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What You Need To Know About Swine Flu, The Precautions You Can Take And The Treatments Available
By Spa guru | January 12, 2010
We are ever more at a greater risk from the various mutations of the flu virus than we have been for a very long time. We had concerns about bird flu, but now swine flu has become a major concern. Swine flu is a greater problem than bird flu was. It was a worry that bird flu could mutate into a form that might infect humans, apart from a few isolated cases, this has not materialized so far.
Swine flu is a greater problem, it already has the ability to pass from person to person which makes it an extremely serious threat. So what is swine flu. Swine flu, or to be more correct influenza A (H1N1), is an illness that infects pigs, swine flu is caused by an influenza virus. Swine flu outbreaks in pigs is common but is only rarely fatal. Swine flu doesn’t normally infect humans, but it can happen occasionally when humans have been in close contact with pigs with swine flu.
Swine flu is a new strain of virus and therefore is very dangerous to people. This means that no one has been in contact with this particular strain before, and therefore no one has developed any immunity. It is our inbuilt immunity that stops diseases from becoming life threatening, with no built in immunity we are unable to defend ourselves from the virus. Absolutely everyone is susceptible, this includes healthy adults and teenagers as well as children and the elderly.
Swine flu can easily result in a pandemic flu situation. Pandemic flu situation occurs when an influenza virus develops that is very different from previous flu strains that very few, if any, people have any immunity to. This allows the influenza virus to spread rapidly throughout the population.
Pandemic flu differs from ordinary flu as detailed below. Seasonal flu happens annually, usually in the winter months. About between 10 and 15 percent of the population are effected and most will recover with no treatment in 1 to 2 weeks.
A pandemic outbreak of flu affects more of the population and up to half of all people infected. Pandemic Influenza affects people of all ages.
Swine flu symptoms are similar to the symptoms of seasonal influenza. These include a sudden onset of a fever, cough or a shortness of breath. Symptoms that may present themselves include headache, sore throats, muscle aches, chills, sneezing, a runny nose, loss of appetite and tiredness.
So what precautions should you take. Anyone with flu or cold symptoms needs to take a few easy precautions. The flu virus spreads between people from the small droplets from the nose and mouth when someone sneezes or coughs. This is the way viruses like swine flu are spread among the population. Covering your mouth or nose with your hands when you cough or sneeze is not effective enough. The virus simply sit on your hands, then everything you touch afterwards becomes contaminated with the virus. Anyone who the touches the same place will pick up the germs and then risks becoming infected. Therefore, always use a handkerchief or disposable tissue. A disposable tissue is better, the tissue should be disposed safely as soon as possible, and always use a fresh tissue when you cough or sneeze again.
Currently there are no vaccinations available to prevent anyone contracting swine flu. Swine flu is a new strain of virus. The annual vaccination against ordinary influenza is not effective for swine flu. When the strain of flu causing swine flu is identified, it will then take many months to manufacture. By this time, it may have mutated into a different strain again.
The only effective precaution you can take against swine flu is Tamiflu. Tamiflu is not guaranteed for the prevention of swine flu, but if you have been in contact with someone else who has the flu virus, Tamiflu may help in stopping the flu virus making a person sick. If Tamiflu is administered within 2 days of acquiring the swine flu virus, it can help to stop the flu virus spreading throughout the body, alleviating the signs and symptoms and risk associated with the swine flu virus. Governments are stocking up on Tamiflu, these supplies will naturally be used to treat key workers and individuals before the general population.
however you buy Tamiflu online, if the situation occurs you can protect yourself and your family as much as possible. It cannot be emphasized enough, Tamiflu needs to be taken as soon as possible for it to be effective, any delays in treatment will reduce the effectiveness of Tamiflu.
Also, remember, swine flu is a global danger. Should a pandemic outbreak become global it is a possibility that the supplies of Tamiflu could become low and may possibly not be high enough to meet a huge worldwide demand. Until such time that a vaccine is discovered and manufactured in the quantities required, Tamiflu is the only really effective treatment for the swine flu virus, it would therefore be prudent to buy Tamiflu beforehand if you think you may be at risk.
Disclaimer: This post is based on information available in {the popular#the} media and medical articles concerned with swine flu. Nothing in this posting is meant to be or should be taken to be medical advice. For medical advice you are encouraged to consult your own doctor.
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