Pandemic: Uncertainty over flu having greater impact than virus itself on people, experts say

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Brett Bundale
Telegraph-Journal

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As the second wave of H1N1 influenza washes over New Brunswick, experts say fear of the pandemic is having a much greater impact than the virus itself on people's lives.

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Noel Chenier/Telegraph-Journal

Sherry Graves tries to comfort her son Garett as nurse Allyson Stack vaccinates the youngster against the H1N1 virus Friday during a clinic at the Barrack Green Armouries in Saint John.

Dr. Rima Azar, a leading psychologist at Mount Allison University, and Dr. Eilish Cleary, the province's chief medical health officer, say swine flu's bark is worse than its bite.

While the number of confirmed H1N1 flu cases has increased and hospitalizations are on the rise in New Brunswick, Cleary said the threat of swine flu needs to be put in perspective.

"Over the last hundred years we have survived about three pandemics," she said during an interview with the Telegraph-Journal. "Even the pandemic of 1918-1919 almost everybody lived through. Life doesn't come to an end because of a pandemic."

"It doesn't mean we shouldn't be prepared, because we can decrease the flu's impact by planning appropriately," Cleary said. "But I think people should try to not be fearful. They should continue about their regular routines and live a healthy lifestyle."

Still, shortages of vaccine and long lineups at immunization clinics have sparked fears across the province, especially among high-risk groups. And the death of an otherwise-healthy Ontario boy at the end of October has made parents anxious.

"That was a turning point in the pandemic for many people, even if the threat of influenza hasn't changed," said Azar, a psychology professor who focuses on the interactions between stress, mental health and immunity to common infections.

"Uncertainty surrounding the flu has certainly increased, which has made it stressful for everyone, especially parents and pregnant women," she said. "The problem is stress can actually affect our health and lower our immune system, making us less able to fight pathogens or viruses."

When people become nervous or stressed, they tend to sleep less and eat less healthy food, making them more vulnerable to illness, Azar said.

In addition, widespread fear during a pandemic can make us distrustful of others, she said.

"If society is fearful it can have broad implications on how we interact," she said. "Although the flu can make us sick and prevent us from going about our daily lives, fear can also impact how society functions."

Dr. Glen Armstrong, head of the University of Calgary's Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, said a healthy level of stress can be a good thing.

He said getting reliable information about H1N1 influenza can have a calming effect on the body's immune system.

"I think people need to sit back and take a deep breath," he said. "I know a lot of people who have had this flu and, yes, they've been sick for four or five days, and it's made them feel pretty miserable.

"But because they weren't in a high-risk group and otherwise healthy, they were able to stay at home, get plenty of rest, drink plenty of fluids and follow those recommendations for how to help yourself recover from flu-like infections."

Armstrong said people should get the H1N1 vaccine as soon as it's available to them, calling it the best way to ensure protection against sickness. But until low-risk groups are able to get vaccinated, Armstrong said those people should ensure their immune systems are in tip-top shape.

"You're giving the body the best chance you can give it to get in there and really fight the virus. That will help you recover and also prevent any more serious complications from occurring, if you're otherwise healthy."