Swine Flu - All You Need To Know

 

Swine flu – What is it? Know the symptoms

Swine flu, also known as H1N1 virus, is a viral illness that causes serious health problems. Symptoms include – fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy or runny mose, body aches, headache, chills, etc.

How is H1N1 virus spread?

The disease initially spread through pigs, but now it transmits from humans to humans through saliva and mucus particles – sneezing, coughing, touching a germ-covered surface and then touching thier nose or eyes.

Who's most at risk?

Anyone can get swine flu, but there some people who are more likely to be severely affected by swine flu. They are:

• Children under five years old
• Pregnant women
• People 65 or older
• Young adults and children under age 19 who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy
• Children and adults with certain medical conditions, such as heart or lung disease (asthma, COPD, emphysema), diabetes or those with weakened immune systems.

In addition to that, swine farmers and veterinarians also have high risk of swine flu because of their exposure to pigs.

Preventing swine flu

The best way to prevent swine flu is to get a yearly flu vaccination. But apart from a flu shot, you can take a number of healthy measures, such as washing hands thoroughly and frequently, avoiding large crowds when flu season is on, to get rid of swine flu