All Stop Health Blog

Posts Tagged ‘Swine Flu’

According to a report found on CNN yesterday, the CDC (centers for disease control), though most of the anxiety and fear stemming from Swine flu has subsided, Swine Flu HAS NOT. As indicative of recent records, swine flu is still on the rise, and is likely to cause more deaths and illnesses in the United States. The current death toll is at 8, and the confirmed cases are sky-rocketing. There are reportedly unusual numbers of outbreaks in schools.

‘”We do think that the way the virus is spreading in the U.S., we are not out of the woods, and the disease is continuing,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, interim deputy director for science and public health program at the CDC in a news conference this week.’

Over 5,123 cases of H1N1 (swine flu) have been reported, and is suspected to be rising even as you read this.

On a slightly lighter note, though not saying it’s not serious, 30 patients who were hospitalized in California yesterday with H1N1 flu had other underlying medical conditions such as chronic heart and lung disease, suppressed immune systems, diabetes, and obesity – and none of them died. As with most virus’s out there, the better your overall health and immune system is, the less likely you are to contract many illnesses. Some of the symptoms the aforementioned patients portrayed were that of fevers, coughs, vomiting and shortness of breath according to the CDC. 5 of the patients were pregnant, and unfortunately, two of the fetuses did not survive. 4 of the patients were admitted into intensive care that needed mechanical ventilation for support.

For more on the specifics on CDC’s reports on patients recently, you can find more from CDC’s site or CNN health’s news reports.

Again, stay healthy and keep your surroundings clean and as germ free as possible. And again, the virus CANNOT be contracted from eating cooked pork. 

3. Don’t STOCKPILE antivirals

It has been stated that the  H1N1 virus (originally known as Swine Flu and commonly type incorrectly as N1H1) has proven vulnerable to the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza so far. This is great news to people. The government had originally set up pandemic preparations by  stockpiling 50 million doses of those drugs over the past few years. This was to be enough to ensure that doctors would be able to respond effectively to new outbreaks for a large sum of people. But that capacity could be compromised if people begin stockpiling antivirals for their own consumption. There are already reports of pharmacies running short of Tamiflu, and many hospitals in the U.S. have begun limiting the power to prescribe antivirals to just a few doctors. Also, the misuse or overuse of Tamiflu or Relenza by patients can promote general resistance in the flu virus which would promote effectively removing the only ammo in our arsenal to defend ourselves.

Preparing and Protecting against the flu is more encouraged, buying disinfectants, and cleaners and maintaining sanitation not only on you and your loved ones, but even moreso in your environment.

Joe Raedle / Getty

Since this global swine flu issue is taking off in the media and by word of mouth nearly everywhere you turn, there’s no wondering why so many people may easily panic and overact to even the smallest sign that they feel ill right now. Because of this terror instilled in people, some are going so far as to pour into emergency rooms in many states across our country; they fear they have this horrifying disease. It is strongly urged that people DO NOT rush to the emergency room if they start feeling the tiniest inkling that they have contracted swine flu. Like, “oh, my throat hurts…”, or “I feel more tired than i usually do”, or “what’s with my coughing and sniffling?, that can’t be good!”

It also burdens hospitals, the more that “just paranoid” people that start rushing to ER.  Having to examine people who aren’t really sick puts a toll on the already strained/stressed hospitals that are trying to prepare for a pandemic. Additionally, going to an emergency room without just cause may even put you further in harms way and risk your health. In past outbreaks, including SARS in 2003, hospitals were actually breeding grounds of infections — all those sick people in close proximity — and the same could be true of swine flu.

“If you actually have flu-like symptoms — a fever above 100° F, headache, sore throat, body aches, chills or fatigue — and you live in an area where there have been confirmed swine flu cases, by all means report to your doctor. Otherwise, leave the hospital to the sick people.”

ARTICLE FEATURED ON TIME.COM