Tip of the Day: Avoid H5N1

For those of you who thinks that the code above is for some medical prescription - wake up and read the newspapers! H5N1 (link) is a deadly bird flu virus strain that can kill if absorbed into the body. There's news about it everyday - just tune into the latest developments in TV - there's surely something about it.

So, what do we do? Avoid birds, stop eating chicken and eggs, kill anything that has wings? Sounds insane and morbid. Instead, to avoid the deadly strain, we have to understand how it works.

For instance, there's no evidence that the virus is airborne - that means it doesn't infect through the air we breathe. All cases of H5N1 infections reported are through direct contact with infected poultry - so don't lock yourself at home everyday - you'll develop neuroticism instead.

Second, the virus is intolerant to cooking heat - 70° Celsius, so if you have a craving for mom's chicken soup, cook the chicken thoroughly (no pink parts inside). That should be safe. And FORGET about eating half-boiled eggs - it's not thoroughly cooked if it's half-boiled, is it? And I think I don't have to tell you to wash everything properly.

So that's a primer of the virus - go to the links above for more details.

I'll post later.

Tags: health, tips, virus, safety, life

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