H1N1 influenza (the flu illness formerly known as Swine Flu)

Since the H1N1 flu has not been upgraded to a Pandemic we should help each other out with the most informed information available.

For daily updates please check the WHO website. For specific info on H1N1 please refer to their H1N1 start page. And the What can I do to protect myself from catching influenza A(H1N1)? page.

Mayo Clinic information pages:

• Swine flu
• Swine flu pandemic: what does it mean?

About.com information pages:

• Swine Flu H1N1 Update
• It's Official - H1N1 Swine Flu Is Now a Pandemic
• H1N1 Swine Flu Declared a Pandemic - Take Precautions

Here are the most important snippits from the Precautions page:

• Stay home whenever possible. Delegate tasks, ask for help.
• If you develop a fever of 100.5F or higher, call your doctor immediately and drink plenty of fluids.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then toss it out, or turn your face into the crook of your elbow, to contain any germs.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol sanitizer - this will kill most germs.
• Avoid people who have any flu-like symptoms.
• If you feel flu symptoms starting, don't wait - call your doctor or nurse practitioner and ask for advice or an appointment.

Bottom line is wash hands frequently, cover your nose when sneezing and if sick stay at home.

Here's some more news.   40,000 people a year die in North America from the regular flu and you don't see anyone panicking about that, running around like a chicken with their head cut off like so many people in the media like to do when these new "diseases" happen along.  It's the flu for God's sake.  Eat right, exercise, wash your hands and develop other good preventative hygeine habits, and stop worrying about this crap or it'll drive you nuts!!!

Original Post by johnnypenso:

Here's some more news.   40,000 people a year die in North America from the regular flu and you don't see anyone panicking about that, running around like a chicken with their head cut off like so many people in the media like to do when these new "diseases" happen along.  It's the flu for God's sake.  Eat right, exercise, wash your hands and develop other good preventative hygeine habits, and stop worrying about this crap or it'll drive you nuts!!!

 Thanks for that!!!  People got all crazy about this swine flu, which is just another version of Influenza A...which is usually only dangerous to small children, and immunocompromised individuals, like elderly.

I am a PICU nurse, and we had several cases, they all lived...only one was really sick, but he too got better.

This is very practical advice :)

I don't think anyone should get "crazy", but I do believe the illness should be taken seriously.

UNLIKE the typical flu (which is also very dangerous) this one seems to be affecting  young adults (although yes most patients appear to have underlying conditions ... but not the young children, elderly and immunocompromised as you suggest) ...

More importantly it a previously unidentified strain which we know very little about it and for which we do not yet have a vaccine.

The true issue is that it may mutate - as flu viruses often do - and become much more infectious than it is now. In fact, that mutation may render any vaccine we develop now useless this Fall. That in combination with the coming colder weather, it's ability to infect the young and able bodied, and a lack of a good vaccine could make a very dangerous situation.

Come Winter 2009 it might end up being something more scary than we think now.

It's a pity the media handled it the way they did as now people are not taking it as seriously as they should.

No one needs to get crazy, however the bottom line remains:

Wash hands frequently, cover your nose when sneezing and if sick stay at home.

That is actually not true, about the young adults being mostly affected.  It was handled by the media as a Pandemic, which was a little overboard...almost all the staff in our unit were exposed..and not one of us caught it.

During the winter, Influenza A keeps our ICU full, and more children in our ICU alone, died last year than the total amount of deaths of children from the swine flu!!! 

All you are aware of is the cases covered in the media, along with the information they provide, please do not be mistaken and believe that elderly and children were not infected.  We actually had the ONLY child who lived after contracting it.  There were many elderly and immunocompromised by other conditions who contracted it as well.

There is multiple versions and mutations of Influenza A, which is why they change the vaccine every year to help protect from these mutations.

Most people who have been exposed respond very well to Amantadine.

The media coverage did not make me not take it seriously, I deal with it at work everyday..and there are multiple infectious diseases that people die from everyday..RSV, Pertussis, Meningitis...there is just not massive media coverage on them.

As for taking precautions, all of us exposed volunteered for blood work and multiple other testings to help increase the knowledge base of Influenza A.

All Influenza strains have the ability to infect "young and able bodied" people, they just have a strong immune system and hopefully recieve an vaccine for Influenza A every year that helps also protect from these mutations.

People at higher risk of serious complications included people age 65 years and older, children younger than 5 years old, pregnant women, and people of any age with underlying medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, or a weakened immune system (e.g., taking immunosuppressive medications or infected with HIV).[170][173] According to the CDC, more than 70% of hospitalizations in the U.S. have been people with such underlying conditions.[174]

Found in Winklipedia for Swine Flu 2009

I kept saying all along that the whole thing was overblown.  Yes, the flu can be an extremely serious illness for people who have underlying conditions or very young or old.  My MIL had Crohns Disease and a compromised immune system so it was very important that she have a flu shot every year since anything she might pick up could make her seriously ill.  For the most of us though, it's just the flu!  Yes, you could feel pretty darn miserable, but you stay in bed a couple of days, drink fluids and watch "Little House of the Prairie" reruns until you feel better.

I appreciate the input everyone! It's good we are hashing out the facts.

babyvdog, How is calling it a Pandemic "overboard"? It is in fact a pandemic, as classified by the WHO. Pandemic is related to how is spreads, not the severity of the illness. There are several severities of pandemics and it is considered moderate, but the term PANDEMIC is still accurate.

I also did not say it was not affecting elderly and sick (in fact I did say most people appear to have an underlying condition) however, what I said is that young people are being affected.

Normally I don't like to quote Wiki, but since you did, I will too:

"Most fatalities have been in Mexico (72%, as of June 5, 2009) where, according to the New York Times, the deaths from the illness have primarily been young, healthy adults.[155]..."

2009 flu pandemic, Wikipedia

And here is a more credible reference from an abstract:

"Its transmission among humans appears to be higher than that observed with seasonal influenza. Children and young adults appear to those most affected and also those who appear to maintain transmission. Clinical disease generally appears mild but complications leading to hospitalization can occur, especially in those with underlying lung or cardiac disease, diabetes or those on immunosuppresive therapies. There are concerns that the virus may reassort with existing human influenza virus giving rise to more transmissible or more pathogenic viruses."

J Clin Virol. Epub 2009 Jun 11. "Emergence of a novel swine-origin influenza A virus (S-OIV) H1N1 virus in humans."

As I said above, the danger lies in the future not necessarily the present and that's the point everyone is missing.

Although you are right the vaccine changes every year b/c the regular flu virus mutates (and is extremely dangerous as well), but this one is a previously unreported strain for which there is no vaccine currently. Importantly, this is the first time of evidence of this animal virus jumping from animal to human and then with pandemic spread through human population.

When the vaccine is finally made there may not be enough or due to the instability of the virus (it is a conglomeration of genotypes, remember!) it may not be targeted by the vaccine. Let's hope that doesn't happen, but my point remains valid.

So caverlady, what I am trying to convey is that although it may be "just the flu" now (and just another flu is actually something to worry about) we need to prepare for the possibility of more severe cases or more virulent spread come Autumn.

In any case, my main point was not to cause concern but rather to educate and we are doing that here. Being prepared and being safe is key. So I reiterate my points from above:

Here are the most important snippits from the Precautions page:

• Stay home whenever possible. Delegate tasks, ask for help.
• If you develop a fever of 100.5F or higher, call your doctor immediately and drink plenty of fluids.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue and then toss it out, or turn your face into the crook of your elbow, to contain any germs.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol sanitizer - this will kill most germs.
• Avoid people who have any flu-like symptoms.
• If you feel flu symptoms starting, don't wait - call your doctor or nurse practitioner and ask for advice or an appointment.

Bottom line is wash hands frequently, cover your nose when sneezing and if sick stay at home.

Original Post by nycgirl:

I don't think anyone should get "crazy", but I do believe the illness should be taken seriously.

UNLIKE the typical flu (which is also very dangerous) this one seems to be affecting  young adults (although yes most patients appear to have underlying conditions ... but not the young children, elderly and immunocompromised as you suggest) ...

More importantly it a previously unidentified strain which we know very little about it and for which we do not yet have a vaccine.

The true issue is that it may mutate - as flu viruses often do - and become much more infectious than it is now. In fact, that mutation may render any vaccine we develop now useless this Fall. That in combination with the coming colder weather, it's ability to infect the young and able bodied, and a lack of a good vaccine could make a very dangerous situation.

Come Winter 2009 it might end up being something more scary than we think now.

It's a pity the media handled it the way they did as now people are not taking it as seriously as they should.

No one needs to get crazy, however the bottom line remains:

Wash hands frequently, cover your nose when sneezing and if sick stay at home.

Thank you for all your sound advice and information on this thread.  I agree that a new virus should be watched carefully and precautions should be taken.  I think the government has done a great job informing us, and would not want them to have kept us in the dark for fear that we'll "freak out".  We're better off worrying a little now than being blindsided by something much worse in the future. Thanks for all the information :)

I was just informed that a young man at my school passed away from H1N1. Therefore
I thought I would post some additional information given to me today:

When to Seek Help

Generally, people with the flu (the new H1N1 flu, as well as seasonal flu) can manage recovery at home with little or no medical attention. However, certain people are at higher risk of serious flu-related complications.

Risk groups

These individuals should consult with their health care providers with the onset of flu-like symptoms, or following recent close contact with someone who hasa the flu:

• people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions, including:
▪ asthma
▪ diabetes
▪ immune-suppression
▪ heart, lung, liver, or kidney disease
• pregnant women
• adults 65 years and older
• children younger than five years old

More serious symptoms: a warning sign

People who have the flu and develop any of the following symptoms should call a health care provider without delay for medical advice or attention.

• difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• sudden dizziness
• confusion or change in level of consciousness
• severe or persistent vomiting
• severe sore throat, accompanied by swollen glands in your neck
• flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
• unidentified rash
• fever of over 101 degrees lasting for more than three days

Here is some additional information from the WHO website:

Preparing for the second wave: lessons learned from current outbreaks