Bright Pandemic Prospects: Five Upcoming Viruses to Choose from

Quiz: guess what is their common denominator.

The headline news of the day!

“FRESH FEARS Experts reveal 4 viruses that could trigger the next pandemic – from brain-swelling ‘flu’ to an eye-bleeding fever. And where in the world these outbreaks are likely to begin” (the Sun, 2023.11.27):

WHETHER it begins tomorrow, next month or in the next decade, another pandemic is looming. Scientists can’t predict precisely when or how the outbreak might start - but they say it's likely to be soon.

The bugs worrying the US scientists include Ebola and Marburg, SARS, and Nipah virus.

If that wasn’t enough, we are being entices with a fifth choice — the swine flu. “Swine flu has morphed and it is in the UK” (Metro, 2023.11.27)

A new strain of swine flu has been recorded in a patient in Britain for the first time, health officials have revealed. The unidentified individual visited their GP with ‘respiratory symptoms’, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said.

The virus, known as H1N2, is different to the H1N1 strain that caused 457 deaths in the UK during the 2009 swine flu pandemic. The UKHSA said the patient ‘experienced a mild illness and has fully recovered. The source of their infection has not yet been ascertained and remains under investigation.’

As always, the best (and only) defense will be through mass vaccination. Thankfully there is already one for the swine flu from back then in 2009. Not that the jab wasn’t without its controversy, giving many in Sweden a permanent damage of their nervous system in the peculiar form of narcolepsy (sounding better than it actually feels):

There is a swine flu vaccine following the 2009 pandemic

As for the other 4 vaccines, there are many in the pipelines, ready to hit a pharmacy near you on the first call of the WHO Director-General:

My guess is, he will be sensible enough with a declaration of a new pandemic to wait right after the WHO gets its dictatorial “public health” powers under the pandemic prevention accord in 2024 that he asked the world leaders to give to him and the world leaders are happy to cede.

But I got carried away. The purpose of this post is just an innocent quiz. Please use the comments below for your participation.

The Quiz

A. What is the common feature of the abovementioned 5 viruses?

B. Is there a simple cupboard remedy that is able to stop all 5 in their tracks?

Let’s demonstrate that we didn’t let the lessons of the last 4 years go to waste! I will sum it up in the next post.