Flu comes and goes. What makes swine flu so special and worth all the hysteria? For one, this flu is a never before seen combination of viruses with proven ability to kill. The fact that it has been found so quickly in so many places suggests it is especially aggressive.

What should you do when they announce a confirmed case of swine flu in your community? What can you do to reduce your chances of becoming infected? What should you do if you start to have symptoms of the flu? What should you do to prepare even if no flu is in your state, yet?

Right now, even if your home town or city does NOT have any evidence of swine flu, there are actions you should take NOW to get ready if it arrives.

It only makes sense to be prepared and think through what you might do if your community is found to have confirmed cases. Anyone that watches TV or reads online news or newspapers is aware that the world’s health officials are concerned, very worried in fact, about what could happen if this new form of flu takes off. With modern travel, the entire world could be engulfed in a new killer flu within a few days or weeks. Aspects of our lives we all take for granted could be gone. Life could be very different for some time. Though we all hope and pray this passes by without incident, it makes sense to take a few moments to think about what could happen and how you could reduce the risk to you and your family.

1.All schools should have emergency plans to close for at least 7 to 10 days if there is even a single student with suspected swine flu. Until then, all children at all ages should wash hands frequently throughout the day with soap and water as well as alcohol based gels. Students should be required to wash hands on arrival at school, when entering or leaving class, and at end of the day. Your child should stay away from any student or teacher that appears ill, coughs or sneezes. Chances are anyone even remotely sick will be sent home immediately.

2.Watch out for any signs of the flu in yourselves, your family and children. You might have just a few or all of these symptoms. Common signs of the flu include fever, chills, runny nose, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, vomiting or diarrhea. If you have these symptoms, you are very infectious and can spread the infection starting one day before the symptoms start until 7 days after the symptoms start.

3.The flu virus spreads in tiny microdroplets when you cough or sneeze. Breathing in or touching droplets can give you the flu.

4.If you or a loved one comes down with any mild to moderate symptoms of the flu you should call your doctor for advice and direction. Do NOT go to the doctor’s office or emergency room or urgent care unless you are experiencing severe signs of the flu, including shortness of breath, chest pain, shortness of breath, dehydration or difficulty breathing. Those in a high-risk category to include young children, pregnant women, the elderly, those with chronic illness such as diabetes, heart disease, lung disease, asthma, bronchitis should be in close contact with your doctor before you get sick to discuss prevention strategies. If you become ill, it is best to call your doctor immediately for instructions, which may include home isolation.

5.This is isolating yourself or your ill loved one for a full 7 days at home. All members of the household need to wash their hands frequently, wear masks when in the room of the sick person, wipe down all surfaces with antiseptic. The best are alcohol based gel or soap and water. It is essential to keep ill isolated even within the house, confining that person to a bedroom, keep the door closed, and don’t let the sick person come out into common family areas. No one else should use the bathroom and after washing hands, each person should use paper towels or all use own towels – no one should use a shared towel.

6.Follow some basic rules that apply to preventing any highly infectious disease.

• Be smart- avoid crowds and enclosed buildings with large groups of people.
• Called "social distancing," staying away from those that may be infectious will prevent most from contracting the swine flu.
• Avoid close contact with anyone that may appear ill or is coughing or sneezing.
• Cover your mouth and nose if you cough or sneeze.
• Stay home if you feel ill.
• Wash your hands.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• Listen to the news and follow all public health instructions.
• Just in case, plan ahead- be prepared. If you have to stay home for 7 to 10 days, be sure you have all the food, water, medications and supplies you will need. Think now about buying N95 face masks at your hardware store or pharmacy, extra water, and food supplies. Keep your car’s gas tank at least half full. Remember – going out into the public to buy food or water or supplies may not be an option if a true pandemic develops.

7.Your local, regional and Federal public health officials may enact a variety of measures to minimize spread and control the disease. The goal is to prevent new people from getting infected and take care of those that are already infected. These can include mandatory school and business closures, canceling of public events, stopping public transportation, rationing and distribution of supplies and medications. In a worst case scenario, you might see full blown quarantining of homes, apartment complexes, neighborhoods, schools, hospitals or even entire communities or cities. Emergency services such as Fire Department, ambulances and emergency rooms may be overwhelmed.

8.All communities, whether a small rural town or huge metropolitan city with millions of people will have contingency emergency plans. Obviously, the larger cities and communities will probably experience more disruption from discontinued public transportation, hospitals overwhelmed, limited resources for food, water and medications. The key is to be smart minimize your risks and follow all public health instructions closely.

1. Wet your hands.
2. Soap.
3. Palm to palm rub.
4. Palm rub metacarpal.
5. Rub your fingers.
6. Stomach to palm rub.
7. Knead thumb wheel.
8. Cleaning nails bottom.
9. Rinse clean.
10. Dry hands.
11. Turn off tap.
12. To strengthen the blue area easily ignored.

Please, wash your hands.Proper wash your hands, good for health!

The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.CDC has determined that this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human. However, at this time, it not known how easily the virus spreads between people.

Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after becoming sick. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.

What should I do to keep from getting the flu?

First and most important: wash your hands. Try to stay in good general health. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food. Try not touch surfaces that may be contaminated with the flu virus. Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?
There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

 

1.Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
2. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
4.Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
5. If you get sick with influenza, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

 

What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?
If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. Do not go to work or school if ill. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.
If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. Do not go to work or school if ill. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.

Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Wash with soap and water. or clean with alcohol-based hand cleaner. we recommend that when you wash your hands — with soap and warm water — that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores. If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. The gel doesn’t need water to work; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands.

If you live in areas where swine influenza cases have been identified and become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact their health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.

If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.

If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

  

    1. Fast breathing or trouble breathing
    2. Bluish skin color
    3. Not drinking enough fluids
    4. Not waking up or not interacting
    5.Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
    6. Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
    7. Fever with a rash

 

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

   

    1. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
    2. Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
    3. Sudden dizziness
    4.Confusion
    5.Severe or persistent vomiting