The modern medicine has advanced to unimaginable heights during the last five decades. You have lots of confidence to tackle any situation. You have hundreds of hospitals. Fresh doctors and specialists roll out every year from colleges and universities with their newly acquired medical knowledge. The 1918-19 influenza that killed millions all over the world is only a memory now.



Though, governments all over the world shook to the foundation! For some time, they did not know what to do, except culling the poor birds to save humanity. Even today the awe and fear caused by the epidemic in the past exist.

There are only four types of medicines for bird-flu, out of which two have proved ineffective. As regards the remaining two, not much reliance can be placed on them. For, the bird-flu virus changes its type and pattern so fast.

Moreover, the affected individual needs to be given the doses of medicine within 48 hours of the onset of the symptoms. The manufacturing process of the vaccine takes not less than 40 days and by the time you can well imagine the magnitude of the damage done by this disease. Handling a few cases of bird flu is one thing. Handling it, when it is pandemic is another matter!

You have seen lots of progress with regard to antibiotic medicines, but bird flu beats them all. Antibiotics are for bacterial infections; they are ineffective against viral infections. Understand this statement in the proper perspective, there is no known treatment for the bird-flu as on date and the scientists are just groping in the dark.

The bird-flu virus does serious damage to the lungs within a short time of its onset. When all the treatments fail, the only hope for the patient lie in putting him on the ventilator, which means you need a mechanical respirator for each patient and some special space! You need exclusive staff to look after the patient.

These machines are expensive and the supply is limited. If the bird-flu strikes on a massive scale, all concerned will be the dumb spectators and watch people die helplessly.

Coming to the practical part of handling the situation, from where do you get all those supplies needed to handle the rush of bird-flu affected patients- N 95 face masks, gowns, goggles, head caps and shoe covers? What if the manufacturer's staff were to be attacked by bird flu? When the whole system collapses, when the confidence of all concerned is at the low ebb for nothing much can be done to control this virus!

When the Ultimate Protector condemns you for the reasons best known to Him, who can protect you?