What is the best thing to do if you have Swine Flu and you have children?

Answer 1

If you have Swine Flu, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have warned that you should not care for infants, you should find a second caregiver for them. Check with your health care provider to determine if anti-viral medications for you or for family members would be an option to prevent or lessen the symptoms. If there are others at high risk sharing the home (see below for high risk list), then avoid exposure to them, consider their staying some place else during the week or so you will be ill.

When others are in the home, including children, with someone with the swine flu, they advise that as much as possible the ill person should avoid contact with the others; stay in a separate room in the house away from the common areas; use a designated separate bathroom from the others; keep hands away from face, nose, mouth and eyes; and wear a face mask when anyone needs to be within 6 feet, especially children. Wash hands frequently, or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer (60% alcohol) especially after using tissues or touching face or eyes, nose, or mouth; and after handling laundry or doing cleaning in affected areas. Throw used tissues in the trash immediately after using, and do the same with used face masks. Teach the rest of the family the importance of the precautions.

If at all possible, get help in the home with the children and with chores. You should try to get as much rest as possible for the fastest recovery, stay hydrated, control fever and use cough medicines or other over-the-counter if needed. Consider yourself contagious for 7 days after the beginning of symptoms or until 24 hours after symptoms are gone, whichever is longest. List of those at high risk according to the CDC: "Groups of people at higher risk for severe illness from novel influenza A (H1N1) infection are thought to be the same as those people at higher risk for severe illness from seasonal influenza. These groups include: * Children younger than 5 years old * Persons aged 65 years or older * Children and adolescents (younger than 18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after influenza virus infection * Pregnant women * Adults and children who have Asthma, chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, hepatic, hematological, neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders such as Diabetes; * Adults and children who have immunosuppression (including immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV) * Residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities."