H1N1 Influenza Virus

The signs of H1N1 Influenza virus include: fever, cough, headache, joint paint, runny nose and sore throat. The virus spreads from person to person, and transmits as easily as a normal flu through exposure to cough, sneezing or through droplets left on surfaces by infected individuals.

H1N1 Influenza virus is a new type of flu, different from H1N2, H3N1, bird flu, Russian flu and other viruses that have circulated in the past. Mortality rate from H1N1 has not reached staggering proportions to affect social systems and economies; however, both H1N1 and Avian Flu influenza have the potential to drastically alter the course of modern history. In the report An Investor’s Guide to Avian Flu by the Bank of Montreal, Sherry Cooper and Donald Coxe discuss potential impacts flu pandemic can have on society and financial markets in case of an uncontrollable outbreak.

“The disruption in trade could be analogous to the Smoot-Hawley Tariff of 1930, but even worse given that the free flow of people across borders would no doubt be curtailed. The resulting collapse of the airline and land and water transportation industries, tourism and hospitality sectors, much of retail and wholesale trade along with essential imports and exports would be devastating, at least for some period. This would trigger foreclosures and bankruptcies, credit restrictions, and financial panic. In addition, whole swaths of the population would be unable to work—either because of illness, care giving or quarantine. Schools (and possibly, nursing homes) would close as young children and the elderly might well be particularly vulnerable to getting and spreading the disease.”

Although governments have widely implemented vaccination programs against the H1N1 influenza virus, there is a possibility of the virus mutating and sweeping countries with a deadlier force. The second wave of the 1918 pandemic was devastating, killing approximately 3% – 6% of the global population, with estimates ranging from 25 million to a 100 million deaths. The first wave of the virus resembled seasonal flu, while the second wave was catastrophic. Though the H1N1 has not reached high mortality rate, and let’s hope it will not, we have to keep our eyes open and remember history.