Top Five Things to Know About Swine Flu

Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) classes the outbreak as a phase 4 incident (as of 28 April 2009), two levels below a true pandemic.  Phase four indicators include sustained human-to-human spread of the disease and that the leading scientists on the project believe that containment is no longer possible.  Recommendations are now that the government should focus on limiting and slowing the spread of the disease rather than attempting to contain or quarantine the source.  World health officials are doing their best to raise preparedness levels without causing panic or undue concern; at the current moment it is still a relatively small outbreak and much of the level of concern is caused by over-coverage by the media.

Health officials are constantly reiterating that outbreaks and pandemics are evolving situations, much like the viruses that they deal with.  Only time will truly tell what is going to happen, but everyone should be prepared to deal with what occurs.

What Are the Symptoms of Swine Flu?

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta, GA, the symptoms and warning signs for swine flu are very similar to those of other forms on influenza.  Fever, lethargy, cough, sore throat, fatigue, body and head aches, congestion, and chills can be expected.  There is also an increased chance of vomiting and diarrhea attributed to swine flu as compared to other influenza variations. 

However, the biggest concern with swine flu according to the CDC is that of the worsening of pre-existing or underlying medical conditions.  People with pneumonia, respiratory concerns, or similar illnesses are going to be at the highest risk of complications or death.

Am I at Risk for Swine Flu?

The odds are that you are not currently at risk for it.  If you live in the United States, currently only New York, California, Texas, Kansas, Indiana, Florida, and Ohio have confirmed cases, though several other states have possible infections.  Mexico is currently the hardest hit, with hundreds of cases and several deaths associated with the swine flu outbreak.  Many countries have suspected cases, but only a few are currently confirmed by laboratory testing: Canada, New Zealand, Spain, and the UK.  All are attributable to recent trips to Mexico, or contact with someone who was recently in Mexico.

How Can I Help Prevent the Spread?

Swine flu, like most influenza, is spread by transmission of the virus from person to person.  The single best thing you can do is to wash your hands regularly and often, using hot water and soap thoroughly.  Standard good health practices should be applied; avoid touching your mouth, eyes, or nose, cough into tissues, and use sanitizers liberally.  If you are ill and think you may have been exposed, contact your doctor and they can run tests to determine if it is the swine flu, and stay away from others in order to minimize the chance of spreading the virus.

Cleaning surfaces with antiviral solutions and the use of surgical facemasks (in areas with high contamination rates, thus far only Mexico) are also recommended to help reduce the risk of transmission.

World health officials are actively working on checking the spread and preparing for the worst-case scenario.  Due to the step up from phase 3 to phase 4 by the WHO, even countries without existing known infections are increasing their precautions and starting measures to prevent spread of this disease.

On note: This year’s flu shot does not offer any protection against swine flu, so don’t think that you are protected against it if you got one.  Take normal precautions against getting sick, follow good health guidelines, and you should be fine!