Swine flu - information and prevention
1) You can get swine flu from eating pork
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Wrong! Despite the common name of the disease, eating pork products doesn't spread H1N1 influenza (swine flu). The virus spreads through droplets expelled in the air from infected people coughing and sneezing. People are contagious from one day before to seven days after developing symptoms of swine flu.
2) The swine flu virus has mutated
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Gene sequencing of the H1N1 virus by India's two premier labs - National Institute of Virology Pune and National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi - last week showed the virus has not mutated. The virus infecting people this year is the same as the one that infected less than 1,000 people last year.
3) There is no cure for swine flu
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Having the anti-viral prescription drug Oseltamivir (commonly sold under the brand name Tamiflu) shortens the duration and severity of illness if the taken within 48 hours of the symptoms appearing. It also makes you less contagious and prevents infection. Oseltamivir also protects against other strains of influenza.
4) India has a shortage of drugs
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There is no shortage. The virus causes mild disease in most people and less than 1% people infected need drugs for treatment. India has stockpiles of 60,000 adult doses of Oseltamivir (75mg and 45mg) and 1,000 doses of the paediatric syrup. Three pharma companies - Hetero, Natco and Strides Acrolab - have the manufacturing capacity and raw materials to produce the drug on a short notice.
5) You get swine flu only once in your life
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The H1N1 virus works like other seasonal flu viruses and may re-infect you in the coming years. Since you can get it again and again if you are in frequent contact with contagious people, all health-workers treating people with swine flu are vaccinated against it. The vaccine offers a one-year protection against the virus.
Should I press the panic button if I have swine flu?
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Don't. The H1N1 virus has not mutated and is no more contagious or deadly than other flu viruses. In fact, the death rate in 2015 has been lower compared to the figure in 2014.
Symptoms
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You should get tested for the H1N1 virus if along with flu symptoms (fever, runny nose, sore throat and congestion) you have:
*Fever over 101 Fahrenheit for more than three days
*Extreme breathlessness
*Pain in the chest while breathing
*Lethargy
*Loss of appetite
*Nausea/vomiting
Protecting yourself
------------------------------------------------
Swine flu spreads through droplets expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes or by touching surfaces contaminated by the droplets. You can protect yourself by staying away from infected persons, frequently washing hands with soap, and cleaning surfaces with disinfectant or warm water regularly.
People at high risk
------------------------------------------------
*People with respiratory disorders, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.
*People with compromised immunity because of cancer, kidney diseases and uncontrolled diabetes.
*Pregnant women and children under five years of age. People aged 50 years or older. more
------------------------------------------------
Wrong! Despite the common name of the disease, eating pork products doesn't spread H1N1 influenza (swine flu). The virus spreads through droplets expelled in the air from infected people coughing and sneezing. People are contagious from one day before to seven days after developing symptoms of swine flu.
2) The swine flu virus has mutated
------------------------------------------------
Gene sequencing of the H1N1 virus by India's two premier labs - National Institute of Virology Pune and National Centre for Disease Control, Delhi - last week showed the virus has not mutated. The virus infecting people this year is the same as the one that infected less than 1,000 people last year.
3) There is no cure for swine flu
------------------------------------------------
Having the anti-viral prescription drug Oseltamivir (commonly sold under the brand name Tamiflu) shortens the duration and severity of illness if the taken within 48 hours of the symptoms appearing. It also makes you less contagious and prevents infection. Oseltamivir also protects against other strains of influenza.
4) India has a shortage of drugs
------------------------------------------------
There is no shortage. The virus causes mild disease in most people and less than 1% people infected need drugs for treatment. India has stockpiles of 60,000 adult doses of Oseltamivir (75mg and 45mg) and 1,000 doses of the paediatric syrup. Three pharma companies - Hetero, Natco and Strides Acrolab - have the manufacturing capacity and raw materials to produce the drug on a short notice.
5) You get swine flu only once in your life
------------------------------------------------
The H1N1 virus works like other seasonal flu viruses and may re-infect you in the coming years. Since you can get it again and again if you are in frequent contact with contagious people, all health-workers treating people with swine flu are vaccinated against it. The vaccine offers a one-year protection against the virus.
Should I press the panic button if I have swine flu?
------------------------------------------------
Don't. The H1N1 virus has not mutated and is no more contagious or deadly than other flu viruses. In fact, the death rate in 2015 has been lower compared to the figure in 2014.
Symptoms
------------------------------------------------
You should get tested for the H1N1 virus if along with flu symptoms (fever, runny nose, sore throat and congestion) you have:
*Fever over 101 Fahrenheit for more than three days
*Extreme breathlessness
*Pain in the chest while breathing
*Lethargy
*Loss of appetite
*Nausea/vomiting
Protecting yourself
------------------------------------------------
Swine flu spreads through droplets expelled when an infected person coughs or sneezes or by touching surfaces contaminated by the droplets. You can protect yourself by staying away from infected persons, frequently washing hands with soap, and cleaning surfaces with disinfectant or warm water regularly.
People at high risk
------------------------------------------------
*People with respiratory disorders, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, etc.
*People with compromised immunity because of cancer, kidney diseases and uncontrolled diabetes.
*Pregnant women and children under five years of age. People aged 50 years or older. more
Viewed by 119
water is being drunk from the times immorial & people have been surviving afterall & may have become immune. Let us continue non-Veg & become immune to swine flue also. Water of a source may be contaiminated & spread Jaundice/ Cholera but if known we can Boil or treat it through UV rays to kill bacteria. I hope soon we find antibiotic or Some other way to kill swine flue virus also or may be by Roasting at high temperatures- I can't say. more
Feb 22
There are more diseases caused by vegetarian product one of them is water as compared to non veg food, will someone argue to give up water.. I believe we should try to eat healthy and higenic food irrespective it is veg or non veg which is more a personal choice than any medical or scientific reason. more
Feb 22
very very helpful, but why it was named as swine flu & birds were culled- should not people give up non-veg, as the virus is contigeous- why to come more close to may be sufferring living-beings more
Feb 22
