Swine Flu FYI

A week ago Des caught the Swine Flu. Now I have it also. Soon you are probably going to get it! Well, at least your chances of getting it are growing everyday. Why? Because there are major outbreaks of it all over Weber County. Schools being hit the worst include Plain City Elementary, Wahlquist, Rocky Mountain, Fremont and Weber High. Also the CDC now reports nearly 100 percent of all flu cases in America are the H1N1 virus, (Swine Flu.)

People ask, "What is the difference between the Swine flu and just the normal flu?"

The biggest difference is the duration of the symptoms and the time frame in which you are contagious! In regards to the duration. If you can get over this flu in a week then you should count yourself lucky, because the cough that accompanies this flu hangs on you like the worst winter in Utah! This flu also is unlike any other flu in that you can be contagious until you no longer symptomatic. Therefore if you are coughing, you could still be spreading the virus! That is what makes this virus a hard one to deal with. Like any other flu virus you can pass this virus onto other people a couple of days before you know you have it also.


After waking up with all of Deserey's symptoms, I decided to do a little research to find out more about this flu and thought this video was post worthy. I'm glad I found this out early because I was able to get on the drug "Tamiflu", and that has made all the difference. I'm only sorry I didn't find this information out soon enough for Deserey to benefit from it. She is going on her second week of being sick. And yes she is still coughing horribly!

I should note here that once you start the drug Tamiflu, you must finish the five days worth of prescribed pills before you are not contagious anymore! Also the most important information you need to know is that you must get on the drug within the first 24 hours, or it has little effect!

The Swine Flu is a contagious infection of the nose, throat, and lungs caused by the H1N1 virus. It was first spread from pigs to humans, but now it has adapted itself to be nicely passed from person to person.

This particular swine flu is different because it has so little genetic relationship with the flus we have experienced in recent decades. Our immune systems have never been exposed to it or anything similar, so we lack resistance to it. The most interesting thing I read though was how it strikes those with the most robust health the hardest. It kills people in their prime instead of killing the weak. The reason it kills the strong, the article said it assumed, that it produces an excessive immune reaction, and people die from the immune reaction rather than from the virus itself. This is what happened in 1918, but from the avian flu.

This flu often begins with a sore throat, sneezing, a fever, body aches, chills, and cold like symptoms. Both Des and I felt pressure in our heads and then the river of mucus began. I immediately started taking Claritin D. This helped immensely with the mucus build up. Somewhere between day 2 and day 4 of the illness, the "whole body" symptoms begin to subside, and the mucus takes up free room and board in your chest, and when that happens, good luck getting rid of it. Be prepared to deal with a dry hacking cough for a very long duration! Deserey is now on Steroids, an inhaler, and two different types of cough medicine. This flu can turn into Pneumonia so easily! It is a major respiratory infection!

This virus is not transmitted by food! You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Human-to-human transmission of this flu occurs in the same way as seasonal flu occurs in people, which is mainly person-to-person transmission through coughing or sneezing of people infected with the influenza virus. People also become infected by touching something with the flu virus on it and then touching their mouth, nose, or eyes.

Symptoms include:
* Sneezing
* Body aches
* Chills
* Dizziness
* Flushed face
* Headache
* Lack of energy
* Nausea
* Vomiting

Other symptoms may include:

* Loss of appetite
* Muscle aches and stiffness
* Stuffy, congested nose
* Sweating
* Worsening of underlying illness, such as asthma or heart failure

TREATMENT:

GET TO THE DOCTOR WITHIN THE FIRST 24hrs!!! The drug Tamiflu is a great drug for treating this flu, but you must get on it within the first 24 hrs or it has little to no effect!

I was able to get on the drug within the first 12 hrs. therefore it never spread to my chest - I'm cough free! I'm still contagious until I finish all of the pills (five days worth) but I have very little symptoms left, other than being tired and a little nauseated from the meds. I'm still taking Claritin D, to control the mucus in my head, but the drug has helped me immensely!

Some helpful tips!

WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN! CARRY HAND SANITIZER WITH YOU AND USE IT FREQUENTLY!

QUARANTINE THE INFECTED INDIVIDUAL TO A SINGLE ROOM! KEEP THEM AWAY FROM OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS!!!

WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN! CARRY HAND SANITIZER WITH YOU AND USE IT FREQUENTLY!

MAKE SURE THE INDIVIDUAL WEARS A MASK! IF A MASK IS NOT AVAILABLE, COVER YOUR MOUTH WHEN YOU SNEEZE OR COUGH WITH A TISSUE THEN THROUGH THE TISSUE AWAY AND SANITIZE YOUR HANDS! This is so important!

WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN! CARRY HAND SANITIZER WITH YOU AND USE IT FREQUENTLY! AVOID TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH. IF YOU DO HAVE TO BLOW YOUR NOSE OR WIPE YOUR NOSE THEN WASH YOUR HANDS FOLLOWING THIS.

STAY HOME WHEN YOU ARE SICK!!!! REMEMBER THIS FLU CAN SPREAD AS LONG AS YOU HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS!

WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN! CARRY HAND SANITIZER WITH YOU AND USE IT FREQUENTLY!

(I guess you got the part about washing your hands frequently!) NUMBER 1 PREVENTION TIP!

PS, if you are wondering how long the virus can live on an object, The C.D.C. says some viruses and bacteria can live two hours or longer on cafeteria tables, doorknobs, desks and other surfaces.

click HERE for some great information by the CDC!

Also one other article you may be interested in reading. Click HERE!

Good luck! Winter is not even here yet! Uuuuugh!