The year 2009 has seen an outbreak of a new influenza (flu) strain called 2009 H1N1, also referred to as "Swine Flu." Swine flu and the regular seasonal flu have many symptoms in common, such as fever, chills, stomach upset, headache, cough, sore throat and fatigue. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), swine flu, first seen in the United States in April 2009, is spreading from person to person in what the World Health Organization is calling a "global pandemic." In fact, on April 26, 2009, President Barack Obama declared a National Emergency with respect to the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic. Therefore, it is important to understand how this virus spreads from person to person.
Contact with Infected Persons
Close contact with sick individuals who are coughing and sneezing can result in catching the swine flu. The CDC recommends that people avoid contact with the sputum of people who are infected. Catching the flu is especially easy if the infected person is coughing or sneezing and not using a tissue or frequently washing his hands.
A person can also catch the swine flu when he touches surfaces that a person infected with the swine flu has touched. The CDC also advises that infected sputum (mucus) from a sick person can stick to doorknobs, telephones and table surfaces and other objects. When you touch that surface, the virus is transferred from that surface to your hand. When you touch your nose or mouth, you can be infected.
Time
People infected with the ordinary seasonal flu may be contagious for one to two days. However, a research study by Gaston de Serres at the Institute of Public Health in Quebec, Canada, indicates that people with the swine flu may be contagious for a week. Therefore, avoid coming into contact with people who have had symptoms within the last seven days.
Environment
Influenza spreads rapidly among areas with a high density of people. A likely place to catch the flu is the crowded environment of an airplane. The U.S. government advises against travel for people with flu-like symptoms, both during illness and for 24 hours after the presence of a fever. Avoid spending much time among large groups of people when the swine flu is prevalent in your area. Though the spread of the swine flu is a serious threat to our health, we are not without power to limit its contagious effects. The spread of the swine flu can be limited if we practice common sense and maintain adequate personal hygiene.
