Swine flu
Apr/29/09 15:34 Filed in: Pharmaceuticals | Pseudoscience | Vaccines | Healthcare Policy | Evidence based medicine
Well, actually I’m not going to say too much about swine flu, except that my initial impression is that it’s not that much different from other types of flu in terms of severity. For example, during the 2007-2008 flu season, there were 83 pediatric mortalities in the US that resulted from influenza infections. In other words, like a lot of diseases that we think are minor, there are serious health consequences that often fly “under the radar.” There is a certain fascination with this disease because of where it started (Mexico), conspiracy theories, and for other reasons that are beyond my ability to understand. I am personally not concerned, because, as I mentioned above, the morbidity of the infection probably is similar to other types of influenza.
There are a number of bloggers who are passing along sage and sane advice. Basically, don’t panic. Wash your hands. And that’s about it for really good medical information.
Of course, the woo-meisters have weighed in with their useless advice. I won’t even begin to explain the logical and scientific fallacies of colon cleansing, but it isn’t going to either prevent or lessen the severity of swine flu.
Since the purpose of this blog is to discuss the medical products market, there are a couple of predictions, as a consequence of the swine flu “epidemic”, I am willing to make:
So, I haven’t much else to say about swine flu. Don’t panic!
By Michael W Simpson
There are a number of bloggers who are passing along sage and sane advice. Basically, don’t panic. Wash your hands. And that’s about it for really good medical information.
Of course, the woo-meisters have weighed in with their useless advice. I won’t even begin to explain the logical and scientific fallacies of colon cleansing, but it isn’t going to either prevent or lessen the severity of swine flu.
Since the purpose of this blog is to discuss the medical products market, there are a couple of predictions, as a consequence of the swine flu “epidemic”, I am willing to make:
- The flu vaccination rate will be up this fall. This might mean shortages of vaccines if any of the key manufacturers fail to deliver sufficient lots of vaccine. It also will mean increased usage of syringes, needles and other ancillary supplies (so go long on BD).
- Oseltamivir (Tamiflu), an oral anti-viral drug, will have strong sales. I remember in 2005, during the avian flu scare, physician’s offices purchased the drug for their offices (not necessarily for patients, since most physicians don’t give out anything but sample drugs).
So, I haven’t much else to say about swine flu. Don’t panic!
By Michael W Simpson