Swine Flu

DO NOT PANIC, PLEASE!

Swine flu is a flu virus (Type A H1N1) which has been identified in Mexico where it caused 20 deaths, and also in the US, Canada, and possibly New Zealand and Spain where it has caused no deaths.

The reason that the federal government declared a national public health emergency in the face of a new strain of flu is to be able to rapidly move flu medicines from a national stockpile to places it is needed as quickly as possible.

With the exceptions of the deaths in Mexico, Swine Flu is like having the flu: fever, aches, congestion, cough and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.

It should be treated like the flu:

• stay home
• cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, discard the tissues in the gargage.
• use Tylenol for fever or aches
• use medicines such as Coracedin, NyQuil or Robitussin DM for cough and congestion
• use Benadryl for nausea or vomiting
• use Imodium/AD for diarrhea

Seeking emergency medical attention is reasonable for unusual symptoms such as:

• chest pain
• difficulty breathing
• unremitting vomiting

To avoid getting the flu,

• Wash your hands frequently with regular soap or waterless hand cleaner.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Avoid visiting ill people, if possible.
• Consider using an N95 respirator mask. These filter out viruses and bacteria from the air you breathe, and can be bought at hardware stores where they are used for sawing and grinding work. These are fiber and semi-disposable, not the big rubber ones with large filter cartridges!