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The early arrival of the H1N1 virus has many people a bit concerned, especially when they or their loved ones have underlying health conditions, are experiencing flu symptoms and are unsure when they should seek medical attention.
The usual flu symptoms involve a cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, body aches, chills, fatigue and occasionally, diarrhea, vomiting and fever. And the Center for Disease Control Web site reports that most people who contract 2009 H1N1 or seasonal flu will have mild illness that does not require medical care or antiviral drugs.
Tina Johnson, administrative director for Pottawatomie County Health Department, said there are a few additional symptoms that, if noticed, would signal the need to seek immediate medical attention. These symptoms vary somewhat between children and adults.
For children, symptoms that would suggest the need for immediate medical care include fast breathing, difficulty breathing, bluish-colored skin, loss of thirst, inability to keep down fluids, trouble waking, inactivity or irritability that cannot be consoled.
“Also with children, if they have a fever of 101 F to 102 F or more, contact a physician and share the symptoms they are having,” Johnson said.
For adults, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion and severe or persistent vomiting would indicate an immediate need to seek medical attention.
“It is also very important to note that if someone has been ill but their flu symptoms get better and then they experience a return of fever and cough or fever with a rash, they should seek immediate medical assistance as this could indicate the presence of a co-infection,” Johnson said.
Many hospitalizations and most deaths that occur following a flu illness are caused by co-infections, such as pneumonia, staph infections or other bacterial or viral infections.
With the H1N1 virus, Johnson said most people are able to recover within four days to one week without hospitalization.
“If someone just feels bad, without other symptoms, it’s usually not an emergency,” she said.
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Vaccination concerns: pros and cons, with explanations from CDC:
These are some of the reasons for and against receiving the H1N1 vaccination as heard from various citizens. The CDC Web site provides a lot of information that might relieve some of these fears, or “cons;” that information is included below.
Pros:
The vaccine is made the same way as seasonal flu vaccine.
It is tested the same way as seasonal flu vaccine.
The virus used to create the vaccine is very similar to the 2009 H1N1 influenza A viruses currently affecting individuals.
It prevents or reduces H1N1 infection.
It’s available free in many places and at many times.
In addition to proper hygiene, it’s the best, proven protection against H1N1.
It will likely be included in next year’s seasonal vaccine.
Cons*** (see CDC answers to the “cons” below):
Some social networking Web sites say the need for H1N1 vaccination is all media and government hype.
H1N1 is milder than the seasonal flu, so I’m not sure the vaccine is necessary.
In 1976, a lot of people had Guillain-Barre Syndrome after receiving the swine flu vaccine.
Some say they “rushed” the manufacturing of the vaccine.
There are risks involved in getting vaccines.
***In regard to rumors circling around social networking Web sites, visitors to those sites should remember that the CDC does not govern those pages and therefore, the information found there might not be accurate.
While H1N1 is considered a milder type of flu, it is also a rapid-spreading virus that does not follow the typical flu pattern. In addition, it affects a different category of the population than seasonal flu typically affects — healthy young adults and children — and co-infections have been fatal in many cases among younger patients, which makes vaccination important.
The current H1N1 vaccine is made in a different way than the swine flu vaccine for 1976. The risk of GBS from current H1N1 flu vaccines, if any, is expected to be about the same as for the seasonal flu vaccine, which is about one additional case per 1 million people who receive the vaccination.
The manufacturing of the H1N1 vaccine is the same as it is for the seasonal flu and the “rush” is in the distribution of the vaccine, not in the manufacturing. The distribution occurred sooner with the H1N1 vaccine than with the seasonal vaccine because the H1N1 virus appeared much earlier than the seasonal flu typically appears.
While there are risks with any type of vaccination, the CDC reports that serious risks, such as death, from receiving H1N1 or seasonal flu vaccine are extremely small.
The early arrival of the H1N1 virus has many people a bit concerned, especially when they or their loved ones have underlying health conditions, are experiencing flu symptoms and are unsure when they should seek medical attention.
The usual flu symptoms involve a cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, headache, body aches, chills, fatigue and occasionally, diarrhea, vomiting and fever. And the Center for Disease Control Web site reports that most people who contract 2009 H1N1 or seasonal flu will have mild illness that does not require medical care or antiviral drugs.
Tina Johnson, administrative director for Pottawatomie County Health Department, said there are a few additional symptoms that, if noticed, would signal the need to seek immediate medical attention. These symptoms vary somewhat between children and adults.
For children, symptoms that would suggest the need for immediate medical care include fast breathing, difficulty breathing, bluish-colored skin, loss of thirst, inability to keep down fluids, trouble waking, inactivity or irritability that cannot be consoled.
“Also with children, if they have a fever of 101 F to 102 F or more, contact a physician and share the symptoms they are having,” Johnson said.
For adults, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion and severe or persistent vomiting would indicate an immediate need to seek medical attention.
“It is also very important to note that if someone has been ill but their flu symptoms get better and then they experience a return of fever and cough or fever with a rash, they should seek immediate medical assistance as this could indicate the presence of a co-infection,” Johnson said.
Many hospitalizations and most deaths that occur following a flu illness are caused by co-infections, such as pneumonia, staph infections or other bacterial or viral infections.
With the H1N1 virus, Johnson said most people are able to recover within four days to one week without hospitalization.
“If someone just feels bad, without other symptoms, it’s usually not an emergency,” she said.
----
Vaccination concerns: pros and cons, with explanations from CDC:
These are some of the reasons for and against receiving the H1N1 vaccination as heard from various citizens. The CDC Web site provides a lot of information that might relieve some of these fears, or “cons;” that information is included below.
Pros:
The vaccine is made the same way as seasonal flu vaccine.
It is tested the same way as seasonal flu vaccine.
The virus used to create the vaccine is very similar to the 2009 H1N1 influenza A viruses currently affecting individuals.
It prevents or reduces H1N1 infection.
It’s available free in many places and at many times.
In addition to proper hygiene, it’s the best, proven protection against H1N1.
It will likely be included in next year’s seasonal vaccine.
Cons*** (see CDC answers to the “cons” below):
Some social networking Web sites say the need for H1N1 vaccination is all media and government hype.
H1N1 is milder than the seasonal flu, so I’m not sure the vaccine is necessary.
In 1976, a lot of people had Guillain-Barre Syndrome after receiving the swine flu vaccine.
Some say they “rushed” the manufacturing of the vaccine.
There are risks involved in getting vaccines.
***In regard to rumors circling around social networking Web sites, visitors to those sites should remember that the CDC does not govern those pages and therefore, the information found there might not be accurate.
While H1N1 is considered a milder type of flu, it is also a rapid-spreading virus that does not follow the typical flu pattern. In addition, it affects a different category of the population than seasonal flu typically affects — healthy young adults and children — and co-infections have been fatal in many cases among younger patients, which makes vaccination important.
The current H1N1 vaccine is made in a different way than the swine flu vaccine for 1976. The risk of GBS from current H1N1 flu vaccines, if any, is expected to be about the same as for the seasonal flu vaccine, which is about one additional case per 1 million people who receive the vaccination.
The manufacturing of the H1N1 vaccine is the same as it is for the seasonal flu and the “rush” is in the distribution of the vaccine, not in the manufacturing. The distribution occurred sooner with the H1N1 vaccine than with the seasonal vaccine because the H1N1 virus appeared much earlier than the seasonal flu typically appears.
While there are risks with any type of vaccination, the CDC reports that serious risks, such as death, from receiving H1N1 or seasonal flu vaccine are extremely small.
----
FLU RUMORS:
The State Health Department sends regular updates to its employees and recently sent the following list of flu rumors, as well as the health department’s responses, to various health department employees.
Rumor: My mother-in-law called this weekend and heard that a boy from the Muskogee area was in Children’s Hospital going blind shortly after receiving H1N1 immunization.
Response: False
Rumor: I am traveling to India and they are requiring swine flu shots. I need to be put at the head of the line.
Response: False. India is not requiring H1N1 shots.***
Rumor: I am visiting China*** and they are requiring H1N1 shots.
Response: FALSE. They are screening folks at their airport for any signs of sickness.
Rumor: Praise for our daughter [name withheld for this report] being able to see Dr. Farris — a neuro-ophthalmologist about her vision loss. It appears that the loss of part of her peripheral vision was due to a viral infection behind the eye due to complications of having the H1N1 virus — the swine flu. It may take awhile — 6 months to a year — for her vision to be fully restored, but she has functional range of vision now.
Response: FALSE. We called Dr. Farris’ office to confirm this. According to his office, they are very upset over the e-mail floating around with his name on it.
Rumor: Placing onions around your business or home will absorb the virus from flu.
Response: False. This legend dates back to the early 1800s.
*** Call the CDC at 800-232-4636 or visit the travel Web site at http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/.
