Oh no, piggies are revolting against us!
Concerned about swine flu? Here’s what you need to know!
While we are seeing cases of swine flu pop up around the globe, its important to remember that swine flu is not that much different from the regular flus we’ve all dealt with before.
The same precautions apply:
· Wash your hands
· Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough (preferably with a Kleenex, or your armpit/ upper arm). Wash your hands.
· If you think you have the flu, see your doctor and stay home. Wash your hands some more.
· Did I mention washing your hands? A quick squirt of hand sanitizer works, too!
· Don’t touch your eyes, mouth or nose. If you do, wash your hands right away.
o Avoid sick people. If you can’t, make them wash their hands too.
Swine flu shares the same symptoms with regular influenza. In fact, you have to get tested in a lab within the first 4-5 days in order to figure out that the flu you’ve got is the piggy variety. Influenza (of any kind) is often confused with colds or allergies, but is a different beast altogether. If you have the following symptoms, you may have the flu and should see a doctor as soon as possible:
Fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.
Unfortunately, there’s no human vaccine against swine flu. The good news is that if you’re in generally good health and you happen to catch the flu, you should be just fine. Your doctor may also prescribe antiviral drugs like Tamiflu to help you get over the flu faster. You may be contagious for 7 days or longer after you get the flu, so make sure you’re still taking the above precautions, even if you’re feeling better.
If you’d like more information on swine flu, visit the California Department of Public Health website at www2.cdph.ca.gov or the Center for Disease Control website at cdc.gov