This flu season, health care providers had been prepared to treat patients who have the seasonal flu and also those who have contracted a novel strain of the H1N1 influenza virus. Although H1N1 flu is sometimes incorrectly called “swine flu,” the virus is transmitted from person to person. Symptoms of the H1N1 flu include fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, body aches, lethargy and fatigue, which usually appear in rapid succession. People at high risk include children, pregnant women and those with certain medical conditions. The most common cause of death from the virus is respiratory failure, but other causes of mortality include sepsis, dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Pneumonia is the most common complication of seasonal influenza.

Adequate amounts of vaccine or antivirals are unlikely to be available early on in a pandemic, and the latter could become ineffective because of resistance. These factors have focused attention on the use of non-pharmaceutical public health interventions to inhibit human to human transmission and fuelled interest in answering important questions about influenza epidemiology and transmission. Here, the objective of the study was to study the knowledge and practices of health care providers toward the prevention of the swine flu epidemic.

Precautions:

Stay Home
if you are sick or have any flu-like symptoms, stay home. Do not go to school or work. Swine flu symptoms may mimic those of regular flu and cold symptoms.

Contain Your Cough
Cough or sneeze into the crook (inside elbow) of your arm. This way you do not transfer the germs to your hands and then to every object you touch. Swine flu is very contagious, and can spread easily by touching an infected object and then touching your face. A flu mask will help you avoid infection in enclosed spaces.

Wash Hands Frequently
wash hands constantly to avoid swine flu. Anything you touch may be affected, so keeping hands clean will help you avoid infection.

Hand Sanitizer
Carry hand sanitizer with you. If you have things others have touched, use your hand sanitizer to avoid swine flu infection. In addition, avoid shaking hands or other hand to hand contact whenever possible. Also avoid kissing on the cheek or other face to face contact as a greeting method.

Public Facilities
Touch public handles and pens as little as possible. These are loaded with germs that may carry the swine flu virus.

Media Contact:

Jessica Rose
Journal Manager
Virology: Current research
Email: vcrh@microbialjournals.com