The Last Canaries

We could guess their names since none of our local jurisdictions will tell us. While the department of health hides their deaths and uses the privacy laws to keep them from being recognized it's not hard to determine the names and in some cases the faces of the individuals who like coal mine canaries died to alert us to the coming trouble. Only Maryland is still publicly informing us of the growing numbers but as they reveal only the swine (H1N1) flu deaths it hides the growing pneumonia, influenza or other virus related deaths.

It's not too late and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) if we use the treatment of the vacine on the very sick and dying then they and we survive. As far back as 2000 and in 2006 both UNICEF and WHO said: "Pneumonia is the leading killer of children. Pneumonia kills more children than any other illness -- more than AIDS, malaria and measles combined. Approximately 2 million children under five die from the disease each year, accounting for nearly one in five child deaths globally. ...It is estimated that 26 per cent of neonatal deaths, and 10 per cent of under-five deaths, are caused by severe infections. And a large proportion of these infections are caused by sepsis/pneumonia. If these deaths were added to the overall estimate, pneumonia could account for up to 3 million, or as many as one-third (29 per cent) of under-five deaths worldwide..." "...immunizing children (especially with measles, Hib and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines), and ensuring adequate nutrition, including zinc intake and breastfeeding. Reducing indoor air pollution may also play a role. But once a child develops pneumonia, prompt treatment with a full course of effective antibiotics is life-saving because most severe cases are caused by bacterial pathogens. And since access to health services is limited in many developing countries, prompt treatment may also require training health workers to diagnose and treat children with pneumonia in the community." "...Studies show that community health workers can effectively manage uncomplicated pneumonia. Case management includes classifying suspected cases based on breathing rates and lower chest wall indrawing (where the chest retracts during inhalation), treating non-severe pneumonia cases with antibiotics, and referring severe pneumonia cases to health facilities, where possible."

Remember to wash your hands often!