Is it a Cold or the Flu?
Knowing the difference between the cold an d the flu can help keep you family healthy this flu season.

Click her to view a PDF on the Cold vs. the Flu Signs and symptoms

Flu Symptoms
Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu.
A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).
Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.
60% of people who have the flu experience chills.
Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu.
Sneezing is not common with the flu.
A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases.
Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu.
Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.

SOURCE:   Tamiflu.com

Click here to read mor information about Cold and Flu Symptoms

What should I do if I get sick?

If you get sick with flu-like symptoms this flu season, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. Most people with 2009 H1N1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs and the same is true of seasonal flu.

However, some people are more likely to get flu complications and they should talk to a health care provider about whether they need to be examined if they get flu symptoms this season. They are:

* Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
* People 65 and older
* Pregnant women
* People who have:
o Cancer
o Blood disorders (including sickle cell disease)
o Chronic lung disease [including asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)]
o Diabetes
o Heart disease
o Kidney disorders
o Liver disorders
o Neurological disorders (including nervous system, brain or spinal cord)
o Neuromuscular disorders (including muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis)
o Weakened immune systems (including people with AIDS)

Also, it’s possible for healthy people to develop severe illness from the flu so anyone concerned about their illness should consult a health care provider.

There are emergency warning signs. Anyone who has them should get medical care right away.
What are the emergency warning signs?

In children

* Fast breathing or trouble breathing
* Bluish skin color
* Not drinking enough fluids
* Not waking up or not interacting
* Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
* Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
* Fever with a rash

In adults

* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
* Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
* Sudden dizziness
* Confusion
* Severe or persistent vomiting

Do I need to go the emergency room if I am only a little sick?

No. The emergency room should be used for people who are very sick. You should not go to the emergency room if you are only mildly ill.Photo of sick child If you have the emergency warning signs of flu sickness, you should go to the emergency room. If you get sick with flu symptoms and are at high risk of flu complications or you are concerned about your illness, call your health care provider for advice. If you go to the emergency room and you are not sick with the flu, you may catch it from people who do have it
Are there medicines to treat 2009 H1N1?

Yes. There are drugs your doctor may prescribe for treating both seasonal and 2009 H1N1 called “antiviral drugs.” These drugs can make you better faster and may also prevent serious complications. This flu season, antiviral drugs are being used mainly to treat people who are very sick, such as people who need to be hospitalized, and to treat sick people who are more likely to get serious flu complications. Your health care provider will decide whether antiviral drugs are needed to treat your illness. Remember, most people with 2009 H1N1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs and the same is true of seasonal flu.
How long should I stay home if I’m sick?

CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other things you have toPhoto of family do and no one else can do for you. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol®.) You should stay home from work, school, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings.
What should I do while I’m sick?

Stay away from others as much as possible to keep from making them sick. If you must leave home, for example to get medical care, wear a facemask if you have one, or cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. And wash your hands often to keep from spreading flu to others. CDC has information on “Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home” on its website at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm

SOURCE: CDC
Read the rest of the Article from the CDC

SAN FRANCISCO, California (AFP) – Some 2,000 students at Washington State University have reported symptoms of swine flu, university officials said, in one of the largest reported outbreaks of the virus on a US college campus.

The west-coast school last week instituted a blog to help provide information to students about the sudden and dramatic spread of the A(H1N1) virus on campus just days into the new school term.

“We estimate that we have been in contact with about 2,000 students with influenza-like illness in the first 10 days of our fall semester,” the latest online posting said.

“At this time of year, we would typically only see a handful of patients with influenza-like illness. Health care providers in the local community have also seen WSU students with influenza-like illness, but we have no way of knowing how many.

“We also have no way of estimating how many students are self-caring at home without contacting us,” school officials said.

Read the Article

2009 Flu Prevention PSA Contest
All voting occurs on our YouTube Channel . The order of the videos is randomly generated each time you visit the page. Voting is a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down with each video, and you are allowed one vote (up or down) per video per calendar day.

Vote now for the Flu PSA Video

From the Wall Street Journal

By Jacob Goldstein

Here’s a quick roundup of swine (H1N1) flu news:

The feds put out guidelines today to help businesses prepare for a possible second wave of the H1N1 virus, which could come around this fall. Nothing particularly surprising here; mainly, be sure that sick employees don’t come to work, and have a plan in place in case things get really bad. One interesting detail: During a severe wave of flu, one option for healthy employees who can’t work from home is to come to the office and try not to come within six feet of another person. “This is not a simple or easy strategy,” the CDC notes dryly.

The public isn’t too worked up about swine flu, according to a new poll from the Washington Post and ABC News. More than 60% of respondents said they’re “not at all” or “not too” worried about the pandemic. Nearly three quarters said they believe that the government can respond effectively to an outbreak. And 65% said they’d get a swine flu vaccine for themselves or a family member if it were recommended by a doctor.

What’s the deal with the swine flu vaccine, anyway? As this useful WSJ swine flu primer noted yesterday, the feds are now predicting they will have 45 million doses of the vaccine by mid-October, with another 20 million doses a week coming off the assembly line after that, and a total of 195 million doses by December. Clinical trials now underway should make it clear whether two doses per person will be required to generate immunity. Orders from governments in the developed world now stand at over 1 billion doses, Agence France Presse reported yesterday.

Image of H1N1 swine flu by C. S. Goldsmith and A. Balish via CDC

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CDC Treatment Recommendations for Pregnant Women related to the H1Ni Swine Flu

Treatment Recommendations

Pregnant women with influenza-like illnesses should receive empiric antiviral treatment. Because of its systemic activity, the drug of choice for treatment of pregnant women is oseltamivir. Recommended duration of treatment is five days. Treatment should not be delayed while waiting for the results of viral testing. As is recommended for other persons who are treated, antiviral treatment should be initiated as soon as possible after the onset of influenza symptoms, with benefits expected to be greatest if started within 48 hours of onset, based on data from studies of seasonal influenza. However, data from studies on seasonal influenza indicate benefit for hospitalized patients even if treatment is started more than 48 hours after onset. Thus, antiviral medications are recommended for high risk persons, including pregnant women, presenting for care more than 48 hours after illness onset, particularly for those who require hospitalization.

Read the CDC Article;e

From the CDC
Other ways to reduce risk for pregnant women

There is no vaccine available yet to prevent novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection; however, the risk for novel influenza A (H1N1) virus infection might be reduced by taking steps to reduce the chance of being exposed to respiratory infections. These steps include:

1. Frequent hand washing.
2. Minimizing contact with sick individuals.
3. Having ill persons stay home (except to seek medical care).
4. Having ill persons cover coughs.
5. Avoiding, whenever possible, crowded settings in communities having outbreaks of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus.
6. And using facemasks and respirators correctly if they are used (see Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator Use to Reduce Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Transmission).