H1N1 Swine Flu

What you need to know about Swine Flu

editor — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 19:17:34 +0000

If a person has been diagnosed with swine flu, there are some precautions that they need to take. They should stay at home for at least seven days from when they first start getting symptoms. If their symptoms last longer than seven days, then they need to stay at home for at least twenty four hours after being symptom free. They should try to stay isolated from others in the home as much as possible. They should wear a face mask when they have to be around other people. They should always wash their hands many times. They need to drink plenty of fluids and get plenty of rest. Water, broth and sports drinks are good for making sure to stay hydrated. If the person can not wear a mask, they should be sure to cover their cough and sneezes and immediately wash their hands with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer. If a person has to care for a sick person with the swine flu, they should wear a mask whenever they are in close contact with the person. The caregiver and the sick person needs to wash their hands often. The caregiver should keep in close contact with the sick persons doctor to be sure everything is going well. The caregiver should also see about taking antiviral medication to avoid getting sick themselves. The caregiver needs to keep a close eye on the sick person to make sure that their symptoms do not need emergency medical attention. If it comes to that, then the caregiver needs to take the sick person immediately to the emergency room.

What makes mexico’s swine flu so virulent

admin — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 15:49:58 +0000

What makes mexico’s swine flu
so virulent
Scientists engaged in investigation of the current
swine flu epidemic have begun with the direct question of why the flu
affects Mexico with more intensity than other countries. There are more
cases of the flu in Mexico, and more deaths, when seen in proportion,
to the rest of North America. There has to be a reason to this that
provides useful information to those on the front lines of the battle.
Comparing Mexico to the rest of North America however, is not as simple
as it might seem. Researchers in the US
working in partnership with institutions in Mexico feel that there are
not enough swine flu infections at this time to learn anything from.
There need to be thousands of cases before a proper representative
average is able to be taken.The reason for all the numbers coming out
of Mexico could just be because of the fact that the disease started in
Mexico and has had a longer time in the region than in the US.
Scientific opinions usually cannot be made without adequate
representative samples. In addition, accurate sample-taking is
difficult amid all the commotion surrounding swine flu. There could be
deaths included in the swine flu account, that do not come from swine
flu, but instead come from other causes. The people who die of other
illnesses related to the respiratory system can present symptoms very
similar to does the swine flu. The people who die need to be properly
autopsied and tested for samples of viral infection before proper
pronouncements are made.
Making a proper comparison between one country and another also
requires that an adequate model is created of the countries in
question. The model would include information on the age groups the
patients fall into, thei genders and complications from other diseases
that need to be considered. If for example, a large number of people
who succumb to the swine flu in Mexico happen to be people already
devastated by HIV, this death statistic has little to offer to what is
to be anticipated for healthy people. Before making such a comparison
betweenn countries, therefore, it has to be ascertained that the
population in one country that is falling ill with the disease is
similar to the population in the other country that might fall ill from
the disease.
What possible factors might there be to the emergence of the disease in
Mexico that might not apply to another country? An important
characteristic specific to Mexico is that people there tend to put off
visits to the hospital for too long. When people get flu-like symptoms,
a stuffy nose, cough, or body ache, they just try to take
over-the-counter medicines to deal with it at home. People who are sick
with anything go out to the pharmacy for over-the-counter medication
before they think of visiting a doctor. There has been focused
government action in Mexico trying to raise awareness among the public
not to put off a visit to the hospital for long, and among hospitals
and doctors to look out for the rights symptoms. By the time people
realize that what they have is not a simple cold or fever, they may be
too far gone.
Mexico City has famously bad air quality. The terrible environmental
situation in Mexico City is a potential aggravating factor. Mexico City
is also overpopulated in the extreme. Diseases move from person to
person far more quickly in such crowded places in a way that just
cannot be expected in other countries.
These then are the kinds of peculiarities that scientists need to keep
in mind before they can draw a map of what is to be expected in the US
and Canada, and what kind of ferocity the disease will have in these
places compared to Mexico. swine flu by state

A swine flu pandemic

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 23:24:55 +0000

A swine flu pandemic
A pandemic is a situation
where a disease spreads over a wide geographic area and affects an
unusually large number of people. The number of people across the globe
pronounced as infected with the Type A H1N1 swine flu virus is
sufficiently high toda across the globe that the World Health
Organization, the health department of the United Nations, is forced to
raise its pandemic alert for swine influenza to Phase 5, only a step
short of the top alert condition at Phase 6. This Phase measure is an
indicator that demonstrates recognition of the fact that the virus is
able to circulate evenly among the human population and that there is
nothing tangible left that keeps a disease reaching pandemic
proportions. This level of alert prompts governments across the world
to deploy measures aimed at arresting the spread of the disease by
issuing directions on trade and travel restrictions.
The World Health Organization recognizes today that the swine flu
spread has made noticeable advances towards becoming a pandemic even if
final evidence of having a pandemic is not yet apparent. The WHO has
estimated now at international conferences that it is not to be
considered inevitable that the world should have a full-blown pandemic.
The influenza virus is noted for its ability to mutate very quickly;
this quality makes it quite difficult to predict whether the virus will
become more virulent or less.
According to a WHO release, the swine flu virus is now in evidence as
having spread so far and wide that it can no longer be feasibly bottled
up in a region. The best hope now is to have governments work to
administer cures or palliatives. The US for example, is already acting
swiftly to warn the public that the swine flu outbreak is to be
considered a public health emergency.
Here is a quick run-through of the various alert Phases that the WHO
uses to describe a disease outbreak:
Phase 1: There is no evidence that swine flu viruses are seen to infect
humans.
Phase 2: At least one case is known where swine flu seems to have
crossed over to humans.
Phase 3: There are several known cases of swine flu attacks on humans,
but they are all cases of direct transfer from animal to humans, and
not any transfer from humans to humans.
Phase 4: The swine flu virus has adapted well enough to no longer need
to come from an animal to infect a human; it can now directly move from
human to human. There is full recognition of the potential for a
pandemic at this point, though it is not considered inevitable.
Phase 5: At least two countries in any single WHO region are seening
the swine flu virus spread from one person directly to another. A
pandemic is considered almost unavoidable at this stage and governments
focus on addressing the disease in their own countries.
Phase 6: This signals a full-blown pandemic. More than two countries in
any one WHO region are seeing inections and it signals that the swine
flu pandemic is now crossing continents. swine flu tamiflu

Who gets the medicines against swine flu

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:24:55 +0000

Who gets the medicines against swine flu
The
outbreak of swine flu appears today to be a comparatively mild strain;
it is not to be denied that the virus seems astonishingly hardy and
that it has infected thousands in dozens of countries. But experts take
into consideration the fact that mutations could take place that could
make the virus not only hardy, but also decidedly virulent. In
particular, it is feared that the swine flu could combine with seasonal
winter flu that is resistant to traditional antiviral therapy. In such
a case government’s need to formulate a strategy on who gets antiviral
medicine in the event that things blow up into a full epidemic.
The WHO is of opinion that governments across the world should hold on
to their antiviral drug stocks for patients who seem to be most at
risk. The CDC in the USA has established a policy of letting pregnant
women ahead of the line to be given first preference in antiviral
therapy, even as the results of its administration in pregnant women
has not been completely understood.
European countries have apparently been handing out drugs like Tamiflu
much more freely than North America. Their philosophy is that
aggressively tackling the disease before it even begins to establish
itsel, is the best way to make sure it does not take root. In contrast
the WHO is of the opinion that antiviral drugs should be reserved for
people who are gravely suffering and have other complications, heart
disease, asthma, pregnancy or anything else.
It is known at this point that women who are pregnant suffer from an
ineffective immune system; this places the mother and the fetus at
great risk. There are several instances in the US of pregnant women
contracting swine flu with very troublesome complications resulting.
While the effects of the medicines on unborn fetuses are not fully
understood, it seems to be clear that the effects of the virus are far
more undesirable than any effects the drugs may have.
Mexico has taken a page out of Europe’s book and hands out antiviral
medicines to anyone who has at any time been in contact with an
infected person. Authorities also plan to hand out medicines to all
children and schools who seem to be demonstrating symptoms of swine
flu.
Countries around the world at this time are focused on building up
their reserves of swine flu antivirals such as Tamiflu. The Swiss
drugmaker Roche has stepped in donating millions of courses of Tamiflu
to the WHO. It is also putting out plenty of supplies for other
countries. The only thing that remains to be done is for countries to
rationalize their policies on how best to use the supplies they
have. swine flu in alabama

Frequently asked swine flu questions

admin — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 22:09:57 +0000

Frequently asked swine
flu questions
Swine flu has cropped up out of nowhere and struck
large parts of the population with such stunning rapidness today that
it is hard to believe that barely a month ago no one had ever heard of
the term swine flu. Still, it is commendable that there are so many who
have reasonably accurate information on the ways in which this disease
strikes. Let us try to offer some more stability to the situation by
answering some of the most frequently asked questions in the area of
swine flu.
If you catch the swine flu, is it possible to let the bug just run its
course?
It may not seem so from the way the media covers this, but drugs exist
to treat swine flu. Look at this the way you would look at any other
illness: if you feel ill but bearably so, then you should try to let it
run its course as you would do for any other bug. If the illness seems
to hit you out of nowhere and you feel quite awful, a high fever, a
terrible headache and so on, you should then go see a doctor as you
would if you felt this awful with any other disease.
What is the right time to seek medical attention?
You should seek medical attention for swine flu the way you would for
any other disease:
if you feel bad enough to be alarmed. It is usually not a good idea to
raise the alarm over a little cough or cold. To be more specific, if
you have a fever of 102 or more, you should probably get help. If you
have flu-like symptoms, body ache, fever, diarrhea, and others right
after a visit to an infected place like Mexico, or after contact with
someone who’s been there, you would do well to suspect swine flu sooner
than someone who has had no such contact.
Are drugs like Tamiflu effective against swine flu?
Tamiflu and Relenza are the main drugs that are used to fight swine
flu. If doctors suspect swine flu affliction, they could administer
preventive doses of this medicine, and even prescribe them for members
of the family. But these drugs are not to be taken by the general
population to protect themselves. This could expose the virus to these
drugs so frequently in the population, that they become resistant to
them. That would be a scenario to avoid at any cost.
How susceptible to swine flu are children?
Even regular seasonal flu in the US is known to take down several
children every year in this day and age. Sometimes these are children
who are previously weak from other conditions, sometimes they are
completely healthy children. It is not really known how susceptible
children are to swine flu. If your child runs a high fever, it is
surely an excellent idea to not put off a visit to the doctor.
Should schools be closing down all over the country over swine flu
cases that are not even certain?
County boards that are responsible for reacting appropriately to such
problems take steps as they see fit: some close down, some don’t. Since
the swine flu outbreak is so new, scientists are still on the lookout
for evidence to see if closing down a school is a good idea. If the
areas that have closed their schools down appear to have better
outcomes, this will be useful information for the scientists.
What is the risk to pregnant women if they happen to catch swine flu?
A flu attack of any kind can certainly cause complications in
pregnancy. It is not known at this time if swine flu brings a more
dangerous effect on pregnancy than a regular influenza. It is best to
discuss this with your obstetrician.
Do house pets stand to catch swine flu?
Diseases usually do not cross the barrier from one species to another
without a great deal of large-scale contact. This swine flu virus is
basically a virus that is at home in pigs; it does seem to make sense
to worry that cats and dogs might catch it too. There really is no
evidence that house pets stand to catch swine flu from people. There
are flu viruses that have always attacked house pets and those are the
ones that we will always have to worry about. swine flu in nevada

Symptoms of Swine Flu

editor — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 19:19:10 +0000

Swine flus symptoms are generally the same for the regular seasonal flu. However the symptoms tend to be more severe and last a little bit longer with the swine flu. The symptoms of swine flu include fever, coughing, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhea, a runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body aches, chills and fatigue. There are some more severe symptoms which require immediate medical attention. These symptoms are fast breathing, having trouble breathing, bluish or grey skin color, not being able to drink enough fluids, severe vomiting, not waking up often, not wanting to interact, irritability, pain or pressure in the abdomen or chest, dizziness, confusion and having the flu like symptoms get better and then return even worse than before. If a person experiences these symptoms, they need to see a doctor or go to their local emergency room immediately. These symptoms can cause severe bodily damage and can even be fatal if not taken care of right away. There are several things you can do to prevent swine flu. Always wash your hands. Since swine flu is spread the same way that the regular flu is, you should use the same precautions that you would with it. You can get the vaccination which is readily available now if you have not received it yet. There is a nasal vaccination and a shot available. The nasal vaccination is generally given in two doses. A person must wait about two weeks in between doses. The shot is usually given in two at the same visit, but a person may have to return for a second one.

Is the cdc expecting a surge in swine flu cases

admin — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 14:04:58 +0000

Is the cdc expecting a surge in
swine flu cases
The swine flu epidemic in the US is showing
signs of waning in most places. Barring the Northeast, swine flu is
beginning to slow down. The CDC is now marshaling its resources
preparing for a rise, a surge in influenza infections, come fall. The
CDC feels that the coming months will provide a lull in the swine flu
activity seen around the country; this time is planned to be used to
thoroughly research all the data gathered about swine flu so far. The
CDC is also looking closely at the work underway on creating a new
swine flu vaccine. Normal seasonal flu vaccines are still being made
today. Manufacturers will be ready to make a swine flu vaccine when
they are asked to. It is now the job of the CDC to determine answers to
many questions:
1.Is a vaccine for swine flu really necessary?
2.Since swine flu viruses keep mutating, is it correct to make a
vaccine for the current model or version of the virus?
3.Would it be smart to wait and watch to see if the virus changes
drastically over the next few weeks?
4.How many vaccinations will people generally need? One or multiple
ones?
5.Should people be provided with supplements to help boost their
immunity system? Or will there be a side effects to worry about?
6.There may not be that many vaccine doses available to begin with.
What kind of priority system should be formulated to decide who gets it
first?
The CDC is working to address all these concerns before answers are
needed. The questions to do with whether a vaccine is needed at all are
kept separate from the questions that come later, to do with
manufacture and how many people need to be vaccinated. It isn’t as if
the CDC will put off thinking about its vaccination program until it
decides whether not to make the vaccine. When one crucial decision is
ready so will all the others. The answers are not just matters of
opinion though; they are based on evidence and scientific study.
The CDC is looking carefully at what happens in the Latin American
continent this flu season. The WHO has thrown its lot in with this and
declared that things are not yet serious enough to warrant a pandemic
alert. It needs to be sure that the swine flu outbreak becomes a
serious and other parts of the world as it has been in North America.
It is always of great concern to health authorities that their
declarations do nothing to start off a panic which is always
counterproductive. school closings in texas swine flu

The cdc and swine flu

admin — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 14:15:01 +0000

The cdc and swine
flu
The CDC is a government epidemiological authority that
exists for just the kind of challenge that swine flu today presents.
The agency is given the mandate of identifying outbreaks of contagious
disease and finding ways to help contain them and cure them. They work
on each new illness, identify new protocols and strategies to fight
them, help hospitals and healthcare professionals, and public health
offices learn about new treatment protocols and think of new
precautions to take for a new disease. All of these have come into play
with a new swine flu outbreak. The CDC has kept up a steady
communication with doctors and hospitals through the country to keep
them updated with their latest findings. The CDC has a program called
the Strategic National Stockpile that makes sure that there are enough
antiviral medicines, masks and supplies to go around different parts of
the country to help everyone deal with a new problem like swine flu.
The CDC has been working in tandem with health departments in every
state and county where swine flu has been reported. In Texas and
California for example, there are the following activities that the CDC
is overseeing to help with the situation:
- There is a steady eye kept on every district where infections in
people have been reported.
- Healthcare workers helping victims of swine flu are kept under close
watch for possible signs of infection themselves.
- Family members of swine flu patients are also kept under close watch
for information on new cases that seem to appear this way.
- Schools where cases of swine flu have been found, have been kept
under observation for information on how this disease spreads in
schools.
- Patients are observed to see how long they remain contagious
themselves after they contact the disease.
- District level health officials are given control over medicines
allocated to the district. The CDC makes sure that all government
health departments work in good coordination to make medicines
available in the places they are needed. The CDC cedes control over to
local officials after delivering supplies to them.
This then is the important role played by the CDC in the outbreak of a
disease such as swine flu. swine flu new jersey

Precautions for Swine Flu

editor — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 15:28:13 +0000

What is swine flu? It is a very strong flu virus that has been sweeping the world since it first appeared in April 2009. Also known as the 2009 H1N1 flu, it is very different to from the common flu that many people get each year. Since this type of flu is viral, antibiotics don’t have any effect. There are two different drugs that are prescribed to fight the H1N1 virus. One is called Tamiflu, and the other is Relenza. Don’t be fooled into thinking that the flu shot you get every year will protect you against swine flu. It won’t. These are two entirely different types of illness. You need to get your “regular” flu shot, and the shot to protect you from H1N1. This virus is especially harmful for certain categories of people. Women who are pregnant, very young children, anyone with a history of breathing problems (asthma, COPD, etc), the elderly (especially those who live in a care facility like a nursing home), and anyone else who might have a chronic illness.
There are steps you can take to give yourself a little protection. Always wash your hands. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth if you think you might have been exposed. Stay out of crowded places. If you have been exposed to the flu, stay home. Call your doctor if you feel that the flu just isn’t going away, or you experience any unusual symptoms. But the most important thing is to get both flu shots before you catch anything!

The swine flu epidemic

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 21:45:00 +0000

The swine flu epidemic
When swine flu began to
show up last month in North America, the CDC started work analyzing
virus samples from swine flu patients in Mexico to compare against the
viruses extracted from swine flu patients in the US. The two kinds of
swine flu were found to be similar, and different from anything that
had ever been seen before.
Mexico has seen in excess of 60 deaths from the swine flu so far.
Surprisingly, the slain in Mexico are people who were young and
healthy. This confirms the feeling that this virus is a new strain that
has previously never been encountered before by humanity. If it
happened that the flu was slaying the weakest in the population, that
the old or the very young, just the way things happen with normal
seasonal flu, it would be a normal scenario. To have the healthiest
part of the population succumb with their health and their strong
immunities offering no defense against the flu, shows that it is not a
matter of strength or health anymore; it is a matter of a new organism
that the human body has no resistance against yet.
In normal flu, winters are the most troublesome months; with the onset
of summer, the flu virus withers away in the heat. It is beginning to
look like the swine flu virus is not affected by the heat in the way
the seasonal flu virus is. It is also beginning to appear that it has
been put off for too late to keep the virus from spreading to other
continents. There are cases of swine flu on opposite coasts of the US
among people who have not actually been in contact in any way. This
would imply that the virus is going person-to-person through many
separate cycles and carriers.
The WHO is trying to determine whether this epidemic may be called a
pandemic yet. Since there is significant transmission from person to
person at this stage the WHO’s pandemic alert is only on Phase 5. If
the current level of threat is able to sustain itself for a while
longer, the WHO imagines that it will be declaring a Phase 6 pandemic.
The swine flu virus has so far not proven to be very efficient at being
contagious. This aspect of the swine flu virus has been studied and
will be known about soon.
The CDC is not waiting around to see if a pandemic will be declared
though; it is in advanced stages of having a vaccine ready against
swine flu; it wonders if the new vaccine will be ready by the time the
seasonal flu season begins in October. Producing a vaccine for a new
disease is no small matter; to do it with an eye on the clock is a
Herculean task.
The CDC advises people to exercise common sense preventive behavior.
Washing hands often, wearing masks around people known to suffer from
swine flu and not traveling to areas that have been in the news for
swine flu, are good ideas for now. If anyone should find that they have
flu-like symptoms that go beyond a mere cough or headache, they should
seek medical treatment. swine flu in usa