Is it a Cold, Seasonal Flu or H1N1?
Although the symptoms of the common cold, seasonal flu and H1N1 "swine" flu are similar, there are some distinct differences. It can be confusing to try and figure out which one you have when the symptoms are so much alike.
We have developed an easy to read chart comparing the symptoms of all three of these viruses to help you figure out what you might have.
Related Reading:
H1N1 Toolkit for Special Needs Kids
If you have a child or know someone with a child with special needs, the website "One Place for Special Needs" has put together a toolkit to help you prepare for the H1N1 virus. It includes videos that may give you ideas about how to teach your child good hygiene habits, information about how the virus may affect people with disabilities and many more items relevant to H1N1.
It's a challenge to teach any child the importance of washing their hands and reducing the spread of germs, but it's important for all of us. Especially when many of our children with special needs fall into high risk groups when it comes to H1N1 swine flu.
Keeping Healthy When Your Family is Sick
My kids and I all woke up with a cold this morning and we're feeling pretty lousy. It's definitely not the flu - just typical cold symptoms. I have young children and it's often hard to avoid sharing colds among family members when kids spread germs so easily. But I figured this would be a great opportunity to share some tips about keeping healthy in your own home. It's too late for me, but maybe it will help you!
New Study on Severity of H1N1 Flu
A new study has been published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) that looked at who was affected most severely by the H1N1 swine flu during the first four months of the pandemic. We know that the virus has affected young people more seriously than the seasonal flu usually does, but according to this study, older people shouldn't just brush this one off.
Fatality rates were actually highest among adults over 50. The overall fatality rate from the virus (among people that were hospitalized) was about 11% but the fatality rate among adults over age 50 was 18%-20%.
The study also found that hospitalization rates were highest among infants under 1 year old and lowest among the elderly. The median age of those hospitalized was 27, two thirds of people hospitalized with H1N1 had chronic medical conditions that put them at higher risk for complications and over half were obese.
Although these statistics may be a little scary, it's important to note that this study was based only on those who were actually hospitalized in the state of California during the first four months of the pandemic (April - August 09). A vast majority of people who get H1N1 swine flu are not hospitalized at all and recover without any treatment.
Flu Widespread in 48 States
As of October 24th, flu activity in the United States was widespread in 48 states. A vast majority of the flu being seen is still the H1N1 swine flu.
According to officials at the CDC, levels of the flu are already higher than they typically are during the peak of flu season (which usually doesn't occur until January or February). I certainly don't remember a time in the three years that I have been following flu activity that it has ever been so widespread.
Although this virus seems to be relatively mild for most people who get it, it's still a little startling to see how fast it is spreading. Let's just hope it doesn't turn into anything more severe.
Looking for the H1N1 Vaccine?
Here in Atlanta, it seems to be next to impossible to find the H1N1 swine flu vaccine. And when it's announced that they are available somewhere, just a few hours later they are all gone. It is beyond frustrating for me since I have a child who is at high risk for this particular flu and really want to get the family vaccinated as soon as possible.
If you are in a similar situation, there is a website available that lists where the vaccine is available in your state. Provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services, Flu.gov has an interactive map to help you find the H1N1 vaccine. Hopefully it will be available in greater quantities soon.
Say "Boo" to the Flu
With Halloween upon us, there is no better time to make sure we protect our little ghosts and goblins from the scariest of germs - the flu. The Visiting Nurses Association of America, Families Fighting Flu and The Clorox Company have joined together and developed the "Say Boo to the Flu" campaign to give us all the information we need to be prepared for flu season.
When you visit their website, you can get tips on flu prevention, watch videos from people with personal stories about how the flu has impacted their lives and sign the pledge to get your family vaccinated.
They also have a flu prevention shopping list and a hand washing reward chart to help your kids remember to wash away those germs. It's a fun and interactive reminder that the flu isn't something to be taken lightly. Check out the "Say Boo to the Flu" campaign and take the pledge - I did!
Swine Flu: A National Emergency?
Today President Obama declared H1N1 swine flu a national public health emergency. I was a little alarmed when I saw the headlines announcing this development today. There haven't been any significant changes in the status of the virus or the pandemic, so why is it a national emergency now?
It turns out this declaration is really to help health care officials deal with the pandemic more easily rather than a result of any changes in the situation. In declaring a national emergency, President Obama gave the chief of the US Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius, power to bypass federal laws in regards to how health care sites operate. Emergency rooms may be able to operate clinics away from hospitals (such as in schools and parking lots) to help prevent the spread of the virus to people who need to seek treatment for other problems. It also changes how hospitals can handle financial matters - requiring less paperwork so they can see patients more quickly and allowing federal reimbursement for patients treated off-site.
This move comes after the news last week that the H1N1 swine flu vaccines have been much more delayed than officials had hoped. So far only about 11 millions doses of the vaccine have been shipped to providers. This is a far cry from the estimated 120 million doses they had hoped to have out by mid-October. Revised estimates are now that 50 million doses could be available by mid-November and 150 million doses available sometime in December.
CDC officials have also announced that over 1000 Americans have already died from the virus this year, including nearly 100 children. While these numbers may seem alarming, they also believe that "many millions" of Americans have already had the virus.
Is it the Flu?
Both of my children got sick last week with symptoms that were similar to the flu. My older son came down with it first and started running a high fever, had a headache, sore throat and upset stomach. I took him to the doctor to have him checked for the flu because his brother falls into the high risk category and I didn't want him to catch it. They didn't perform a flu test, but they did do a test for strep throat - which came back negative. Luckily, he was feeling better by the next day.
A couple of days later my younger son got sick with a high fever, vomiting and wheezing. It hit him a lot harder than it did his older brother so the next morning I took him to the doctor as well. His pediatrician said she didn't think he had the flu but did perform a test on him anyway since he is high risk. The test was negative and she said it was probably "parainfluenza", which is a viral infection that often causes symptoms similar to the flu, but isn't as serious. After a few more days of fever and wheezing, he got better too.
Now that both of the kids are better, I am sick. At this point, I know it's just a virus and it's not actually the flu, so I'll just wait it out. But it has certainly made me think about how difficult it is sometimes to decide whether or not you (or your kids) need to go to the doctor. If you have been in a similar situation and need help deciding, here are some helpful tools:
Do You Need a Swine Flu Test?
Many people assume that if they get sick with flu-like symptoms and go to the doctor, they will be tested and told whether or not they have H1N1 swine flu. Unfortunately, this just isn't the case. Testing is much more complicated than it sounds and the majority of tests that are performed are not highly accurate.
Many doctor's offices and hospitals are not testing for H1N1 swine flu at all anymore because the CDC is no longer tracking the number of cases. Still others are testing and may be telling patients that they have H1N1, which is most likely true, but the tests that are being performed cannot tell them what strain of flu the person has, only that they either have the flu or they don't.
At the hospital where I work as a nurse, we are not testing anyone and only those who are at high risk for complications or those who are sick enough to be admitted to the hospital are being treated with antiviral medications. This is confusing to a lot of people who believe the test is simple and accurate when it really is not.
Learn more about H1N1 swine flu testing and what to expect if you get sick.