What should you do if you have or think you have Swine Flu?

Answer 1

In the US:You can use the Self Assessment Tool on the website at Flu.Gov, the US one stop pandemic flu information web site. It guides you through a decision tree to help determine if you have symptoms that indicate a potential influenza infection.

Do not go to the health care provider location unless you telephone first when there are outbreaks in your location. If you go unnecessarily, you risk exposure to the virus at the office, when you may not have had it in the first place.

A quote from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Information (see link below in related link section):

"If you live in areas where swine influenza cases have been identified and become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact their health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed."

The clinics and doctors' offices are very busy during the pandemic and flu season screening for the H1N1 2009 Swine Flu in patients. If you have the above described circumstances and symptoms, telephone your health care provider for advice. Ask if you need to be seen by a health care professional; if you need testing or anti-viral medications; whether you should work, go to school, care for your family, or be around those who are high risk such as pregnant women and young babies; ask if you are high risk for complications, and if you are, what signs should you watch for to know you should seek additional medical opinions and what you should do if those signs occur.

The only way to be sure it is the 2009 Swine flu (A-H1N1/09) is laboratory testing. If testing is advised by your care provider, the CDC describes the appropriate tests as:

"... a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to be shedding virus). However, some persons, especially children, may shed virus for 10 days or longer. Identification as a swine flu influenza A virus requires sending the specimen to CDC for laboratory testing."

Update: there are now "field test kits" that the CDC has provided regionally for providers and labs to be able to do preliminary testing to detect the presence of Novel A-H1N1/09 cases.

When to seek emergency care according to CDC:

"If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

* 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, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

* Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen

* Sudden dizziness

* Confusion

* Severe or persistent vomiting"

In the UK, stay home, and follow the National Pandemic Flu Service Instructions below:In England:

You can check your symptoms on the NHS National Pandemic Flu Service symptom evaluator online. (See link in related links section below). Or telephone the National Pandemic Flu Line: Tel 0800 1 513 100

Textphone for people who are deaf or hard of hearing:

0800 1 513 200

In Scotland:

Contact your GP or NHS 24

NHS 24: 08454 24 24 24

In Wales:

Contact your GP

Contact NHS Direct Wales for further advice. NHS Direct Wales: 0845 46 47

In Northern Ireland:

Contact your GP if you are concerned

For further advice, contact the Northern Ireland Swine Flu Helpline. Northern Ireland Swine Flu Helpline: 0800 0514 142 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm)

More, if you live in the UK:

After contact with the above resources, if they believe you have Swine flu and it is within the appropriate incubation period when antiviral medicines can help, they will give you a prescription reference for the antiviral medication Tamiflu (which is a five day course of treatment). You should ask someone else to pick it up for you so you do not go out and expose others to the virus.

Remember this does not mean you actually have Swine flu. As GP's are no longer taking swabs in surgeries to avoid the spread, it just means that the symptoms you have provided mean there is a probability.

Then contact your employer, since different companies have different quarantine times.

Tamiflu is a 5 day course.

India:">If you are in India:See the related question below about the Swine Flu Check Up Centers in India.

Regardless of where you are:

Take all of the following precautions to prevent the spread of this virus.

• Stay home if at all possible and leave only for medical appointments;
• stay away from crowds and ill people;
• cover your nose and mouth if you cough or sneeze;
• consider wearing a surgical type face mask to protect others if you must be close to them (especially children or others at high risk), so that you don't accidentally spread respiratory droplets to them;
• wash your hands often and especially after touching your face, nose, mouth, eyes or used tissues;
• use waterless hand sanitizers that are at least 60% alcohol if you are unable to properly wash your hands;
• ask someone else to provide care for any children under age two and especially babies six months or less (if you are breast feeding them, use a pump to express your milk so the babies can still benefit from the immunity protection in your milk, you can still breastfeed while taking antiviral treatment but ask your GP if you are taking any other medications);
• and stay isolated in a separate room in the house from others who do not have flu symptoms. Ask your health care professional if other household members should take Tamiflu to help them fight off the virus you may be shedding.

More:

There is no way you would know that your flu is the swine flu without a laboratory test to confirm it. You may be diagnosed with it based upon a history of exposure and your symptoms. A physical exam and review of the symptoms can only indicate the probability, because the actual symptoms are indistinguishable from regular flu.

Remember, if you are infected with the flu, swine flu or another type, follow your doctor's advice, take your prescribed medications, do not go out into public, wash your hands regularly (this helps protect others as well), and cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. As with any flu, get plenty of rest and take good care of yourself.