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Swine Flu (H1N1/09)
The 2009 Pandemic Swine Flu, A-H1N1/09, the Type A influenza virus that was first identified in the early spring of 2009 in Mexico and then spread world wide to become a true Pandemic by June 2009. Different from other current seasonal strains of H1N1, and also not the same Swine Flu from prior epidemics or outbreaks (like in 1976), it is known by many different names in different places and settings, such as: H1N1, Novel H1N1, A/California/7/2009 (H1N1)v-like virus, la grippe porcine, The Mexican Flu, la epidemia, Schweinegrippe, and SOIV (Swine Origin Influenza Virus).
1,816 Questions
Is the cpt code 90658 still used for seasonal flu?
As of January 1, 2011, the code for flu vaccines has changed to be brand specific. Use the following:
Q2036 Flulaval
Q2037 Fluvirin
Q2038 Fluzone
Q2039 Not otherwise specified
Not if you recovered and are strong and healthy again.
Can you get Swine Flu if you hug a person who has it?
Yes, swine flu (like any other kind of influenza) is a contagious disease and you could be infected by getting too close to someone who has it. Do not hug people who have the swine flu. Wait for them to recover, then hug them.
What kind of behavior would make you susceptible to catching the flu?
Some types of behavior that could place you at more risk for the flu during flu season are:
- Neglecting to get your annual flu vaccination as soon as it is available
- Not washing your hands after touching public things and surfaces
- Not washing your hands after direct contact with others
- Touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands
- Chewing your finger nails
- Sucking your thumb
- Picking your nose
- Rubbing your eyes
- Sharing drinks and eating utensils with other people
- Kissing someone with signs of the flu or who has been exposed to the flu
- Being within 6 feet of someone already sick with the flu
- Not washing your hands before and after eating
- Not washing your hands after toileting
- Not washing your hands properly (see related question below)
- Being in crowded places in flu season
- Using a shopping cart without first cleaning with sanitizing wipes
- Not laughing enough (it actually is good for your immune system to laugh)
- Not getting enough sleep
- Not eating healthy foods
- Cigarette smoking
See the related questions below for more information on how to avoid the flu.
Is Mercury in immunization shots?
Yes. They use it to preserve the shots, but they don't have to use mercury, they just use it to save money.
How regularly should you change an N95 face mask?
They should be thrown away after each use or before, if they become wet or more difficult to breathe through.
What angle do you give flu shot?
This depends on the length of the needle you are using, the location chosen for the shot, and the size of the person being injected. Flu vaccine is given as an IM (intramuscular) injection. For most people, a regular 25 or 22 gauge needle that is one inch or one and one half inches long is the proper size.
If you are giving the shot in the upper arm in the deltoid muscle or in the upper outer quadrant of the buttocks in the gluteus maximus muscle in adults (or the lateral thigh in children), who are normal sized with typical muscle mass, the angle of injection should usually be straight in (or 90 degree angle to the skin).
However, if you are giving the injection to someone with very little muscle mass, such as a frail elderly person, a small child, or extremely thin person, you may need to choose a shorter needle, perhaps even one half inch long, and continue at a 90 degree angle. Experienced medical professionals may sometimes use the same (one inch or one and a half inch) size needle, and alter the angle of injection just slightly so that they do not inject too deeply. Usually, a 60 degree angle will compensate for the more shallow muscle tissue, but that is a judgment call that requires knowledge of anatomy and experience, so it is best left to a professional to give injections to the ultra thin and small.
How long will it take for people to stop whining about H1N1 since the common cold kills more people?
Answer:
It seems like the widespread fears and myths have been replaced with good scientific information now, and, at the beginning the 2010-2011 flu season, people are already more at ease knowing the facts and truth, and having learned how to protect themselves.
That doesn't mean that there is no longer any risk of serious illness and death from the H1N1/09 pandemic flu, however. The vaccine for H1N1/09 will be included in the current seasonal flu vaccine, so be sure to get your flu shot to protect you from it and the other two strains of flu that are expected to go around in this year's flu season that are also included in the 2010 seasonal flu vaccination.
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As to the statement in the question that, "The common cold kills more people" than the H1N1/09 influenza: that is more myth. It is not true. The common cold virus rarely causes death in otherwise healthy people and certainly does not cause more deaths than any types of influenza do. You may be mistaking something you heard about other types of seasonal flu instead of about the common cold. It is true that in past flu seasons, the "regular" seasonal flu has killed more people than H1N1/09 has.
Be sure to know your facts or you can be adding to the fear and "whining" by spreading the myths. You can directly help to stop that by learning and giving out the correct information and real facts. These are available at WikiAnswers in the Categories of Cold and Flu and H1N1 Pandemic Swine Flu. Just click on the category name above in the category field under the question, to browse those questions and answers.
What kind of immunity do you receive from vaccines?
Innate immunity (also called nonspecific or natural immunity) refers to the inborn ability of the body to resist and is genetically transmitted from one generation to the next. This immunity offers resistance to any microorganism or foreign material encountered by the host.
It includes general mechanisms inherited as part of the innate structure and function of each vertebrate and acts as the first line of defense. Innate immunity lacks immunological memory, i.e., it occurs to the same extent each time a microorganism or foreign material is encountered.
Does wearing a surgical mask protect you from getting swine flu?
"Respirators", yes, in some situations described below. "Surgical facemasks", only maybe and only in some circumstances.
The term "respirator" when used by the CDC in this context, refers to: an N95 or higher filtering face piece respirator certified by the CDC/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Respirators are not recommended for children or people who have facial hair and they are difficult to breathe through for long periods of time. CDC also recommends medical evaluation, fitting, and training in its use.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updated information about the efficacy and use of respirators and facemasks (surgical masks) to prevent the Novel H1N1 virus transmission. See related link below for full article on that May 23, 2009 news release. It includes different recommendations based upon the setting, e.g., community, home, occupational, health care facility; and based upon the level of medical risk the individual wearing a mask has with the disease, e.g., general health, pregnancy, age, etc. And it explains the differences in "respirator" vs. "facemask".
By technical definitions of "airborne", the 2009 Swine Flu (Novel H1N1) is not "airborne", but it can still be in the air and able to be inhaled. This is when the virus is in the air on droplets from a sneeze or cough. For lay purposes, it is best to just think of it as potentially in the air. The CDC recommends, if at all possible, keeping a distance of 6 feet from someone confirmed to have this virus.
Unless you wear a respirator or other specially made masks that can filter the sub-microscopic viruses to prevent your breathing them in, wearing a standard surgical mask, or other facemask that is not designed to filter sub-microscopic organisms (i.e., to fit correctly and filter correctly), will not help you avoid breathing viruses on droplets in the air. Viruses are small enough to pass right through the masks, or can enter around the sides of the mask.
The masks may, however, when worn by others who are infected with the influenza, prevent their spreading the virus to you on respiratory droplets when they sneeze or cough. And the surgical masks can help assure that you (or a family member with the flu in the home), do not give the virus to others when coughing or sneezing (by catching the respiratory droplets released during the cough and sneeze).
Surgical masks are designed to keep the respiratory droplets of the wearer contained (like covering your mouth with a tissue does) when coughing or sneezing.
Another potential advantage of surgical masks is they may help you to remember not to touch your face with your hands. A mask could help you remember that precaution when you may be "acting on automatic " when out in public.
The best prevention is good hygiene and hand washing. If unable to wash hands thoroughly and briskly for a minimum of 20-30 seconds with warm water and soap, use a waterless hand sanitizer that is a minimum of 60% alcohol. Use according to product directions.
Specific situations when the CDC suggests wearing a respirator or facemask:
* Crowded community setting with current Novel H1N1 cases, either facemask or respirator is recommended to be worn by those who can not avoid the area, and who are high risk persons (see below for definition).
* Caregiver in home setting who is caring for a person with Novel H1N1 and who is high risk themselves should wear either. (Suggested that others provide the care instead. They, unless high risk, would not have to wear masks or respirators.)
* Non Health Care Occupational settings with current Novel H1N1: non-high risk persons who can not avoid the setting should consider the respirators or facemasks.
* Non Health Care Occupational settings with current Novel H1N1: high risk persons who can not avoid the setting should consider the respirators or facemasks.
* Health Care Occupational settings with known or probable cases of Novel H1N1: Caregivers and other personnel who are non-high risk should wear respirators.
* Health Care Occupational settings with known or probable cases of Novel H1N1: Caregivers and other personnel who are high risk should consider temporary reassignment or should wear respirators.
CDC Defintion of High Risk Persons:
"Persons at increased risk of severe illness from influenza (i.e. high-risk persons) include those groups at higher risk for severe illness from seasonal influenza, including: 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 pulmonary, including asthma, 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); and, residents of nursing homes and other chronic-care facilities."
July 13, 2009 the World Health Organization has added people with morbid obesity to the list of people at higher risk of morbidity and mortality from Novel H1N1. See the related question below, "Is obesity a risk factor for morbidity and mortality with Novel H1N1 - Swine Flu?"
See the related questions and links below for more information on
protecting yourself from the swine flu virus.
Could you use theraflu until you get Tamiflu?
No. Theraflu is only a cough and cold medication like Robitussin or NyQuil. Tamiflu is an antiviral, like an antibiotic except for a virus.
Why is knowing about the Swine Flu important?
Knowing about the swine flu is important because it is a new strain of flu, resistant to most medications. Although the death toll is the same of the normal flu, it needed a new vaccine.
How do you get exposed to the flu?
You get the Flu be generally being with people that are infected. You can also get them by being in a unclean atmosphere or house/bulding.
How long after having swine flu can you socialise?
i have it now and i was told by my doctor to stay from school and work for two to three days but its because i have a mild case i would hate to have a strong case. it was hell i tell you that. but it depends on how bad you have it. just wash an sanitize a lot and cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze normal stuff and it will help to keep your friends and family from being infected
Will Swine Flu get stronger or weaker in the winter?
Influenza viruses are typically more prevalent during the fall and winter colder weather. There is a distinct season for the flu in that part of the year with the annual strains of flu viruses going around even called the "Seasonal Flu". It is expected that Swine Flu (A-H1N1/09) will likely follow that same pattern and reappear in the Northern Hemisphere in a second wave of outbreaks.
It was a second wave of a mutated strain that caused the most illness and deaths during the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. However, since we have not experienced this type of flu before, and because it is not acting entirely typically, in that we have sporadic outbreaks continuing all summer in the Northern Hemisphere long after the typical seasonal flu has "faded out", it is at present still unpredictable.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization are monitoring the seasonal and A-H1N1/09 flu outbreaks closely in the Southern Hemisphere to gather as much data as possible on how the virus behaves in the colder weather before the US flu season arrives in October.
We should continue all advised precautions.
It is a flu (influenza) virus. All flus are caused by viruses.
A virus is categorized by type such as Influenza Virus Type A, Type B or Type C. Viruses are always changing and mutating, and flu viruses are especially quick in their ability to mutate. When a mutation occurs, they are categorized further as subtypes and then to a finder degree as strains. H1N1 is a subtype of Influenzavirus A. The pandemic swine flu is further identified as A-H1N1/09 indicating the specific mutation of A-H1N1 into the type that caused the pandemic of 2009. Beyond that, the individual strains are broken down and named usually according to the year they were isolated and the location where they were first found. See the related question below for more information on how viruses are named.
Is there a bird with the name of swine?
No, swine means the same as hog or pig. The swine flu is called that because it was originally found in pigs. Bird flu comes from mostly water birds and poultry.
Can you take Darvocet with Tamiflu and Dexpak Jr?
This is fine to mix. Tamiflu is an antiviral. It will not interact with the other two medicines. Remember that the steroid (Dexpak) is harsh on the stomach. Have some food before taking those!
Can you use a 23 gauge needle for a flu shot?
It could be used as long as the needle length is approximately 1 1/2 inches long so that it reaches the muscle tissue.
The flu vaccine injections are given IM (intramuscularly) except if it is the new intradermal type of vaccine, which has its own delivery system with a very tiny needle injected into the layers of skin.
The typically sized needle for IM administration of medication is a 22-25 gauge, 1 1/2 inch IM needle.
23 gauge is slightly larger around than a 25 gauge, so it is possible you could feel it slightly more when inserted. A 23 gauge needle has an outer diameter of 0.02525 inches. A 25 gauge needle has an outer diameter of 0.02025 inches.
As long as you are able to correctly measure the proper dosage, it could be used.
If a person recovers from H1N1 and again gets infected by H1N1 what are the chances of his survival?
Once someone has had a case of swine flu that is confirmed, then they will have lifetime immunity to the disease and not catch it again.
What are the top three countries hit the hardest by Swine Flu?
On 1/6/10, the following countries rank as the top three countries with the most cases of the pandemic flu:
- Germany with 209,885 cases
- Portugal with 166,922 cases
- Argentina with 142,592 cases
World-wide to date there have been 1,562,049 cases and 16,665 deaths.
How many people in Florida have died from Swine Flu?
Since the daily and weekly counts of cases and deaths from the swine flu, which were initially required by the CDC, WHO, and national health departments of most nations have stopped since the pandemic was declared over, there is no way to know how many now. One reason is there are still ongoing cases scattered around the world even as of fall 2012. Another reason is that it was a burden on the reporting entities to try to track and report the numbers. And a large portion of people who had swine flu had mild forms and did not go to the doctor. Their cases could not be counted. And, if no lab test were done to confirm the specific type of flu, there is no way to know for sure if each case should be included in the count or if it is another type of flu.
The treatment is the same as for other types of flu, so there is no real medical need for testing to determine what form of flu someone has in most cases. For this reason, there is no definite count possible on cases of this type of flu any more.
As of 12 June 2009, there has been one Virginia death from the Novel H1N1 flu virus according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There have been a total of 90 confirmed and probable cases reported in the state.
(See the related questions below for links to more statistical information)
