What is swine flu?
Swine flu,
also known as 2009 H1N1 type A influenza, is a human disease. People get the
disease from other people, not from pigs.
The disease
originally was nicknamed swine flu because the virus that causes the disease originally jumped to
humans from the live pigs in which it evolved. Scientists are
still arguing about what the virus should be called, but most people know it as
the H1N1 swine flu virus.
The swine flu
viruses that usually spread among pigs aren't the same as human flu viruses.
Swine flu doesn't often infect people, and the rare human cases that have
occurred in the past have mainly affected people who had direct contact with
pigs. But the current "swine flu" outbreak is different. It's caused
by a new swine flu virus that has changed in ways that allow it to spread from
person to person -- among people who haven't had any contact with pigs.
That
makes it a human flu virus.
Many people
have at least partial immunity to seasonal H1N1 viruses because they've been
infected with or vaccinated against this flu bug. These viruses
"drift" genetically, which is why the flu vaccine has to be tweaked
from time to time.
What are swine flu symptoms?
Symptoms of H1N1 swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Many people with swine flu have had diarrhea and vomiting. But these symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions. That means that you and your doctor can't know, just based on your symptoms, if you've got swine flu.
Only lab tests can
definitively show whether you've got swine flu. State health departments can do
these tests. During the peak of the pandemic, these tests were reserved for
patients with severe flu symptoms.
If I think I have swine flu, what should I do? When
should I see my doctor?
If you have flu symptoms, stay
home,
and when you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue.
Afterward, throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands. That will help
prevent your flu from spreading. If you can do it comfortably, wear a surgical
mask if you must be around others.
If you have only mild flu symptoms, you do not need medical attention unless your illness gets worse. But if you are in one of the groups at high risk of severe disease, contact your doctor at the first sign of flu-like illness. In such cases, the CDC recommends that people call or email their doctor before rushing to an emergency room.
But heed
these signs of a medical emergency:
Children should be
given urgent medical attention if they:
·Have fast breathing or trouble breathing
·Have bluish
or gray skin color
·Are not
drinking enough fluid
·Are not
waking up or not interacting
·Have severe
or persistent vomiting
·Are so
irritable that the child does not want to be held
·Have
flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and a worse cough
·Have fever
with a rash
·Have a fever and
then have a seizure or sudden mental or behavioral change.
Adults should seek urgent medical attention if they have:
·Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
·Pain or
pressure in the chest or abdomen
·Sudden
dizziness
·Confusion
·Severe or
persistent vomiting
·Flu-like
symptoms that improve, but then come back with worsening fever or cough
Should I wear a face mask or respirator?
Short answer: Maybe. Face masks and respirators may very well offer extra protection, but should not be your first line of defense against either pandemic or seasonal flu.
Every
day, newspapers carry pictures of people wearing face masks to prevent swine
flu transmission. But very little is known about whether face masks actually
protect against the flu.
If I am infected, how can I stop others from becoming infected?
·Limit your contact with other people
·Do not go to work or school
·When you cough or sneeze cover your mouth with a tissue. If you do not have a tissue, cover your mouth and nose.
·Put your used tissues in a waste basket
·Wash your hands and face regularly
·Keep all surfaces you have touched clean
·Follow your doctor's instructions
