Swine Flu FAQ

Swine Flu are now widely spread around the world and we have found many people are writing tips and blogs on how to prevent swine flu (H1N1 Influenza); however, we have noticed that there are ebooks which have been written about this new disease.

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Swine Flu (H1N1 Influenza) has been now widely spread in Hong Kong. Hong Kong now has reported over 100 cases. All kindergartens, primary schools, and 2 Secondary Schools have been closed due to Swine Flu.

Swine Flu outbreak in Asia-Pacific
Beside Hong Kong, Swine Flu is now widely spread in other Asian countries. Thailand has now reported 201 cases of Swine Flu. A number of tourist spots in Thailand have reported Swine Flu cases, including the Bangkok (Capital of Thailand), Pattaya, Phuket, and Chiang Mai. In Philippines, 46 Swine Flu cases have reported over the past few days, and Philippines has now reported 193 cases.

Swine Flu (H1N1 Influenza) cases in Asia Pacific (15-June-09)
Australia – 1,823 cases
China – 318 cases
Japan – 605 cases
Malaysia – 5 cases
New Zealand – 86 cases
Philippines – 193 cases
Republic of Korea – 65 cases
Singapore – 47 cases
Thailand – 201 cases
Vietnam – 25 cases

The World Health Organization (WHO) chief Dr. Margaret Chan announced that the pandemic alert has raise to Phase 6, the highest level, to indicate that a pandemic caused by the Swine Flu Virus (H1N1 Influenza) is now underway.

More than 70 countries are now reporting cases of human infection with Swine Flu. The amount of reported cases have been increase rapidly over the past few weeks, but many of the cases reported had links to travel or were localized outbreaks without community spread. The WHO designation of a pandemic alert Phase 6 reflects the fact that there are now ongoing community level outbreaks in multiple parts of world.

Dr. Margaret Chan (Chief of WHO) stressed that Phase 6 indicates only geographical spread and does not denote an increase in severity. WHO characterizes the pandemic’s severity as “moderate,” but Chan warned that the virus “can change the rules, without rhyme or reason, anytime.”

On the other hands, Prof. Oxford also said the Swine Flu Virus might evolve into a more dangerous strain in the future. “That is always a possibility with influenza virus,” he said. “We have to watch very carefully to see what this virus does.”

The number of confirmed swine flu cases in Australia rose to more than 1,000 and Victoria (Southern part of Australia) has about 87% of Australia’s cases.

Authorities in Victoria will focus on managing anti- influenza medication to confirmed cases. People with confirmed Swine Flu infection will have to isolate themselves for three days.

New South Wales, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory have said children who travel to Melbourne should stay away from school for a week on their return home. Queensland and Tasmania will follow the same conditions for children who are returning from any part of Victoria.

Until now, there are about 16 schools have been closed across Australia in response to the outbreak.

Australia now has the highest number of confirmed cases of Swine Flu (H1N1 influenza) outside of North America, due to this sustained community transmission outside the Americas, it would give the WHO the evidence it needs to declare a pandemic.

CDC reported over 10,000 cases of Swine Flu in USA and Swine Flu (H1N1 Influenza) has spread to all 50 states. Also, CDC has estimated that there will be around 200,000 cases of Swine Flu reported in the USA in the near future.

Although USA is the country which has the most cases of Swine Flu reported amount the 50 countries around the world, Mexico was the first country reported Swine Flu in April, and Mexico now has the highest death reported (97 people death from Swine Flu).

Swine Flu (H1N1 Influenza) is about to strike. At the same time, countless people line up for a chance to take the Swine Flu vaccine. However, do they really need to? What is the problem with the Swine Flu and who should take the vaccine?

Swine Flu Virus is a new strain of virus against which our body has never fought and, thus, has no defenses. This means that the likelihood of serious complications is greater, especially in young people. This is what makes it different from the seasonal flu.

The swine flu vaccine was developed using the same technology used to develop a new vaccine for the flu every year. It is as safe as the standard flu vaccine; however, there are so many people wanting a shot and it has quickly shown to be less available.

Most people infected with the Swine Flu will have no complications at all and need no hospitalization. However, certain groups of people are at increased risk of developing serious complications, and those groups should be the first to take the Swine Flu Vaccine.

Children and pregnant women are the first in line. Children have an immature defense system and are the least likely to have ever fought the Swine Flu Virus; therefore, they are the least prepared. Pregnant women not only have a depressed immune system, but they carry the responsibility of two lives instead of one. And because the Swine Flu Virus spreads so easily, people who live or work with either of these groups are also recommended to take the vaccine, in order to protect them.

Health care professionals are also recommend to take the vaccine. This is not only to protect themselves (as they will be more exposed to infected people) but, most importantly, to protect their patients.

Finally, young people with chronic conditions, especially mental and respiratory diseases, should also take the vaccine. This is because they already have less defenses or a weakened respiratory track and because they are least likely to prevent or identify the disease in time.

If you belong to any of these groups, then you should take the vaccine. If not, you can wait until supplies are more readily available, because you are very unlikely to suffer any problem resulting from the flu. And if you already had the swine flu, there is no need for the vaccine at all.

Vaccines are often heralded has a panacea, a promise of healing before disease even strikes. However, this is not true for flu vaccines, especially for the Swine Flu (H1N1 Influenza) vaccine, which was met with a wealthy (not healthy) dose of criticism.

The reason why flu vaccines do not always work is because the virus is constantly mutating. A vaccine allows your body to block linkage between the virus and your cells, preventing it from infecting your body. However, the protein in the virus responsible for doing this link is constantly changing and you may be immune against a certain strain of virus and be infected by another.

For Swine Flu (H1N1 Influenza) a further problem was posed – this is a new vaccine, so how can you be sure it is safe? Well, flu vaccines are new every year. The technology used to make them has been proven to work and to be safe, so there is no need to validate each individual vaccine. Remember that a new flu vaccine is made every year containing the strains most likely to cause disease that year.

There is no more reason to fear Swine Flu (H1N1 Influenza) vaccine than there is to fear the annual flu vaccine – they are made in the same way using a valid technology.

A major concern is about the vaccine and pregnant women. Some pregnant women are afraid of the vaccine because it was linked to an increased likelihood of autism in newborns. However, I have two things to remind you: the flu is more serious on pregnant women, being more likely to kill both mother and child, and even if it doesn’t kill, the flu has been linked to mental diseases later in life for the fetus, a stronger link than that between the vaccine and autism.

When you are making the decision whether or not to take the swine flu vaccine should be your choice. You should weigh the risks and benefits and though I recommend you ask your doctor for advice, the decision should be yours.

The Swine Flu is in the news. Not because anyone really cares about people with body aches or fever. What makes this swine flu news-worthy is that it kills. The most important is that it leads to pneumonia which kills. But how?

The Swine Flu Virus, responsible for the Swine Flu (H1N1 Influenza), infects cells in your respiratory system. It enters these cells and uses the cells’ own mechanisms to produce copies of itself. When the cell is filled with the Swine Flu Viruses, the virus triggers a chain of reactions that lead to that cell’s death. The cell bursts open and the viruses are released to infect other cells.

Progressively, your respiratory cells die and your lungs are filled with dead cells. This has two dangerous consequences. These cells were supposed to protect your body but they are no longer there, so bacteria can easily cross that barrier into the blood and tissue beneath. But more importantly, the dead cells are excellent food for microbes.

Bacteria thrive in the remnants of your cells and as more cells die of influenza, more food there is for bacteria. And the bacteria grow, attracting your aggressive white cells. These cells will swarm to your lungs, releasing deadly substances that clog the fine tubes that compose your respiratory system.

As more lung tissue is clogged, less air reaches the blood and people start feeling breathless. That is the terrible fate of untreated pneumonia – people die by drowning as less and less oxygen reaches the blood and cells all around the body die of energy shortage.

You can see why the seemingly insignificant flu worries so much health care professionals. Picture a scenario where you body has no clue how to fight the specific virus infecting it. How much destruction could that virus cause that would feed bacteria?

That scenario is precisely what is currently happening with the swine flu, H1N1, a strain of virus our bodies have not encountered in the last tenths of years. And if we are not careful, the pneumonia-causing pneucomcocci will strike.

Swine Flu (H1N1 Influenza) is a new disease and it is threatened to become common as well. It is important that you recognize when you need emergency medical care and when you do not, or you will be clogging the system. And if people are clogging the system, when you really need emergency care you will not get it in time.

Swine Flu Symptoms are the same as with the normal flu: fever, sore throat, runny nose, body aches. The main difference may be in the intensity of the symptoms and in the appearance of symptoms different from those you usually have when you have the flu (for example, diarrhea if you usually do not have it when with the flu).

The main complication of Swine Flu is pneumonia. Pneumonia happens by bacterial proliferation inside your lungs. These bacteria, along with the dead remains of your own cells, clog the alveoli and stop oxygen from reaching the blood. This causes breathlessness which, along with pallor, fast heart pace and short breath should prompt you to search for emergency medical care as soon as possible. Pneumonia is a serious disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people per year, so you should respect it.

Another important symptom is nausea, especially if accompanied by vomiting. This can also lead to dehydration and any sign of dehydration is another indication to seek emergency care: dizziness, absence of urination, lack of tears when crying.

Seizures should prompt you to seek emergency care in any situation, but especially so in the flu. They can signal that the brain is being affected somehow, which is a serious matter because brain lesions do not recover.

Finally, in children you want to look for specific signs: unresponsiveness, confusion, lack of tears when crying, intolerance to any type of food, and not wanting to play are all serious signs.

There is no need to rush to the emergency room as soon as you detect a runny nose. However, if you or someone you know experiences any of these Swine Flu symptoms, you should seek emergency medical care.

Swine Flu (H1N1 Influenza), is getting ready to strike full force. As more and more people grow careless, the virus spreads its evil tentacles and prepares to launch a frightening pandemic that threatens to cause severe social, health and economic consequences.

This particular strain of the Swine Flu Virus is concerning health care professionals because of its behavior. Not only is this a new strain against which most bodies are not prepared to fight, but the Swine Flu Virus has continued to grow during the summer, when the Swine Flu Virus is supposed to lie dormant. Doctors are concerned with a viral boom when the climate is appropriate for its propagation and children’s summer break ends and the return to school halls, the perfect spreading vehicle for the Swine Flu Virus.

And while countless people wait in line for their chance to take the flu shot, the medical profession is unarmed to fight against this new virus. If you are infected, all doctors can do is help your body, they cannot kill the virus directly. Instead, the best action is to prevent the virus from spreading, which can only be done if each and every single person collaborates. That means you. If you want to avoid the Swine Flu, the best way is help stopping it.

Do not forget that you have an obligation towards society even if you choose to ignore your own safety. If you do not follow prevention recommendations it is not only your health that you are putting at risk but everyone else. In today’s world, filled with airplanes, intercontinental traveling and world-wide trade, a careless individual represents a threat to the entire world.

Do avoid public places. Do wash your hands and cover your mouth when sneezing. Do stay at home if you have flu symptoms. Do make sure your children follow these recommendations as well. Are these measures really that much of a trouble when compared with the risks of the disease?

You never know, maybe you will be a part of the first ever successful containment of a flu pandemic.