Be a germ, see the world. Thanks to air travel, bacteria tourism is really taking off, and influenza – all strains of it - now have a free pass to visit countries all over the world, without so much as a visa application first.
Health Minister Khaw Boon Wah says that a third of us are likely to be infected by the H1N1 virus eventually.
Thankfully, many scientists now feel that this flu is not fatal as the strains that caused some historical pandemics. According to them, it may “not even do as much damage as the run-of-the-mill flu outbreaks that occur each year”.
However, that still leaves us with seasonal flus. The Health Ministry says that the two peak flu seasons in Singapore are from May to June and from December to January.
The good news is, we adults have accumulated a great number of antibodies against most flus – our natural immunity against bacteria.
The bad news, however, is that our kids have not.
Protect yourself from flu
What can you do to protect yourself and your family from catching a flu?
As it turns out, the best ways to prevent infection are similar to preventing regular infectious diseases. Infectious diseases specialists have evolved protocol to deal with outbreaks. Here’s what you can do.
1. Know if you are at risk.
These facts decide whether or not you are at risk of getting H1N1.
· You cannot get H1N1 by eating pork.
· A flu shot will not protect you against this strain of virus. Everyone is vulnerable.
· Bacteria and virus can live outside the body for up to 2 hours and sometimes longer. So touching anything that is exposed to someone else’s germs makes you vulnerable. Do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth while you are outdoors.
· SMOKERS and Nail biters are at a greater risk of infection because of the hand to mouth contact associated with these habits.
· Masks such as the N95 can prevent H1N1 from being spread, but it is meant to be protection against spreading the virus to other people, not against catching it from other people. Also, each mask has a usaable life-span of only a few hours.
· Lastly, if your job involves meeting a lot of people, you are more exposed than people who aren’t. Monitor your own health closely, and seek medical attention, then stay home from work, if you’re feeling a flu coming on.
2. Know what the symptoms are.
Watch out for these symptoms:
· Loss of appetite
· Fever above 38 degrees Celsius
· Lethargy
· Malaise (muscle aches)
· Coughing
· Diarrhea,
· Vomiting
· Sore throats
· Chills
· Running nose
In children symptoms such as fast breathing, blue skin, avoiding fluids, irritability, or having a fever with rash are serious signs that a child needs medical attention immediately.
Also, cold and flu symptoms are often confused. Flu symptoms usually come on quickly (within 3-6 hours) and consist of a fever, body aches, dry cough, and extreme tiredness. Cold symptoms are less severe and people experience a stuffy nose, productive cough, slight tiredness, and limited body aches. Regardless of which you think you’re getting, you should seek medical attention and stay home from work or school.
3. Know the treatment options
Options | Helps prevent the flu | Treats the flu virus | Eases flu symptoms |
Flu vaccines | Yes | | |
Antivirals | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Antibiotics | Does not work | Does not work | Does not work |
Over-the-counter treatments | | | Yes |
Non-medical alternatives, such as vitamin supplements | Yes | | |
As you can tell from the table, flu vaccines are the most effective treatment option, although none exist yet for H1N1. It is important to note that antibiotics have no effect on the flu virus. Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria and are, therefore, only useful for treating bacterial infections.
Notably, vitamin supplements can prop up your immune system and prevent you from getting sick in the first place. And if you’re falling sick, your body will need all the help it can get.
Contributed by LiveWell Magazine