Tuesday, 10 July 2012
PREVENTION OF SWINE FLU
The virus is particularly dangerous because it is
constantly evolving and most people don’t have any immunity either natural or
acquired against the disease. The current strain known as the H1N1/09 swine flu
which originated from swine but this virus is exclusive to humans. Also it’s
very seasonal and keeps on changing depending on a lot of factors.
Symptoms of the swine flu:
The symptoms of swine flu are very similar to regular
flu. So please notified this very senseiourly and contact with physician.
1 1. Fever condition
- Several Headaches
- Tiredness
- Chills
- Cough and sneezing
- Weakness and fatigue
- Aching muscles and joints
- Sore throat
- Runny nose
- Diarrhea or stomach upset
- Loss of appetite
1 Although a normal person’s immune
system should be able to deal with swine flu some high risk groups include
pregnant women, young children and people suffering from metabolic disorders
like diabetics. People with COPD, cardiovascular conditions and any other
disease which suppresses the immune system are particularly vulnerable.
Preventing contact with the virus:
- It can spread through coughing and sneezing so always cover your face while doing so.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
- Maintain a high level of personal hygiene. Always wash your hands before or after eating and particularly after returning from a public place.
- Sometimes virus can spread through droplets that have remained on surfaces of things like laptops, phones so avoid using someone else’s items.
- Avoid public places, unhygienic conditions, etc.
- If your city/area is swine-flu endemic, always wear a standard swine flu mask in public places (the H-95 mask which is worn by nurses and doctors while collecting samples from swine flu victims). Normal surgical masks which sell like hot cakes during swine flu season might not give enough protection.
- If you feel sick and look like you are developing a cold or fever, stay at home and take enough rest. Rest has also been shown to increase ‘interferons’ which help our immunity to fight the virus better.
Preventing the virus from spreading from the
upper respiratory tract:
- Gargling with warm water in which a little salt is added, several times in a day.
- Drinking lots of warm water and other warm fluids wash off the virus into the stomach where they cannot survive.
Vaccination:
Currently, injectable H1N1 vaccines are available in
the market – Influvac, Agrippal, Vaxigrip, Vaxiflu-S and Fluarix. There is an
intranasal vaccine called Nasovac, produced by Pune’s Serum Institute last year
but it is not in production now. The injectable forms cost around Rs.600-700
per dose. The doctors advise people to get a repeat vaccine dose every year.
Treatment:
Prevention is always better than cure. However, if one
is infected, there are certain antiviral drugs which help. Zanamivir (Relenza)
and Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) have been successful in treating patients with Swine
flu. One should take these only with a doctor’s prescription since
indiscriminate use could lead to resistance to the virus.
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