or freedom of speech is about to make her the ex Health minister. Never mess with free speech, it could land you in trouble, especially if you live in the democrazy of South Africa