Swine flu myths exposed

Swine Flu Myths Exposed

Though rumors about Swine Influenza have been bobbing around since the beginning of the H1N1 outbreak, it's hard to grasp what to believe and what to ignore. To help weed fact from fiction, here is a listing of common misunderstandings about the virus, with a little advice on the easiest way to address the symptoms.

*You have to be around pigs to get it. Though that's the way in which the older pathogen originally developed, this new strain is spread from person to person none of whom had contact with pigs.

*You can get it by eating pork, bacon or other food originating from pigs. Again, the virus no longer begins in swine, so you cannot consume it eating pig products.

*Purposely letting yourself be exposed to the virus can reduce its severity and help you gain protection. According to the CDC, there's not any way to anticipate whether a selected case will be mild or oppressive.

*Schools and companies should close to keep people from getting it. That's going overboard. Sick kids and staff should simply stay home to stop spreading the virus.

*When it touches surfaces, it dies immediately. The H1N1 can live on objects for as much as 48 hours. Use household disinfectant to help kill it.

*Only the aged and unhealthy die of it. Many deaths and hospital usage have happened in kids five to twenty-four years old.

*It's beyond control ( not yet, at any rate ). Though officially classified a pandemic, as of this writing, its severity has been only moderate.

*You should rush to the ER straight away if you think that you have it. Contact your physician and convey your symptoms if you think that you may have it. Let her or him decide if you must be tested.

*Your doctor can tell if you have it from a physical examination. It needs to have a specialized lab test to know for sure, and only a doctor can administer it.

*If you find out you have it, you should get on anti-viral drugs immediately. Most patients make total recovery from swine flu without treatment within a week.

*Face masks and respirators definitely filter it from the air. It's not clear how effective these methods are at circumventing the spread of H1N1. Only those at high risk of significant illness from influenza might be helped by wearing masks or respirators.

If you have medical insurance and experience H1N1 symptoms, your policy should cover your treatment in full, up to its limits. If you're uncertain how much medical coverage you have, ask your insurer.