• Swine flu or the H1N1 virus is highly contagious and can be contracted through coughing, sneezing or even talking to someone infected.
• H1N1 is most severe in children, pregnant women and elderly, along with people with underlying chronic conditions.
• Since January 2022 around 10,000 people were screened for H1N1 virus in India.
• It was declared as a pandemic from April 2009 to 2010 and an estimated 61 million people were infected worldwide, with around 3,00,000 hospitalizations and 15,000 deaths over the course of 1 year.
The H1N1 virus or the more commonly known as “swine flu”, is a relatively new strain of the influenza virus, predominantly causing respiratory illness. It originated in pigs but primarily spread from person to person. The symptoms of swine flu are more or less similar to seasonal flu.
How is seasonal flu different from swine flu? How do I know if I contracted common cold or is it H1N1? Are only people who consume pigs at risk of swine flu? When should you consult your doctor?
When it first emerged, swine flu was most common in children 5 years and older and young adults. This was unusual because most flu virus infections are a higher risk for complications in older adults or the very young. Today, risk factors for getting swine flu are the same as for any other strain of the flu. You’re most at risk if you spend time in an area with a large number of people who are infected with swine flu.
The symptoms of swine flu are very similar to common cold with the affected individual having fever, chills, fatigue, coughing, sore throat and also vomiting and diarrhea. Due to such intricate similarities, it becomes very difficult even for the healthcare provider to distinguish swine flu from seasonal flu. Although a definitive method can be through lab investigations. Just like COVID-19, swine flu can be tested through nose or throat swabs. Just in 15 minutes your laboratory would be able to tell if influenza a or b is detected in the swab.
H1N1 virus is spread in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. You could catch the flu directly from droplets from the cough or sneeze of an infected person, or by touching an object they recently touched, and then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose. People infected with H1N1 become contagious generally one day before showing symptoms and can continue to spread the virus for five to seven days after. Domestic animals such as dogs and cats are also susceptible to the virus due to close contact with humans.
Although the disease usually doesn’t run a severe course, it is important to consult your doctor when you experience flu like symptoms especially during an outbreak of the disease. It is estimated that more than half of the deaths caused by the H1N1 were in the Southeast Asian and African regions. An estimated 395,600 people died due to respiratory complications attributed to H1N1 influenza during the first 12 months of the virus’s outbreak in 2009.
So can you prevent catching the flu? Fortunately, the answer is YES. The best way to prevent swine flu is to get a yearly flu vaccination. Other easy ways to prevent swine flu include, frequently washing hands with soap, not touching your nose, mouth, or eyes (The virus can survive on surfaces like telephones and tabletops.) and avoiding large gatherings when swine flu is in season.
-Stay healthy
Dr.Aishwarya Nair
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