Swine Flu Education: Facts vs. Fiction

Unless you've been in a deep (real deep) sleep lately, you're probably well aware of the recent swine flu outbreak. Initially it began in Mexico; however, it has now been confirmed in at least across several States, Canada as well as several countries in South America, Europe and Asia.
Fortunately no individuals infected outside of Mexico have succumbed to the swine flu infection; but it would be naive to assume that such luck will continue. This story is changing by the hour and it is essential that all individuals educate themselves about the facts and myths of swine flu.

But before we get all worked up and run around in frenzied panic, what's really true? what's not?

First of all, IS it Swine Flu? Symptoms must include
- A fever above 100°F or 37.8°C and one or more signs or symptoms including:
- Head and body aches
- cough
- sore throat
- chills
- trouble breathing
- along with vomiting and/or diarrhea.

Swine Flu FACTS

- Swine flu is a respiratory illness caused by a type A influenza virus, usually of the subtype H1N1, that triggers outbreaks in pigs fairly regularly. It can also be transferred from pigs to humans, from humans to pigs, and from humans to other humans.

Four main virus subtypes – H1N1, H1N2, H3N2 and H3N1 – have been isolated in pigs, though the virus, like all influenza viruses, constantly mutates. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can trade genes to create new versions that mix swine, human and/or avian influenza.

The swine H1N1 virus is not the same as the human H1N1 virus, so vaccines for the latter won't protect from the former.


Can human's catch swine flu? Yes, but it is not all that common. Usually, this happens to people who are in contact with pigs, though there are some documented cases of human-to-human transfer. Human-to-human transmission is believed to occur much like the regular flu, through coughing, sneezing and other contact. Eating pork does not transmit the virus. The symptoms resemble those of the regular flu virus.


Diagnosing swine flu requires a respiratory specimen taken during the first four or five days of infection, to be analyzed in a lab. The virus seems to respond to antiviral drugs, including those Canadian health authorities have been stockpiling in case of a flu pandemic.


The best-known case of swine flu in the past, is a 1976 outbreak at an army barracks in Fort Dix, N.J., which sickened four soldiers and killed one. There have been no previous major outbreaks of swine flu recorded in Canada.

The question a lot of people wonder is, How is swine flu H1N1 virus different from SARS and avian flu H5N1 virus? the answer to that is that all three come from animals, but SARS, a corona virus, and the avian flu are poorly adapted to infecting humans. As a result, it is fairly difficult for humans to catch either virus or pass them on to others, though the effects can prove deadly when infection does occurs.


Swine Flu FICTION

- You can’t get swine flu if you weren’t near pigs.

Even if your only contact with pigs was on the Muppet Show (ahhhh Miss Piggy), you can get swine flu if you’re around someone who has been in contact with pigs. Swine Flu is also an airborne virus, so you can pick it up if an infected person coughs or sneezes. To be clear, human-to-human transmission is generally limited to close contact and closed groups, the WHO says. But, the window is wide: You can catch it from an infected person one day before their symptoms develop and up to seven days – or more – after they become sick, the CDC says.

- Avoiding travel will prevent infection.

While the CDC advises travelers to avoid any unnecessary trips to Mexico until the outbreak is under control, you can still catch it – right in your own back yard! If a neighbor, colleague or classmate traveled to Mexico and was infected, you could be infected after having contact with that person. Both the CDC and WHO advise doing as your mother told you: Wash your hands in hot, soapy water, stop touching your face, and cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze. Plus, get your rest, eat well and drink plenty of water to stay healthy. When you’re run down, that’s when you’re more susceptible to any flu virus.

- Wearing a face mask is ridiculous.

Since swine flu is an air-born virus, it can help decrease your chances of contracting the virus if you wear a face mask. Currently, the CDC is only recommending that people in contact with a sick person wear the mask. They advise that the mask be N-95 to keep out small, infectious particles. But, it’s important to know that the mask isn’t a 100-percent guarantee, so you should still do what your mother told you and wash your hands, cover your mouth … (See above. Or just call your mom and ask, she'll tell you.)

- You can get swine flu from eating pork, bacon or other pig products.

Memories of sick Thai picnickers are still fresh in many people’s minds from the bird-flu outbreak, so many people assume that with swine flu, you can catch it from eating pig products. Not true, say both the WHO and CDC:

“Swine influenza has not been shown to be transmissible to people through eating properly handled and prepared pork (pig meat) or other products derived from pigs. The swine influenza virus is killed by cooking temperatures of 160°F/70°C corresponding to the general guidance for the preparation of pork and other meat,” the WHO reports on its Web site.

Mom Was Right

Mom probably isn't the type of person to say "I told you so!!" (is she??) but new research proves that failing to bundle up can cause you to catch a cold.

The cold and flu bugs are swarming: This year there will be 1 billion colds and 95 million (that's right MILLION) cases of the flu in just the United States alone. But while a billion colds is a statistic, two colds — the likely number that you'll catch this winter — is a tragedy. Getting sick just twice can put you weeks behind at work and in the gym. It's also a leading cause of being quarantined in the spare room.

Sorry, science doesn't have a cure yet (we can send a man to the moon, we can clone a sheep, but we haven't found a cure for the common cold yet, but i'm sure someone is working on that.. keep at it guys!!). But doctors have figured out how these viruses conspire to make you feel lousy. Thwart the bugs' insidious game plan and you'll not only get sick less often, but also be able to bounce back faster if you do catch something. So have a look at the sad, sniveling life of a common virus, then take the necessary steps to squash it like the annoying bug that it is.

CONTACT

If your partner starts sneezing, the co-worker in the next cubicle begins hacking like a coal miner, or the kids run a fever, heighten your alert. They might be packing a cold or flu virus, one of a horde of strains that plague people all winter. Those bugs want you next, but there are only three ways to get in: your nose, mouth, and eyes.

Your Best Defense: Keep your hands clean. Viruses are often passed from an infected person to a phone receiver or some other surface that other people then touch with their hands. In the case of the flu, they fly through the air and stick to things! To keep a virus from latching on to you, wash your hands every time you shake hands or wipe your kid's nose. Packaged hand wipes and hand sanitizers let you clean up without leaving your office.

INVASION

Too bad you didn't duck or pull off a matrix like maneuver when your kid coughed, or wash up before licking your fingers during that fried-chicken dinner. Within minutes, the virus you picked up or inhaled has settled into its spacious new home: you.
But don't worry; it's not too late to ward off trouble.

Your Best Defense: First, get a flu shot. Second, from September through March — prime cold and flu season — drink even more water than usual. The mucous membranes that line the upper respiratory tract, one of your body's first defenses, work best when they're thoroughly moist, says Mary Hardy, M.D., of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles USA.
Eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day is the minimum; drink more and you're ahead of the game.

INCUBATION

Soon after entering, the virus has worked its way from your mouth or nose through the mucous membranes to your body's cells. The bug fools the special receptors that act as doorways, then walks on in and makes itself comfortable — and you miserable.

Your Best Defense: Start every day this cold season with a walk around the block. Contrary to what your mother told you, brief exposure to cold — after a good warmup — stimulates the immune system. Exercise can also help you feel better, as long as you don't overdo it. Although a study reports that working out neither lengthens nor shortens recovery time, the feel-good hormones you produce, called endorphins, will boost your mood.

INFECTION

After attacking a cell, the virus injects its genetic material inside and copies itself. This process takes about 12 hours, and you won't actually feel sick until two or three of these cycles are complete.

Your Best Defense: Within 24 to 48 hours of a flu strike, ask your doctor for Amantadine — it'll cut the duration of your misery. Tylenol will help aches and fever. As soon as you notice cold symptoms — runny nose, scratchy throat, fatigue — take a decongestant. But only one dose. The active ingredient, usually a pseudo ephedrine combination, will open up the nasal passages and help your body flush away the invaders. Australian researchers found that taking a decongestant just once cut symptoms by 13 percent.

ILLNESS

All the copies the virus made, now break out of the host cell and look for other cells to infect. This period, which lasts 3 to 5 days, is when you'll feel your worst. Your nose starts running to wash away a cold virus, and you sneeze — another way the body tries to expel the infection. Your body tries to burn out the flu virus; that's why you have fever, chills, and fatigue.

Your Best Defense: If you feel really horrible, take a day off to rest. If you're still functional, just take it easy, cutting your usual workout in half and skipping after-work drinks. (Alcohol will make you feel worse.) Also: Wipe, don't blow. Blowing your nose can clog your sinuses with germ-laden mucus. You'll feel better faster if you let your body flush out the virus naturally.

GET BETTER OR WORSE

All those symptoms that make you feel lousy — sore throat, headache, congestion — should be gone within a week, the average time it takes for the body's infection-fighting forces to eradicate a mild virus.

But if you haven't been following the feel-good advice here (and why not??? what's wrong? don't believe me???) , an infection can move deeper into your upper respiratory tract to infiltrate your lungs and drag on for another week or more. If this happens, you'll be coughing — another attempt by your body to rid itself of the nasty virus.

Your Best Defense: See your doctor. He may prescribe medication that can help keep you from developing a secondary infection, such as bronchitis or pneumonia.

GET OUT AND STAY OUT

A whole army of cells within your body has been working since the initial contact to suppress and destroy the virus — one of countless viruses you could be exposed to this winter. Your body's cells then work feverishly (I know, I know, a great choice of words) to clean up the mess that's left behind. The only things that remain once the infection has been cleared out are memory cells. These will help protect you from that same virus for the rest of your life, making it much less likely you'll suffer from that strain again. Your collection of memory cells is the reason you now get fewer colds than you did as a child.

Your Best Defense: Go back to your usual day to day activities, as long as you're feeling better and symptoms are under control. Wipe, don't blow. Researchers have found that when you blow your nose, you can clog your sinuses with germ-laden mucus.

So as you can see, mom was right, but you were right about some things too.. just don't gloat about it.. she's your mother!!!