Swine Flu: What you Need to Know
Posted on Tuesday, April 28th, 2009 and is filed under Health, Political & General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reports 40 confirmed cases of the swine flu in the United States in five states: New York, Ohio, Kansas, Texas and California. Twenty cases in New York are associated with the same school in Queens. CNN reports that all of the students from the school had gone to Mexico for spring break.
People from the ages of 7 to 54 years old have gotten sick. Of the 40 cases, one person was hospitalized, the rest were sick and recovered, stated Dr. Richard Besser from the CDC in a press conference. The CDC recommends that Americans reframe from non-essential travel to Mexico. They also recommend frequent hand washing.
The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a level 4, with a level 6 being an epidemic.
A swine flue FAQ has been put together by Charles Ericsson, M.D., professor of internal medicine and director of travel medicine at the University of Texas Medical School at Houston:
1. How do symptoms of swine flu differ from other types of flu?
None, really, although this flu might include gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea and vomiting), as well as the usual respiratory symptoms. The basic symptoms for swine flu are similar to the seasonal flu we are vaccinated for each year, which may include:
*Fever (greater than 100°F or 37.8°C) 
*Sore throat 

*Cough 
*Stuffy nose 
*Chills 
*Headache and body aches 

*Fatigue
2. If I felt flu-like, how would I know if I had swine flu?
You wouldn’t really, nor would your physician know for sure without a respiratory specimen taken within the first 4-5 days. The specimen would then be sent to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The cases so far in the US have been relatively mild compared to the illness described in patients in Mexico. We do not yet know why the US cases have been milder. The important point is to call your doctor if you think you have the flu. Your doctor can call in prescription anti-viral drugs such as TamiFlu or Relenza. Unless you are: *Exceptionally ill with flu-like symptoms 
*are chronically ill 
*immune-suppressed 
*quite elderly 
*or have a very young child, under age two years old.
It is best not to report to the hospital, clinic or doctor’s office, where you could risk spreading the disease. Again, call your doctor first to get instructions as to what you need to do next.
3. How long are people contagious?
Adults are potentially contagious for the length of time one has symptoms, up to 7 days following the beginning of illness. The “shedding stage” of the virus is during the first 4-5 days of illness. Children can be considered contagious longer, up to 10 days. The initial incubation period is 24-48 hours.
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