Swine flu like any other flu shows various symptoms. The symptoms seen in people affected by swine flu virus are similar to the people with symptoms of some regular flu including cough, fever, throat infection or sore throat, pain in the body, headache, fatigues and chills. Vomiting and diarrhea are also allied with swine flu. Severe illness (respiratory failure) is also observed in many people. Deaths due the swine flu infection have been reported in people all over the world. Swine flu might even cause worsening of underlying and chronic medical conditions.
Spread of this H1N1 influenza virus happens in much similar way as any other seasonal influenza. These viruses spread primarily from one person to another through sneezing, coughing of people affected with influenza. Sometime even people might get infected by just touching something with live viruses onto it and then touching their nose or mouth.To diagnose H1N1 an infection, an respiratory sample would usually be needed to be collected in the first 3 to 5 days of the illness because this is the period when the infected person is likely to shed virus.
For identification whether a virus is swine flu influenza it requires that the specimen is send to a hospital laboratory for examination. Though, few people, particularly children, might shed virus for 10 days or even longer.
For prevention or the treatment of swine influenza virus infection Tami flu (oseltamivir) or Zanamivir can be used. The antiviral drugs are recommended medicines (liquid, pills or an inhaler) which fight against the virus by keeping them from reproducing in the body. If you get fever, then antiviral drugs can effectively make your sickness milder and can make you feel better quicker. They might also prevent serious influenza complications. For this treatment antiviral drugs acts best if they are consumed soon after getting ill (just within 2- 3 days of symptoms).
The flu virus can spread if a person comes in contact with something that is infected with the virus and then again touches his or her eyes, mouth or nose. Droplets from a sneeze or a cough of a victim spread through the air. The virus can also be spread if a person touches other person’s respiratory droplets on the surface of a desk, child’s toy doorknob or even a phone handset and then again touches their own mouth, eyes or nose without washing their hands.
Few bacteria and viruses can survive for about 2 hours or even longer on surfaces like doorknobs cafeteria tables, and desks. Frequently washing of the hands will help you to reduce the chances of getting contaminated or infected from the viruses dwelling on these common surfaces.
For safety purpose cover your mouth and nose with a tissue paper whenever your cough or sneeze. Throw this tissue paper in the bin after using it. Make sure you wash hands with water and soap often particularly after your sneeze or cough. Try to use alcohol based hand sanitizers or cleaners those are quiet effective. Try and avoid contact with people infected with the swine flu virus.
Other preventive tips that a swine flu infected person needs to follow are many. A person needs to take plenty of sleep, do exercise on regular basis, manage stress, stay healthy, eat a best diet, never get close to people who are ill and stay away from other people. To stop other people getting infected, one needs to restrict his or her contact with other people. A person should put used tissues in a waste basket; cover his or her mouth with tissue paper when sneezing. A person also needs to keep all surfaces that he or she has touched clean. He also needs to follow the instructions given by the doctor and wash face and hands on regular basis.