Tag: Cdc

How To Keep Yourself from Being Infected With Swine Flu

How To Keep Yourself from Being Infected With Swine Flu

Swine flu is an illness which derives its name from a virus that infects pigs. While the virus cannot affect people, they are likely to get an infection from time to time. The virus is communicable and can be transmitted from one person to another.

The symptoms of swine flu are like those manifested in a regular flu and may include cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, fever, chills and fatigue.

The H1N1 virus continues to become widespread in the United States. The Center for Disease Control believes that the number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths will continue within the coming days and weeks.

The Center for Disease Control is aggressively responding to the growing outbreak. The objective of the agency is to curb the spread and severity of the illness as well as to inform health care providers, public health officials, and the general public to fend off the challenge by the medical crisis. Likewise, the CDC is giving interim guidance on a daily basis as a response to the rapidly growing crisis.

For treating swine flu, there are antiviral medicines that can be administered. So far, oseltamivir, amantadine, rimantadine, and zanamivir are the approved drugs for swine influenza treatment in the United States.
However, amantadine and rimantadine will not work against swine flu as the H1N1 virus was found to be resistant against these medicines. Laboratory procedures, on the other hand, have proven that H1N1 is susceptible to oseltavimir and zanavimir.

Using antiviral drugs in the treatment of swine influenza works by making your illness milder and making you feel relieved earlier than expected. Aside from that, antiviral medicines prevent the onset of serious complications.

Antiviral medicines are most effective when administered after the onset of the illness usually within a couple of days. However, it should be considered two days after the onset of symptoms, especially for hospitalized patients or those at greater risk for influenza-related complications.

Administration of anti viral drugs is also useful in preventing influenza when given to an individual who is not sick but has exposed to a person with swine influenza.

It can reduce the possibility of infection by 70% to 90%. The duration of intake will be determined by the condition of the patient. Currently, there are no accessible vaccines for protecting against H1N1.

In order to keep yourself from getting infected by the virus, here are some of the things that can be done:

– Keep yourself informed about H1N1. You can visit the official website of the World Health Organization or check brochures from local hospitals or medical facilities.
– Since the influenza virus can be transmitted from one person to another through coughing or sneezing, you can keep yourself busy by doing the following:

– When coughing or sneezing, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue. After using the tissue, dispose of it and throw it in the trash.
– Wash your hands with soap and water after coughing and sneezing. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers whenever necessary.
– To prevent germs from spreading, refrain from touching your eyes, mouth, or nose.
– If you become ill, the CDC recommends that you avoid contact with other people at work or school so as not to infect them.
– Comply with public health advice concerning school closures, crowd avoidance, and social distancing efforts.

As far as swine flu is concerned, health authorities are doing everything they can to prevent the outbreak of another deadly virus.

Vaccinations of Swine Flu

Vaccine against seasonal influenza strain H1N1 is not believed to protect us. Vaccines against the Swine Flu to cope with seasonal flu to minimize infection rates are typically developed, and yet annually it still kills around half a million of the worlds population. Today, they use an injection of “killed virus”, the worlds flu vaccines. Manufacturers are asked to produce a vaccine for H1N1, they are unlikely to be able to respond quickly enough if a global pandemic is declared.

About a billion doses of any one vaccine each year is the only they can produce, so that even if all the capacity was switched to fight a pandemic flu, as opposed to a seasonal flu. Few years ago, the supply of the vaccines they have produced were enough to epidemic but now is not enough for the total populations outbreak.

Deadlier wave of a new H1N1 strain they forecast will reappear this fall and they have to produce pandemic vaccines as early as now to prepare for a turn out as the vaccine may not be as effective will be sure to a big waste of resources with serious results, and there would also be a shortage of seasonal flu vaccine available. Only a few more weeks were needed for the World Health Organization (WHO) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) CDC to develop a “seed strain” of the pandemic virus on the first days May, but producers would then need four to six months before they could create large volumes of vaccine.

In other point of view, the WHO will attempt to make sure that a substantial amount is available and should a pandemic be declared and a vaccine produced, for the benefit of developing countries. Vaccine manufacturers and countries with standing orders, such as the U.S. and some European countries will be asked to share with developing countries from the moment the first batches are ready if an H1N1 vaccine is made.

2009-2010 flu seasons are ineffective against the new strain with the previous influenza vaccines for the north and south hemispheres. The WHO claims that two separate immunizations will be required for seasonal and swine flu, but no decision would be made on whether to begin producing a swine flu vaccine. The board will receive inputs from manufacturers (e.g. GlaxoSmithKline, Sanofi-Aventis, Novartis and Baxter International) regarding when they are able to finish manufacturing the seasonal shot and begin production of the swine flu vaccine, waiting from the WHO of their recommendations and “seed virus”, and some may be ready to proceed with production at that time.

There also antiviral drugs available for treatments of influenza, the virus is resistant to amantadine and rimantadine but sensitive to the oseltamivir and zanamivir. There remains concern that this strain may mutate develop resistance to oseltamivir in the future. For the treatment and prevention of the Swine Flu, the CDC recommended the use of Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir). Studies shows that the medication continues to maintain its effective that why the U.S. government had already extended the shelf life of federally stockpiled Tamiflu from their original five years to seven years.

Buying medications from online sources is not recommended by the WHO because they believed that half of the drugs they sold are counterfeited. Others are thinking if they grab up antiviral drugs for their safe even if they have no symptoms, the health officials warned them may eventually lead them to the Swine Flu virus developing drug resistance.

Swine Flu: Overview, Treatment, and Prevention

Swine flu is an illness that is affecting hundreds of individuals in the United States as well as worldwide. According to the CDC, the illness may take some more time. Since one is likely to become infected with the condition, they need to understand swine flu symptoms in order for them to obtain proper treatment or medicaion.

The Symptoms

The symptoms of H1N1 infection is similar to that of seasonal flu. Among the symptoms include cough, sore throat, running or stuffy nose, chills and fatigue, to name just a few. Several people infected with the virus have complained of diarrhea and vomiting. The high risk groups prone to H1N1 is not yet known at the moment but it is likely that they are similar to those suffering from seasonal influenza.

People at greater risk of serious side effects from seasonal flu include people more than 65 years old, children below 5 years old, pregnant women, and people with chronic medical consitions as well as those who are taking immunosuppressive medications or with HIV infection.

Avoid Social Contact

If you are feeling sick, your condition may last for more than a week. You should remain at home and refrain from making social contact. As much as possible, you should not communicate with other people to avoid the spread of the virus.

At the moment, the CDC believes that H1N1 has similar properties on the aspect of transmission with seasonal flu virus. If you go out of the house to consult your doctor, wear a mask or use a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

According to recent studies, people suffering from seasonal flu are at risk to transmit the disease a day prior to development of symptoms for up to seven days after getting sick.

Children are more likely to be at risk for a longer period of time so it is best to consult a healthcare provider.

Emergency Warning Signs

If you suddenly become sick and experience any of the following warning signs, this is your cue to seek emergency medical assistance.

In the case of children becoming ill due to H1N1infection, the following warning signs may require immediate medical attention:

* Fast or difficulty in breathing
* Bluish or gray colored skin
* Insufficient amount of liquids
* Severe or continuous vomiting
* Lack of sleep or interaction
* Irritability
* Recovery from flu-like symptoms but the symptoms come back with fever and worse coughing

Among adults, the following emergency warning signs demand immediate medical attention:

* Trouble with breathing or shortness of breath
* Abdominal pains or pressure in the chest
* The individual suddenly becomes dizzy
* The patient is confused
* Severe or continuous vomiting
* Recovery from flu-like symptoms but the symptoms come back with fever and worse coughing

Prevention Is The Best Treatment

You can do your part in preventing the spread of the H1N1 virus. Here are some tips on how you can take part in efforts for preventing the spread of infection.

* Be aware. Obtain information about H1N1 by visiting the website of the CDC.

* Use a tissue in covering your mouth and nose when sneezing. Afterwards, throw the tissue in the trash.

* With soap and water, wash your hands after coughing or sneezing. If possible, use alcohol-based sanitizers.

* Refrain from touching your nose or mouth as this could lead to easy transmission of germs.

By being aware of swine flu symptoms, the spread of the H1N1 virus would easily be prevented.

Swine Flu Thousand Cases

A pandemic second quarter of 2009 outbreak of influenza A (H1N1) virus is a new strain of influenza virus identified commonly referred to as Swine Flu confirmed cases topped almost 6,000 individuals, as Belgium became the latest European nation to be hit by the influenza A(H1N1) virus. World Health Organization (WHO) officials said the number of cases of influenza A(H1N1) stood at around 6,000 and nearly 7,000 in more than 30 countries, with more than 60 people having died from the disease.

Cases were first discovered in the U.S. and officials soon suspected a link between those incidents and an earlier outbreak of late-season flu cases in Mexico. In less than a week hundreds of suspected cases, some of them serious, were discovered in Mexico. Soon thereafter, the WHO along with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expressed concern that the A(H1N1) could become a worldwide flu pandemic, and WHO then raised its pandemic disease alert level to “Phase 5” out of the six maximum, as a “signal that a pandemic is at about to happen level”.

More than three thousand cases of infections including three deaths was the recorded highest number of A(H1N1) by the United States compared to Mexico where only more than two thousand reported cases of infection including 60 deaths were confirmed. The WHO said 389 people were also confirmed with the virus and one person had died in Canada who happens to be with the 19-year-old Chinese career that brings in to China a spread out. Two other cases have been confirmed in Hong Kong. Authorities there said they had quarantined six people who traveled with the second case, a 24-year-old man, by plane from San Francisco. A further 45 people who sat near him on his journey had already left Hong Kong, they said.

China, in the meantime, stepped up the search for people who came into contact with the mainland’s two confirmed Swine Flu patients. A 30-year-old man was confirmed to have the virus in the southwestern city of Chengdu. He had been in the United States before his homecoming to China. Plane (Air Canada flight to Beijing) and train (for Shandong Province with 20 people on board) travelers with a 5 meter contact with a 19-year-old student (his surname is Lu: second confirmed victim) are being haunted by Chinese Authorities in Beijing and Eastern Shandong province.

Hes not feeling well, a couple of days after his arrival in Beijing but still continue to travel by train with a fever, sore throat and a headache. They believed that virus highlighted in China and Hong Kong could be a mix of bird and human flu which came together in pigs.

Belgium confirmed its first case of Swine Flu in a 28-year-old man who also had been in the United States. Jose Angel Cordova (Health Minister of Mexico) moved to reassure tourists, saying that the country’s beaches and resorts an important source of foreign income — were safe for visitors. “There’s no risk to tourists,” he said, noting that most of the flu cases detected in holiday hotspots like Cancun and Acapulco dated back nearly two weeks.

The Swine Flu outbreak was expected to cost Mexico’s economy of more than 2 billion dollars or about 0.3 percent of gross domestic product.