Everything you should know about swine flu

Everything you should know about swine flu

H1N1 (swine flu) is a new influenza virus which was first detected in people in USA, April 2009.

It's more serious in people, over 65 years old, children below 5 years, pregnants and patients with chronic illness.

Modes of infection

Airborne infection i.e. coughing, sneezing or through touching infected objects.

Symptoms

Similar to common seasonal flu: fever, runny nose, sore throat, coughing, lethargy, loss of appetite. In addition: nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

H1N1 Flu (Swine flu)	Seasonal flu (common cold)	Symptom	No
Very important in 80% of all flu cases, 38 °C	Rare	Fever	1
Dry cough is usually present	A hacking, productive (mucus-producing) cough is often present with a cold	Coughing	2
Severe aches and pains are common with the flu	Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold	Aches	3
Uncommon	Very common and typically resolve spontaneously	Stuffy nose	4
60% of people who have the flu experience chills	Uncommon	Chills	5
Moderate to severe	Fairly mild	Tiredness	6
Uncommon	Common	Sneezing	7
The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.	Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days	Sudden symptoms	8
Headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of the flu cases.	Fairly uncommon	Headache	9
Uncommon	Common	Sore throat	10
Often severe	Mild to moderate	Chest discomfort	11
Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting are very common to confirm the diagnosis.	Rare	GIT symptoms	12

Prevention

- Cover your nose and mouth with tissues when cough or sneeze.

- Washing hands with water and soap.

Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth.-

No close contact with infected people.-

- Avoid crowded areas.

Improve air flow in living spaces.-

Good health habits, eg adequate sleep, eating nitrated food, … .-

If you get sick, you have to

- Stay at home

- Avoid contact with other people

- Sick medical care or ask your physician

Tamiflu, as an antiviral therapy

Should be given only under strict medical supervision.

Suspected cases

Should be referred to special hospitals for taking a blood sample to confirm diagnosis trough certain government labs.

Very important notice:

If you are sick or suspecting flu problem please ask your physician in

1. El Gouna Hospital

2. Taba Height Medical Center o

3. Or contact Dr. Medhat Milad cell phone 0123120912)

Best Regards,

Dr. Medhat Milad

Managing director& CEO

of El gouna hospital Com.