By Gordon Pedersen Ph.D.
Influenza viruses are the respiratory viruses of greatest public health
importance, particularly Influenza A (1). Every year 36,000 people die from
Influenza making it the 6th leading cause of death in America (1). The CDC
estimates that it would cost America $71 �" 166 billion if we have an Influenza
epidemic today. Approximately 1 in every 1,000 swine flu patients dies from the
infection. This is close to the same rate we have been seeing the past few years
but antigenic drift and antigenic shift may create a new and fatal form of
Influenza that humans have no immunity against (2). Antigenic
drift is a variation within the HN sub-type. Antigenic
shift is a variation between different HN sub-types, changes in the
Heamagluttinin (H) and Neuraminiadase (N) makes large portions of the population
immunologically naïve on a regular basis (1). The problem with Type A is that it
undergoes both antigenic drift and antigenic shift making it more dangerous and
unpredictable (1). The World Health Organization declared the H1N1 Swine Flu a
pandemic in June of 2009 (3).
The annual average U.S. winter epidemics
affect 5% to 20% of the population.
The CDC (1) reports the following
pandemic death histories:
Health Care Practitioners Are At the Highest
Risk
Doctors, nurses and other health care providers are at the
highest risk of becoming infected with Influenza. Because doctors are exposed to
the virus most frequently, it is significant to recognize the survivability of
the Influenza virus in open environments.
Mammalian Influenza A survives
1 hour in mucous, while Avian Influenza survives 100 days in water, 200 days @
63 degrees F, 1 day in feces and indefinitely when frozen. Influenza is easily
transmitted from human to human as indicated in the following table.
Doctors have the obligation to protect themselves and their patients from the
potentially pandemic Influenza viruses. This protection could come from many
different sources including Vaccination, Hygiene, Anti viral drugs, Antibiotic
drugs, Nutritional supplements, Air filters, Water purifiers, Masks, Topical
gels and Silver Sol.
Past epidemics provide important insights into what
might happen in the potential spread of the current Swine Flu (4-13). The most
persistent viruses survive and the most diverse seem to go extinct within a few
years (14, 15). This is most likely the result of strong host-mediated selection
pressure, resulting in continual evolution at key antigenic sites, a process
termed ‘antigenic drift’ (15, 16). This antigenic evolution is observed with
major changes in antigenicity occurring periodically in patterns of
approximately 3 years between episodes (17).
According to reports from
the Army Medical records, (from the 1918 Spanish Flu, H1N1 epidemic) 24% of the
people died from the virus and 76% died form a secondary bacterial infection
that produced pneumonia in the lungs. There is a high probability that the swine
flu will have similar death rates, and if this is the case, then preventing and
treating the secondary bacterial infection will be as important if not more
important. The conclusion is that the influenza virus will need to be treated by
multiple or combination therapies crossing viral and bacterial
lines.
Recommendations for Influenza prevention and
treatment (1)
Hygiene: The CDC recommends washing the hands after
any exposure because most influenza is transferred by hand contact. Masks and
gloves can help but the mask must fit tightly with no leaks to be effective. A
surgical mask helps protect the persons around the wearer, so if you have a
fever, cough or sneeze, wear a surgical mask to protect the patients.
Anti viral drugs:
These drugs have the ability to
destroy viruses but cannot be taken for an extended period of time. They produce
side effects that mimic the flu making it difficult to diagnose the severity of
the disease. If taken for prevention, Tamiflu produces resistance. 18% of the
influenza virus is resistant to Tamiflu already (1). It is suspected that the
health care professionals who were taking it for four months as a preventive
agent were the persons that developed resistance. This indicates that we cannot
use the antiviral drugs for long periods of time. In addition, some drugs cannot
be used in children under 13 years of age (Tamiflu). Relenza cannot be used in
children under one or in adults over 65. The antivirals must be given within 48
hours of the onset of illness or the virus will run its course. Combine this
with the fact that 76% of H1N1 subjects in the Spanish flu 1918, died from a
bacterial infection that produced pneumonia and you have an incomplete solution
to the influenza problem. Because Tamiflu has developed resistance Relenza may
be a better choice as long as you monitor the bronchospasms.
Antibiotic Drugs:
Antibiotic drugs provide no solution
against the virus but can be very beneficial for pneumonia that develops later.
A broad spectrum antibiotic should be used because there are numerous bacteria
that can produce pneumonia. According to a Penn State publication, silver sol
can be given with the antibiotics and produce up to a tenfold increase in
antibiotic activity (18).
Nutritional Supplements:
There are hundreds of
supplements that can be of significant benefit for the immune system and even
some that claim to have antiviral activity. The best proven choices for
nutritional supplements come in the form of immune stimulants and wellness
products. These include: immunity Vit C, B complex, folic acid, vit D
(prevention) ginseng, Echinacea, garlic, probiotics, expectorants and silver
sol.
Air Filters:
CDC recommends one in every room.
HEPA air filters use silver to inactivate viruses and can effectively kill 99%
of all bacteria, and viruses in minutes.
Water
Purifiers:
Proper hygiene and a water purifier are recommended by
the CDC because the influenza virus can survive 100 hours in water. Get one that
has a silver filter that can actually destroy the virus. Carbon, filtration,
reverse osmosis does not destroy or remove the virus.
Topical
Disinfectants:
Topical disinfectants are recommended by the CDC for
use between each patient and can kill germs for 4-6 hours. Patients and health
care professionals should use these 4 times a day or as needed. Silver so gel
demonstrates effectiveness against some of the worst pathogens including: MRSA,
VRE, Strep, and the other bacteria that cause pneumonia.
Silver
Sol:
Prescription drugs and vaccines treat and help prevent viral
infection and disease but are not capable of totally controlling a dangerous new
or novel virus (18). Nutritional supplements such as Vitamins, Minerals,
Echinacea, Ginseng, Probiotics and many others have the ability to help boost
immune function and improve natural defenses which results in some defense
against disease causing viruses and the associated secondary
infections
Silver Sol provides proven prevention and treatment against
viral and bacterial infections, while there is nothing else with such broad
spectrum benefits (19). In addition, Silver Sol can be safely taken every day
for prevention where it has been shown to provide protection against the very
dangerous Bird flu H5N1. The combination of antibiotics with Silver Sol has been
shown to enhance antibiotic function by as much as ten fold due to the fact that
Silver Sol kills the residual pathogens that the antibiotics cannot (19).
Results of the combination of 19 different prescription antibiotics and silver
sol demonstrate safe additive and/or synergistic benefits across 7 different
pathogenic strains (Staphyloccocus, MRSA, E coli, Pseudomonas arugenosa,
Salmonella and Streptococcus). The results of this combination therapy result in
significant pathogenic destruction while helping to reduce bacterial resistance
(19). This can be attributed to the fact that Silver Sol does not produce
resistance, nor does it destroy the benefitcial intestinal probiotic bacteria
(18).
Discussion:
H1N1 is a serious threat to our
health and way of life. The best way to treat it influenza is to prevent it.
Prevention produces a problem is that drugs have serious side effects and cannot
be used by the entire population and should not be used for long periods of
time. The other problem is that approximately three fourths of the people who
have died from H1N1 influenza have succumbed to a secondary bacterial infection
in the lungs and no antiviral drug will treat this condition.
In order
to control an epidemic, all types of treatment should be employed including
prescription drugs, vitamins, mineral, herbs, proper hygiene, air filtration,
water filtration and the proper use of diet and nutritional supplements,
especially the newly patented, FDA approved Silver Sol technology. Silver Sol
destroys bacteria, viruses, and mold so it demonstrates broader spectrum of
activity than any antibiotic or antiviral drug. It can be taken daily due the
fact that it passes through the body unchanged, and can prevent viral
infections, treat them and work synergistically with antibiotics to produce as
much as a ten fold increase in activity against the bacteria that cause death in
influenza. It is evident that the newly patented EPA certified and FDA approved
Silver Sol technology provides tremendous treatment options for prevention and
combination therapies. Silver Sol gel can help stop viral spread on the most
contagious areas like hands, nose, mouth and skin. It is sufficiently documented
and proven to be considered to be a first line of defense against Influenza and
a significant companion to antiviral and antibacterial drug regimens topically
and orally.
