A Redditor shares a nostalgic can of an old Lysol disinfectant that has the markings of the previous 21st century pandemic, 2009's AH1N1 Virus, more commonly known as the Swine Flu.
Reddit user u/anythingfromtheshop's post went viral as he posted a photo of his old Lysol can that says "Kills cold and flu virus" and "Kills pandemic 2009 H1N1 Influenza". The redditor's post grew sentiments from fellow redditors garnering more than 54,000 upvotes.
The can serves as a reminder of the previous influenza virus 11 years ago, which became a deadly and rampant pandemic affecting everyone in the world.
Now, the world faces a pandemic that embodies a similar deadly nature, the Novel coronavirus, also known as SARSCOV2 or COVID-19, bringing forth respiratory-like symptoms with no known vaccine as of the moment.
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Swine Flu
CDC stated that 2009's AH1N1 pandemic was first detected in the United States then spread all over the world, having the characteristics of being spread rapidly through droplets and physical human contact. The H1N1 is a respiratory virus, mirroring flu-like symptoms, much like 2020's COVID-19, reason for why it was not detected immediately, having a unique type of influenza genes that are not previously seen or identified in humans or animals.
The H1N1 is not related to any seasonal human influenza virus and is a class of its own. In its peak and second wave, the cases of the virus totalled a whopping 60.8 million cases and 12,469 deaths solely in the United States. H1N1's monovalent vacine came late during the pandemic's second wave.
Worldwide, the virus caused a total of 575,400 deaths making it one of the worst viruses to hit the 21st century. This respiratory illness mostly targeted children and adults below 65 years old.
New Swine Flu
Just as the Novel coronavirus transcends into different country's second wave, China announces a new virus commonly found from pigs or swines that originated from the several Chinese regions.
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This new strain of virus, called the G4 EA H1N1, is a genetic descendant of the 2009 H1N1 virus with a huge possibility of transmitting to or affecting humans and having the same capability of turning into a worldwide pandemic. This new strain of virus also has the capability of animal-to-human transmission.
Moreover, human immunity present to vaccines already administered to the public will not be effective against the G4.
Disinfectants and COVID-19
The early months of 2020 took a toll on the majority of the world as the emergence of the deadly Novel coronavirus became apparent. This pandemic has shutdown most of of the world, from businesses, to public, mass gatherings, and even human interaction. Nowadays, people feel more apart because of the restrictions and safety protocols being enacted in the public.
Presently, the World Health Order, CDC, and other agencies focused on the public's health, welfare, and monitoring of the virus gives guidelines on proper disinfection and sanitation of different materials and places the virus may thrive.
Seven months into the year 2020, COVID-19 is still a huge problem with life-threatening occurences to those who will catch it. The public is still advised to stay at home and practice proper hygiene so as to avoid this deadly pandemic. Memories of the past pandemic surfaces and vamps nostalgia to redditors, many still believe that this too shall pass.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Isaiah Alonzo
