Basic flu hygiene
The NHS has been running a short film to remind everyone how easily germs can be spread through everyday contact with other people. Following the simple steps of advice can help protect yourself and others from becoming ill through the spread of germs. The film also highlights the impact of poor hygiene on those with weaker immune systems, for example, babies and children. NHS Swine Flu Q&A
What is swine flu?
Swine flu is a respiratory disease that infects pigs, caused by an influenza virus. It does not normally infect humans, but this occasionally does occur.
The Health Protection Agency (HPA) says the new swine flu virus is contagious and is spreading from person to person. It spreads in the same way as ordinary colds and flu. The virus is spread through the droplets that come out of the nose or mouth when someone coughs or sneezes.
Symptoms
The symptoms of swine flu are broadly the same as those of ordinary flu, but may be more severe and cause more serious complications.
The typical symptoms are:
- sudden fever, and
- sudden cough.
Other symptoms may include:
- headache,
- tiredness,
- chills,
- aching muscles,
- limb or joint pain,
- diarrhoea or stomach upset,
- sore throat,
- runny nose,
- sneezing, and
- loss of appetite.
Most people who have contracted swine flu recover within a week and do not suffer complications, even without being given antiviral medication.
However, experts point out that as this is a new virus, its behaviour cannot be predicted with certainty.
Swine flu is different from seasonal flu in that most serious illnesses have been in younger age groups, as happened in all three 20th-century influenza pandemics.
A doctor faced with a symptomatic patient cannot yet predict with certainty the course of their illness and whether or not they will be in the small proportion who may become more seriously ill.
This is why antiviral medication is still being given to all those with swine flu in the UK, subject to their doctor’s discretion.
High-risk groups
Some groups of people are more at risk of serious illness if they catch swine flu, and will need to start taking antiviral medication as soon as they are confirmed with the illness.
Scientists are still learning more about the risk profile of the virus, but it is already known that the following people are particularly susceptible:
- people with:
- chronic lung disease,
- chronic heart disease,
- chronic kidney disease,
- chronic liver disease,
- chronic neurological disease,
- immunosuppression (whether caused by
disease or treatment) and
- diabetes mellitus,
- patients who have had drug treatment for
asthma within the past three years,
- pregnant women,
- people aged 65 years and older, and
- young children under five years old.
It is vital that people in these higher-risk groups who catch swine flu get antivirals and start taking them as soon as possible.
Complications
For most people, the illness appears to be mild and self-limiting. Cases have been confirmed in all age groups, but children and younger people seem much more likely to be affected, whereas fewer cases have been confirmed to date in older adults.
For a minority of people, the virus has caused severe illness. In many, but not all, of these cases underlying risk factors have been identified that are likely to have contributed to the severity of the condition.
Worldwide, just over 0.4% of the laboratory-confirmed cases reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) have died, which would be a rate consistent with that normally observed with seasonal influenza. However, the true number of swine flu cases is likely to be significantly higher than that reported to WHO and therefore the figure of 0.4% is likely to be an overestimate of the death rate.
Where complications do occur, they tend to be caused by the virus affecting the lungs. Infections such as pneumonia can develop.
Checking symtoms
If you have flu-like symptoms and are concerned that you may have swine flu:
- Read up on swine flu symptoms then use the NHS Direct Swine Flu symptom checker.
- If you are then still concerned, stay at home and call your GP.
- If the GP confirms swine flu by telephone, they will give you a voucher reference number entitling you to antiviral medication.
- Give this number to a healthy friend or relative and ask them to pick up the antivirals for you from a designated local collection centre.
-
What is the incubation period for swine flu?
According to the Health Protection Agency, the incubation period for swine flu (time between infection and appearance of symptoms) can be up to seven days, but is most likely to be between two and five days. It is, however, too early to be able to provide details on virus characteristics, including incubation period, with absolute certainty at this time.
When are people most infectious?
People are most infectious to others soon after they develop symptoms, although they continue to shed the virus (for example, in coughs and sneezes) for up to five days (seven days in children). People become less infectious as their symptoms subside, and once their symptoms are gone, they are no longer considered infectious to others.
How quickly is swine flu spreading?
Swine flu is now widespread in the UK and spreading rapidly. The number of new cases in the UK is doubling every seven days. Most of these are because people are catching swine flu in their local community and not as the result of foreign travel.
Go to the Latest on swine flu for a current list of all the countries affected by swine flu.
Should I avoid contact with people suspected of having swine flu?
All suspected cases who have swine flu symptoms will have been asked to self-isolate at home and restrict their contact with people. The vast majority of people should go about their normal activities, including going to school or work. This includes children who attend a school with a confirmed case of swine flu.
There is no need on risk grounds to avoid contact with people who might simply have come into contact with those having the illness, such as the parents of children at schools with a confirmed case but who are not themselves ill.
Hygiene precautions
The advice from the NHS is that preventing the spread of germs is the single most effective way to slow the spread of diseases like pandemic flu.
You can protect yourself and your family by ensuring everyone washes their hands regularly with soap and water, and by cleaning surfaces regularly.
You can prevent a virus spreading to others by:
- Always carrying tissues
- Using tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze
- Binning the tissues as soon as possible
- Washing your hands regularly.
CATCH IT. BIN IT. KILL IT. is a simple way to remember this.
