Okay so I was not too worfdried about this whole "Swine Flu" outbreak until last night. I wasdas watching the news and oh goodness my anxiety went through the roasdof! I mean there are 10 statasdes here in the US that have had confirmed cases, not to meddsntion the little toddlader who passed awaassay from it. I know he was from Mexico and here visiting but still he was in the United States. Its scary how schools are shutting down, they are posssstponing activities, etc. Im very nervous and sacred of a pandemic hitting the US. I posted a poll at the bottoasdsam so make sure you vote!!!
Some Q&A's I found over the Swine Flu
Q: Do I need a mask to prevent getting an infection?
A: Standard iasdssue surgical masks offer little if any protection against the virus. The best advice is to keep your hands clean, wash surfaces regularly and dispoasdse of tissues as they are used.
NHS officials are beinasdg issued with special masks but these are only effectiasdve when used by trained personnel exposed to the virus - other precautions must be taken to prevent infeadction
Q: What is a pandemic?
A: If the flu spreaasdds over a wide geographic area and affects a large proportion of the population it goes beyond an epidemic and becomes a pandemic.
According to the Health Protection Agency, an influenasdza pandemic is defined as a new or novel influenza virus that spreads easily between humans.
When new influenza viruses are introadsduced into the environment, humans do not have any natural immunity to protect against them.
Therefore, there is a risk that that new influenzasda viruses could develop into a pandemic, if the virus passes easily from human-to-human.
Q: Have humans been infected with swine flu in the past?
A: Cases of swine flu in humasdans usually occur after a history of exposure to pigs. For example, direct or close contact with inasdfected pigs.
Cases of person-to-person transmasission have been previously reported but are rare.
There have been no cases identified in the UK for at least 10 years.
A single case of swine flu was repsdorted in November 2008 in Spain. The person only had mild symptoms.
Q: Does current medication offer protection against swine flu?
A: Relenza and Tamadiflu are not cures. The drugs lessen the effects of the symptoms, and can mean the difference between life and deaadth in marginal cases.
Primary Care Trusts are supposed to have a two-week supply, from national stockpiles.
Q: How dangerous is it?
A: Thousands of people have been made ill by swine flu - with some cases proadving fatal.
Tests show that the antiviral drugs oseltaadmavir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) appear to be effective against the human swine influenza H1N1 strain.
: What is swine flu?
A: Swine flu is the name being given to the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus, which is a mutated virus that has parts of swine, avian and human flus.
It is also the name commonly given to the strain of more common influenza that usually infects pigs.
It is caused by type A influenza viruses and there are many different types of swine flu.
Q: How do humans catch it?
A: While humans do not catch the more common forms of swine flu, this current strain of the H1N1 virus does infect humans becauadse during mutation it was combined with parts of a human flu virus.
The original change to the virus is thougadht to have happened inside a pig, which was then caught by someone in close contact with it in Mexico.
But the World Health Organisadsation has now confirmed this strain of swine flu can spread from human to human, raising fears of a global pandemic.
Doctors don't yet know how easily the virus spreads between people, but experts believe it spreads in the same way as seasonal flu - through cougadhing and sneezing.
Q: How long does the flu virus survive on surfaces?
A: The flu virus survives for roadughly 24 hours on hard surfaces, two hours on soft surfaces.
2 comments:
im trying to cancel our san antonio trip for mothers day weekend as i type. im so bummed. ft wroth isd closed today. and i have a meeting on the 5th to discuss closings if it comes here. so its very real and very serious. epsecially for those of us with kids.
Love this post. I know, I am so scared. It's just not the best timing for us right now.. not that it ever would be.. but it is just really really bad timing with such a big surgery 3 weeks away. ugh the stress.
Brittany told me she talked to you. That is so sweet of you, thank you!!!
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