Last night, Leah posted about Swine flu. It's spreading, and it is spreading person-to-person. It can be deadly, as it was to the man who guided President Obama through the Mexico City museum recently.

The last time there was flu with pandemic overtures was the bird flu back in 2005. Back then, I dedicated most of an issue of the newsletter I used to publish to flu, and what people can do about it. While "Swine flu" and "Bird flu" are different strains of flu, they are both strains of flu, and the overall steps you can take are identical. A copy of that newsletter is below.

Health eNewsletter October 2005

View more documents from DocJess.

NIH has recently published promising research on created proteins that may soon be able to neutralize flu viruses, so research has truly come a long way in the past 4 years. Science may well have tools that were never available in the near future.

Above all, avoid panic. Wash your hands often, but not constantly (there's an article on washing your hands in the newsletter, since most people do it incorrectly.) Endeavor to stay as healthy as you can.

If this does turn out to be a pandemic, there are a lot of public health scenarios which can help to decrease spread, and I'll have posts up on them over the next several days.

If you have any questions, feel free to either use the comments or email them.

DocJess :: Flu

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Flu | 2 comments

Thanks Doc for the pointers (0.00 / 0)

I like to avoid public as much as possible, that reduces the risk. ;o)

On Flu Shots: While in the military, I had to get one every year. They are good at preventing the strain that they are targeting, but you need to do the other steps that Doc outlines (washing hands, etc). Then there was the Swine Flu Shots in the late 70's. My sister was in college and got the shot. She spent the next 6 weeks in a hospital. They were not sure if it was related to the shot or not, but they think it triggered her fist full blown MS episode. The shots are good, but not for everyone. Make sure if you have allergies you ask if the culture was raised in a medium that you might have a reaction to.

See Your Doctor: If you have been to a place like Mexico, or one of the areas with a know Swine Flu outbreak, and feel flu like symptoms, go to the doctor and get checked out. In most flu cases, with healthy people, you can fight off the flu without a visit to the doctor. But with killer stains, you need to be seen. Like Doc said, no need to panic. But getting checked will allow you to get medication that can help you fight the tougher strain, and it can help prevent additional public exposure.

But the best prevention is to lead a healthy life. Eat well, get rest, and wash hands before eating or preparing food.

by: MisterEd @ Sun Apr 26, 2009 at 13:21:33 PM UTC

cute letterhead (0.00 / 0)

I just want to mention that this strain is also reported to cause nausea and diarhea.

Also, the most recent vaccine didn't cover the strain that my daughter had a few months ago, which was a type B. The new strain is in the type A family.

by: suzihussein22 @ Mon Apr 27, 2009 at 01:49:38 AM UTC