Not afraid of the new flu? H1N1: Information you may need to consider

By: Denise Herbst

Posted: 11/16/09

What we see daily on the News and what we hear about the H1N1 flu virus may have us stunned and believing that the vaccine, and perhaps even the media portrayals, are simply hype. In order to clarify the issue of whether or not you need to consider the vaccine and if the new flu is really a serious health concern, I have researched the issue citing the Center for Disease Control links provided by Marian on the main webpage.
The flu season is always dangerous; however, typically people do not die from the flu (although it is a possibility. The CDC states, "Influenza is always serious -each year in the United States, seasonal influenza results, on average, in an estimated 36,000 deaths and more than 200,000 hospitalizations from flu-related causes."
The CDC defines the 2009 swine flu as a new virus, which means people do not have immunity to this particular strain. The reason this flu is so threatening is that it could be more severe and widespread than the seasonal flu, although symptoms are the same. There are currently limited amounts of the vaccine available, which are being distributed to those at highest risk for complications (such as infants 6 months or less, pregnant women and healthcare workers and children with previous risk factors such as lung or immunity problems).
The CDC provides guidelines for what to do if you catch the flu, which include isolating yourself for 7 days after the start of symptoms, or 24 hours after symptoms end (so plan ahead for the missed work/school days) to prevent the spread of the virus.
Symptoms of the flu include: fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Although these symptoms are true of the 2009 swine flu it is important that some differences in the strains do exist. For instance those suffering from the 2009 swine flu have reported vomiting and diarrhea at a much higher rate than is common for seasonal flu.
You can call your Doctor with initial symptoms of the flu, who can either ask you to come in, or, more likely, will provide you with a prescription to decrease the severity and duration of the flu symptoms, called an antiviral. The CDC states on its website, "Antiviral treatment with oseltamivir or zanamivir is recommended for all patients with confirmed or suspected influenza virus infection who are hospitalized or who are at higher risk for influenza complications." Note that antivirals may be used for all flu cases, confirmed or not. It is also available to family members to prevent them from developing severe symptoms if someone in the family has the flu. Although it is imperative that you seek treatment for flu symptoms, hospitalization is only needed for extreme sympotoms as follows:
In Adults:
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
In Children:
• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Irritable, the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
It is worthy to mention: since all cases of the flu are not virologically tested, accurate records of the H1N1 may be skewed. Lab tests are expensive and without emergency symptoms somewhat unnecessary, hence they will not be performed nor reported.