I guess let me be more clear. For a virus that has been dormant and only a virus caught by avian, the fact that it has now mutated and able to spread to mammals has sparked a quick change relative to science. Still considered one of the slower mutating virus, but things are picking up with it. So you could say it is mutating fast now and things are changing within the virus. As far as it being deadly and affecting the neuro side of the body, like we see in avian, is what makes this virus so tame and mild if caught by mammals. The way it performs once in the body is sluggish and “non-opportunistic”. I read my last post and questioned myself so went back and checked a few things.
Also remember, the history of most virus is they change, mutate and become worse, and then slowly mutate themselves down to nothing again. Covid was this way. Alpha was the very first, and although deadly, it wasn’t near as deadly as delta (the next strain) but we just didn’t know what we were doing so it seemed terrible. Once delta hit, that was when I could walk down hallways, look in a room and predict death. If a patient got above a certain number on o2 need, and presented certain ways, I could pretty much predict they were on a vent or in icu within 24 hours. Unfortunately, I was RARELY wrong during that time. This was when we tried everything and nothing was working. We had chaplains hanging out on the floors for the staff because this was when you figured out who had their heels dug in for the nursing world. Once it mutated to omicron, we started seeing people survive, we had better treatments and the virus started to respond to anti-virals and antibiotics were able to actually work and help the lungs. I’ll never forget the first time we downgraded a patient out of icu to lower level of care. Talk about a win of all wins in the hospital. As time went on, the virus just got weaker and weaker and today, it’s really just seen as a cold.
The flu is still the worst virus we have today. Flu virus is actually a makeup of 31 different virus’. By far the quickest mutating. Due to how quick and how many strains, that’s why there isn’t a vaccine. Also, ever wonder why you get the flu shot but still get the flu?? New flu shots are made for each year, no 2 flu shots are ever the same. We take Australia’s data, since their flu season is considered before ours, and we take the top 2 strains they saw, and we make our shot for that flu season. Doesn’t mean you can’t catch one of the other 29 strains, but those strains are just more dormant that year. Statistically if we give a shot for the fiercest 2 strains that year (based on Australia data), we are saving life’s, but not curing anything. When we have a bad flu season, usually one of the strains running crazy isn’t in the flu shot and we got it wrong for our county and we aren’t seeing the same strains Australia did. There have been times, pharma has created new flu shots half way through flu season for this exact reason. Expensive though, and they don’t like getting it wrong.
So in turn, avian flu can be trying to become a quicker mutating virus and more deadly, but the mRNA makeup and the performance is still very slow and sluggish compared to many others. I think as it mutates more, it’s likely to become maybe a little worse, but as more time goes on, it will probably just die out and go back to being only an avian affecting virus.
www.cdc.gov
