Flus and Blues
It’s time to pay attention
Carina Dieringer
The year was 2020. I remember skimming through news articles on my phone about the newly emerging coronavirus. Despite warnings from experts, it was so easy to dismiss the rising threat—just a few cases in the U.S. and none in my home state of Wisconsin. Then, a handful more cases emerged. One in Wisconsin. Three in Wisconsin. It wasn’t much later that the world shut down.
Just like that, we were left with millions dead, a 5-year-long pandemic that does not show any signs of stopping, and the debilitating long term effects of COVID-19.
I bring all of this up to say we cannot let it happen again. Today, I again watch as avian influenza—bird flu—cases slowly but surely rise across the United States and the rest of the world. This problem extends far beyond the price of eggs. In the spirit of dispelling myths and encouraging access to information, I have created a very brief infographic.
What is bird flu?
Avian influenza is an influenza type A virus that occurs in birds and can spread to humans as well as other wildlife. It is not a new phenomenon, but has been evolving quickly and infecting new species—such as dairy cows—over the past few years.
How is bird flu spread?
Currently, bird flu is spread to humans largely through contact with infected animals, putting farm workers and others who have regular contact with birds, cows, sheep, and other animals most at risk. A recent (not yet peer reviewed) study shows that bird flu may also spread through the air via wind, making even outdoor air risky.
What are the symptoms of bird flu?
Cough, sore throat, runny nose, fatigue, shortness of breath—the most predominant symptom as of late is conjunctivitis (pink eye) and other eye related issues.
How bad is it really?
While many publications assure that risk to the general public is low, infectious disease specialist Dr. John Murphy warns there is a chance bird flu will achieve efficient human-to-human transmission if proper measures are not taken quickly. This development would essentially guarantee a major outbreak or pandemic. Most alarmingly, bird flu has historically had a 39-52% global fatality rate in humans depending on the strain, according to experts at Harvard Medical School. This is 38-51% higher than COVID-19’s ~1% fatality rate.
What measures are being taken?
In Minnesota, government organizations are testing milk for the virus and quarantining infected cow herds and bird flocks. The University of Minnesota has also received grants to further research. Yet the future of bird flu research and prevention measures remains uncertain in the midst of the Trump administration. The current federal plan diverts $400 million to reimburse the very factory farms causing the rise in the virus. Recently, the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who notably lacks any degree in a health or science field, recommended that bird flu be allowed to spread unchecked among birds to “see which of them might be immune,” despite evidence the process would allow the virus to evolve faster.
What can we do?
Reading all of this may leave you feeling hopeless. Fortunately, there are ways we can prevent the spread of bird flu at the collective and individual level.
The good news: If you take COVID-19 precautions, you are already on the right track!
Wear a KN95 or N95 mask when in public spaces—and consider keeping it on while outdoors, especially during particularly windy days.
Although the bird flu is currently evolving faster than vaccines can keep up with, it is still imperative to keep up with yearly flu shots, which can prevent the two diseases from mixing and causing dangerous complications.
Avoid wild animals that appear sick or are acting out of the ordinary. Call the UMN Raptor Center (for carnivorous birds) or another rescue center if you are concerned about the animal.
As with any other situation, do not eat raw or undercooked eggs or meat, or drink unpasteurized milk. Ensure the food and milk you give to your pets is not raw.
Protest, organize, keep track of government policies, and make sure friends and family know how to stay safe.
“Don’t let history repeat itself,” we often hear, but above all, we cannot let our past experiences desensitize us to anything that comes next. No matter the damage COVID-19 has caused and continues to bring, many still find it hard to process the real danger. It happened, and we (you) survived, how bad can the next one be? I can guarantee the answer is not something we want to find out.