There is a great deal of concern about the H5N1 avian influenza strain and its potential pandemic capabilities.

To counteract this, a pool of resistant individuals in the population would be useful.

The proposal is to select healthy, middle-aged volunteers who have been around a bit and had flu a few times in their life already (not fit youngsters; flu can kill these off, the 1919 pandemic did just this).

The volunteers are then rested, exercised and fattened up (if necessary) in a spa or similar establishment for a few weeks. They are then exposed to the H5N1 strain in controlled conditions in the hope they contract it.

This will have several advantages.

The observing medics can take samples of blood and track the progress of the disease.

Since the testers have probably got some immunity already, the disease probably won't be that bad. They'll just feel rotten for a few days. Their blood will then be a rich source of antigens.

On recovery, the test subjects will have at least partial and possibly total immunity to H5N1.

Since the cause of the ilness is know, palliative treatment can be given straight away; no need for a diagnosis, which might not occur until the disease has become serious in some cases under normal circumstances.

If there is a pandemic, there will be a core of immune individuals to keep things going.

As a further benefit, this treatment could be offered to political leaders as their input is soooooo very important to society that they can't be spared. At worst, they will feel wretched for several days, and at best, some of them may actually die (but in a noble cause, so that's OK).
-- 8th of 7, Aug 09 2008

I wouldn't mind "catching immunity" and would be happy to volunteer. Sadly, the only thing I'd be good for in a pandemic would be to wait for you to die then take your Porche.
-- phoenix, Aug 09 2008


//a core of immune individuals to keep things going.//
Is this to stop a pandemic, or to perpetuate it?

Researchers often quarantine victims and test them, so that part's baked. Bun for incapacitating politicians.
-- Amos Kito, Aug 09 2008


//Since the testers have probably got some immunity already, the disease probably won't be that bad.//

That's a lot of probably's.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 09 2008


// Unless you're monotheistic //

You can get tablets for that now. Two of them, five commandments each ....

// Is this to stop a pandemic, or to perpetuate it? //

You choose. One out of two ain't bad.

//what The Olympics in China is for? //

No, that's for an entirely different sort of physiological and medical research. But don't tell anyone.
-- 8th of 7, Aug 09 2008


marked-for-tagline

"If there is a pandemic, there will be a core of immune individuals to keep things going"
-- normzone, Aug 10 2008


pardon the callousness, but you gotta wonder why kids are more susceptible... I mean what sort of chemicals or antibodies are present in adults that make them more immune ? Are our immune systems more agile ?
-- FlyingToaster, Aug 20 2009



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