H1N1 and Seasonal Flu
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What is the flu?
The flu (influenza) is an infection of the nose, throat, and lungs caused by flu viruses. Flu viruses cause illness, hospital stays and even deaths in the United Stated each year. There are many different flu viruses and sometimes a new flu virus starts spreading among people and making people sick.
What is the H1N1 flu?
The H1N1 flu (sometimes called swine flu) is a new and very different flu virus that is spreading worldwide among people. This flu season, scientists expect both H1N1 flu and seasonal flu to cause more people to get sick than a regular flu season. More hospital stays and deaths may also occur.
How serious is the flu?
Most people with H1N1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care and the same is true of seasonal flu. However, the flu can be serious, especially for young children (risk is highest in children younger than 2 years) seniors who have certain chronic medical conditions. These conditions include asthma or other lung problems, diabetes, weakened immune systems, kidney disease, heart problems and neurological and neuromuscular disorders. People with these conditions can have more severe illness from any flu, including the H1N1 flu virus.
How does flu spread?
Both the H1N1 flu and seasonal flu are thought to spread mostly from person to person through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with flu. People also may get sick by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth, nose or eyes.
What are the symptoms of the flu?
Symptoms of seasonal flu and H1N1 flu can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. Some people sick with the flu will not have a fever.
How long can a sick person spread the flu to others?
People infected with seasonal and H1N1 flu virus may be able to infect others from 1 day before getting sick to 5 to 7 days after. However, some people can shed virus for longer, especially children and people with weakened immune systems and people infected with the H1N1 flu.
How can I protect myself against the flu?
- Get a seasonal flu vaccine
- Get a H1N1 vaccine
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue
- Discard tissues in the trash after you use it
- Stay away from people who are sick
- Wash hands frequently with antibacterial soap
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way
- If someone in the home is sick, try to keep the sick person in a separate room from others in the household, if possible.
- Keep surfaces like bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, kitchen counters clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.
- Throw away tissues and other disposable items used by sick persons in your household in the trash.
