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.

How Do You Get Swine Flu

Mexico City, a crowded, sweating, lively city that 20 million people call home, closed down recently; every activity that was not essential to survival was put on hold.

The flu spreads by contact with bodily fluids in some way; it is not like the pox that it should travel through the air. In addition they may not fit around the face snugly enough to isolate the outside. Swine flu spreads from person to person mainly through the mist a sick person puts out in the air when he coughs or sneezes. Only a reasonable amount of common sense care is to be taken.

The first doses available are expected to be administered to healthcare professionals who in the line of their work are routinely exposed to swine flu.
To gain the knowledge that will help keeping in the swine flu virus from mutating in the future, scientists need to know where the virus came from in the past. Many countries have banned flights and cruises to and from Mexico. The hotels that you would have to beg at for any room at this time of the year, is so free of people, that hotel staff have nothing better to do than to wash their hands to keep swine flu away. This announcement is only meant to help people take heart and regain hope; people still do need to exercise reasonable caution covering themselves as they cough or sneeze, and washing their hands often. The flu spreads by contact with bodily fluids in some way; it is not like the pox that it should travel through the air.

But experts take into consideration the fact that mutations could take place that could make the virus not only hardy, but also decidedly virulent.
Only a reasonable amount of common sense care is to be taken. If there were some way people could visit Cancun safely now, this would be a wonderful time, with uncrowded beaches and streets, cheap hotel rooms, and great sunshine. Swine flu kills in about the same manner as regular flu, as well. If the cough of an infected person were to release droplets containing the swine flu virus over a surface, the virus would remain alive and able to infect anyone who touches the surface, for the next eight hours. Hotels are now more than three-quarters empty.