This article represents an attempt to write something for a general lay audience who might not have an interest in science as such, but who read opinions presented in the press. Let me know your thoughts…
Simon Jenkins is rather missing the point in his criticisms of the WHO and scientists. It is only because of the vast amounts of public and private funds spent on science and engineering that we can understand the causes of and the cures for influenza.
We now have at our fingertips a huge array of tools and technology that allow us to track and follow this outbreak of swine flu as it spreads and evolves.
Using NCBI and the Influenza Genome Sequencing Project I can understand that the virus consists of three layers; an envelope surrounding a matrix surrounding the genetic code at is centre. I can see the genes encoding the proteins that make these structures, I can see the proteins, their shape and how they interact with each other to form the virion particle. I can see how the virus infects cells, what molecular machines of its host it co-opts to replicate, and how it is broken down and reassembled when it reproduces.
Using data published by the CDC I can take the protein sequences from cases of the flu in America compare them with each other, see that there are at least three variants of the HA protein in the community and that these variants are sometimes found in the same geographical location, suggesting that these strains are widespread in the original populations. I know these variants are proof that the virus is evolving, changing and spreading in response to selective pressure. I know that the HA protein is on the surface of the virus and is recognised by the immune system and used to create vaccines to target the virus. I know that having multiple HA variants complicates the process of making the vaccine as you need to make sure your vaccine covers as much of the virus population as possible
I can do this because of the work of dozens of Nobel Prize winners, thousands of scientists, millions of hours of research and billions of dollars of funding. I can do this sitting at my desk during my lunch break.
Simon Jenkins may consider it a waste of money to understand how a virus is transmitted, moves into a cell, replicates, evades immune systems and spreads at a level ranging from individual molecules in a genetic sequence to whole organisms and populations. He may consider it a waste of money to understand how its effects can be measured, assessed, modified and ultimately prevented. But I don’t and neither do the WHO and the scientists who spend much more time than I do on my lunch break understanding influenza and the risks it poses.
If we do not understand a disease we cannot prevent it. The decline in deaths from influenza since the millions killed by Spanish and Asian flu is largely because of science. If we wish to maintain this decline we must continue to fund research into influenza.
