Swine Flu FAQs by Womens Health Doctor

What is “Swine flu”?

Swine flu is a viral infection basically found in pigs that is caused by swine influenza virus. It is very rare to get swine flu in humans except in some cases where people have direct contact with pigs. Currently, the nature of swine flu virus transmission has changed and it can be transmitted from humans to humans even if there is no prior contact with pigs. There are four main sub-types of the virus, but the most recent isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.

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How does the swine flu spread?

In the present outbreak of swine flu, the virus is spread by air borne contact. Infection can be transmitted through cough, sneeze, or even by touching the objects that have been touched by an infected individual. Chances of infection are more if after touching these objects one touches the eyes, mouth, or nose.

Can you get swine flu by eating pork?

Swine flu cannot be spread by pork products, since the virus is not transmitted through food. Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 70ºC and above kills the swine flu virus.

What are the symptoms of swine flu?

Since it is a viral infection, its symptoms are similar to Influenza. In humans, the symptoms include:

-Fever

-Cough

-Sore throat

-Runny nose

-Headache

-Fatigue

-General body aches

-Diarrhea and vomiting

-Neurological symptoms (Especially in children)

How to prevent swine flu?

There are several ways to prevent swine flu. Wash your hands with soap and water or alcohol based sanitizers after being out in the public. Also eat a healthy nutritious diet and drink plenty of fluids and keep your household articles clean with disinfectant or diluted chlorine bleach. Avoid close contact with people who might be infected. Wear a face mask (consider using an N95 respirator) if you must come into close contact with a sick person.

How to diagnose swine flu?

Diagnosis of swine flu is done by collecting respiratory specimens during the first 4 to 5 days of illness (10 days in children) and getting real-time RT-PCR and/or viral culture specifically for Swine Influenza A (H1N1) Virus. Hence, if one has any of the swine flu symptoms, a doctor’s consultation is necessary.

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What is the treatment of swine flu?

As it is a viral illness, hence, majority make a full recovery without requiring medical attention or antiviral drugs. However, the use of Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Relenza (zanamivir) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses has been found to be effective. In the recent outbreak, the virus has been found to be resistant to amantadine and rimantadine.

Is there a vaccine for swine flu?

There is no vaccine for swine flu as yet. But vaccines are being made in large quantities and clinical tests will begin in August 2009.

How to deal with a swine flu patient at home?

If any of your family members have fever with cough or sore throat, make sure to consult your doctor at the earliest. Suspected person should stay home for seven days after symptoms begin and should wear a face mask or N95 respirator. He/ She should throw the used tissues and other disposable items in the trash and immediately wash his hands afterwards. Alternatively, wipes or gels with alcohol in them can be used to clean hands. Linens, eating utensils and dishes belonging to suspected cases should be washed by using household laundry soap and tumbled dry. One should wash one’s hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub immediately after handling dirty laundry and other household items of suspected individuals. Children should be strictly prohibited from close contact and an infected ****** feeding mother should express her ****** milk, and the child should be fed by someone else. If the investigations come out positive, then the infected individual should be quarantined in an isolated ward in a hospital and treatment started to prevent complications.

What is the role of face masks in swine flu prevention?

The role of face masks and respirators as the first line of defense against the virus is still controversial. But these offer additional protection against the air borne illness.N-95 respirators are better than face masks or surgical masks but it is hard to breathe through them for extended periods and are inconvenient to wear for children and people with ****** hair.

What is the prognosis of patients with swine flu?

Most of the patients of swine flu recover with no complications. Patients with depressed immune function or those who are seriously ill have worse prognosis compared to those who are immunocompetent.

How does swine flu kill?

Swine flu being an air borne infection infects the respiratory system chiefly lungs and causes lung infections. It can also cause secondary infection which can affect the vital organs of the body and lead to death.

What precautions should you take while travelling?

Apart from the general measures described above to prevent swine flu, if you become ill in any way while in the country, you should seek medical advice immediately.Also consult your health care provider and discuss the various risks associated with the disease if you are travelling to any country that has reported cases of flu among birds, swine, or humans.

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In a bird flu pandemic, more people might die from other causes than from bird flu itself.

And I DON’T mean ‘natural’ causes.

Even if you’ve stocked up your home with all the food, water and immune system boosting herbs you’ll need for the next 3 months and you’re all set to sit there and read WAR AND PEACE until the bird flu virus burns itself out — you could still be at great risk.

If you really want to live through the bird flu pandemic, you better have a plan to avoid human germs as well as the bird flu virus.

On a bird flu discussion forum, someone recently posted this advice — stop tell your neighbors you’re storing food and water for the bird flu pandemic. Stop trying to convince them to do the same thing. Make your preparations in secret. Because when there’s no more food at the grocery store, and their kids are hungry, they’re going to remember that you’ve stored food — and they’re going to come knocking at your door.

Truly sad words, but obviously have a truth to them.

You definately must think just as hard about the nature of your neighbors as about the nature of bird flu itself.

You must assume that law and order as we take it for granted now will not exist or will be enforced only sporadically.

Your local police are 95% great people with a strong sense of duty. But some of them will catch bird flu too and some will die from it. Some of them will feel their greatest duty is to protect their own families. Others will stay on the job but will be too stretched and stressed out to keep order on every square block of their territory. This is especially true of rural areas. And you cannot depend on the 911 system, which will likely be overwhelmed. And if they’re no dispatchers to take calls and send messages — and no more ambulance drivers or police cars available — what good is it?

At some point the government may step in and declare martial law, but we don’t have enough soldiers to stand on every street corner in the world.

Many neighborhoods will band together for mutual protection.

Many people will band together so they can loot and kill with impunity.

Some people will surprise you. Some gangbangers will use their guns and street organization to defend the people in their hood.

Some “nice” people will take advantage of the lack of civilized constraints to do some not so nice things.

If your neighbors already know you’re a bird flu kook, it’s too late now to start preparing in secret — and probably it doesn’t matter.

Because if your neighbors get together and decide to go house to house, how’re you going to stop them?

And I don’t mean they’ll be doing it for bad reasons. Neighbors should be keeping tabs on each other to see who’s got bird flu. Who needs food cooked and delivered to their door. Who has small children who need watching?

I can understand the stock up on supplies and lock up the door against the world mentality — I pretty much share it.

But realistically, you’ll stand a better chance of surviving the pandemic if your neighborhood works together — including you.

Because many neighborhoods are going to have to defend themselves against outsiders — and you don’t want to be seen as an outsider who just happens to live on the same block.

You want to be seen as one of the group. As someone smart enough to foresee the pandemic and prepare for it, you should assume a leadership role.

The better you get along with your neighbors now, despite being laughed at for storing food, the more likely you are to keep enough of that food and water for your family.

If your neighbors really are the kind of people you don’t want knocking at your door (and I’ve lived in neighborhoods like that, myself) — then plan now to get out.

You should do what you can to get out of such a neighborhood anyway, bird flu or now bird flu.

When I came across this article in the local paper earlier this week, I knew immediately that it held value for my readers and I would want to share it with you. I am inundated everyday with all kinds of junk and phishing scams, which are frustrating and difficult to contain. Even sending these types of emails to the ‘junk’ folder does not seem to discourage their repeated return.

Some of you will be aware of some or all of these scams below. However, for the sake of those that may not be aware, or may even be considering becoming involved in one of these scenarios, I am hopeful that I can help before it is too late.

At the top of the list of the Top 10 Internet Scams were health-care scams, like bogus cancer and diabetes cures, as well as pills for weight loss, which is always a big one for many women, as well as men.

The Internet was flooded with hundreds of websites offering vaccine and Tamiflu within hours of the World Health Organization first announcing the H1N1 flu. People are panicking about getting H1N1 and are buying stuff online.” Do not go there! Signing up for so-called “free” online trials for items like acne cream and teeth whitener can end up with the victim being billed automatically and repeatedly. Identification theft can result from information phishing in the form of “scareware” pop-ups that say your computer is infected with a virus or legitimate-looking emails that ask you to update your information. Home-repair rip-offs, like phoney reports your furnace is leaking carbon monoxide and needs to be replaced immediately. Loan offers for people with bad credit to keep afloat through lean economic times could result in huge financial losses and even ID theft. Free grants from the Canadian government that are advertised online could be a mass-marketing scheme that costs you money to participate. Investment opportunities requiring you to recruit others that are actually pyramid schemes. Cash-back fraud when selling things such as automobiles. The buyer will send you a larger cheque by “mistake” and then ask for the balance in a money transfer. The cheque will bounce a few days later. Unexplained charges on your cell phone could be due to premium text messages that people unknowingly sign up for when they play online games or take online IQ tests. Mystery shopping jobs requiring you to shop via wire-transfer service. Be wary of mystery shopper ads that require you to pay money up front.

Source: Metro New, Better Business Bureau, Vancouver, Competition Bureau of Canada

http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver/local/article/397636–ten-top-scams-to-watch-out-for

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Copyright (c) 2008 Vlad Kott

Tamiflu is used to treat some types of influenza (flu) in patients who have had symptoms of the flu for 2 days or less. This drug works by stopping the growth and spread of the flu virus in your body. Tamiflu helps shorten the time you have flu symptoms such as nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, muscle aches, tiredness, headache, fever, and chills.

As the flu virus takes hold in the body, it forms new copies of itself and spreads from cell to cell. Tamiflu fights the virus by preventing the release of new copies from infected cells. Tamiflu is taken in liquid or capsule form.

Tamiflu can prevent the flu as long as you continue taking this medication, but getting a yearly flu shot is still the best way of avoiding the disease entirely. For older adults, those in high-risk situations such as health-care work, and people with an immune deficiency or respiratory disease, vaccination remains a must.

If you have the flu, continue taking it twice daily for 5 days, even if you start to feel better. To prevent the flu, take it once a day for at least 7 days. Protection lasts as long as you take the drug.

If Tamiflu upsets your stomach, try taking it with food. Shake the liquid suspension before each use. If you have kidney disease, cut your daily dose of Tamiflu in half. High doses of Tamiflu can cause nausea and vomiting.

Tamiflu works only on the flu virus. It won’t stop bacterial infections that may have flu-like symptoms or bacterial infections that may develop while you have the flu.

Most problems noted during tests of Tamiflu were indistinguishable from the symptoms of flu. Here are the reactions that showed up more frequently in patients taking the drug.

* Side effects of Tamiflu may include:

Abdominal pain, asthma, bronchitis, cough, diarrhea, ear infection, fatigue, headache, insomnia, nausea, nosebleed, vertigo, vomiting.

If Tamiflu gives you an allergic reaction, avoid it in the future.

It is not known whether Tamiflu is completely safe during pregnancy. If you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant, inform your doctor before taking Tamiflu. Tamiflu may appear in ****** milk and could affect a nursing infant. Taking it while breastfeeding is usually not recommended.

Tamiflu will not stop you from giving the flu to others. You should maintain proper hygiene, wash your hands frequently, and avoid situations such as sharing cups and utensils that can spread the virus to others.

Tamiflu does not replace the flu vaccine. You should continue to receive a flu shot each year if your doctor recommends it.

***Amantadine***

Amantadine is an antiviral. It is used to prevent or treat certain influenza infections (type A). It may be given alone or along with flu shots. Amantadine will not work for colds, other types of flu, or other virus infections.

Amantadine also is an antidyskinetic. It is used to treat Parkinson’s disease, sometimes called paralysis agitans or shaking palsy. It may be given alone or with other medicines for Parkinson’s disease. By improving muscle control and reducing stiffness, this medicine allows more normal movements of the body as the disease symptoms are reduced.

Amantadine is also used to treat stiffness and shaking caused by certain medicines used to treat nervous, mental, and emotional conditions.

* Side effects

- Less common

Blurred vision; confusion (especially in elderly patients); difficult ********* (especially in elderly patients); fainting; hallucinations (seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not there); swelling of hands, feet, or lower legs

- Rare Convulsions (seizures); decreased vision or any change in vision; difficulty in coordination ; fever, chills, or sore throat; increased blood pressure; increase in body movements ; irritation and swelling of the eye; loss of memory; mental depression; severe mood or mental changes; skin rash; slurred speech; thoughts of ******* or attempts at suicide; unexplained shortness of breath.

A useful Influenza treatment drug Influenza or the flu, as it is commonly known among people, is caused by a virus. It can cause complications among patients, specifically in older people. Flu can also affect children and its viruses are mostly active in autumn and winter. In the UK hundreds of elderly and poor people die every winter due to flu and its complications. People generally get confused with the terms ‘flu’ and ‘common cold’, as both are caused by viruses. The common symptoms of flu are high fever, chilliness, muscles aches and pain while the symptoms of the common cold include sore or scratchy throat, runny or blocked nose, and cough. The symptoms in both the cases last for about five to six days in a healthy person and transmission modes are also similar that include sneezing and coughing.

How can you treat flu infection? Flu can cause complications among elderly people, children, or those with a weak immune system. Vaccination is generally regarded as the first line of defence for such people. However, in normal cases, the best influenza treatment proves to be bed rest and some effective prescription medicines. One of the most useful influenza treatment drugs is Tamiflu, which is a prescription drug. Tamiflu is used for both treatment as well as prevention of flu. Although Tamiflu is not a substitute for vaccination, it can prove useful when taken under proper medical guidance.

How Tamiflu works? When you take Tamiflu for influenza treatment, it works to stop the spread of flu viruses in the body. You can also take Tamiflu for prevention against flu infection, which spreads due to contact with an infected person. Tamiflu also works to control flu infection among children who are one year old or above in age.

What are the dosages of Tamiflu? Since Tamiflu is a prescription drug, you should follow the recommendations of your doctor regarding its dosages. It is available in pill form for adults and in fruit flavoured oral suspension for children. The dosages for adults who are recommended Tamiflu for flu treatment include one tablet, twice a day for five days. For flu prevention, the dosage should be one tablet to be taken once daily for 10 days. In case you miss a dosage, it should be taken within two hours of the next dosage. However, over dosage of Tamiflu should be strictly avoided.

What are the side effects of Tamiflu? Like all prescription drugs, Tamiflu can also cause some mild side effects. The most common side effects of Tamiflu are nausea and vomiting. However, if any discomfort occurs due to intake of this anti-viral drug, then you should immediately report to your GP.

How to buy Tamiflu online? You can buy Tamiflu in two ways. You need to do a medical consultation and the doctor provides a prescription, which allows you to buy Tamiflu from any local licensed pharmacy. The other method is to buy Tamiflu online after doing a consultation from an online clinic. Online consultation is a similar process to face-to-face consultation with a doctor but can not replace it. However, it can help you buy Tamiflu online while sitting at home.