21st Guru

We are today (more and more|more} vulnerable from the various strains of the flu virus. initially we had scares over the bird flu virus, and more recently swine flu has become a latest worry. Swine flu is of more concern than bird flu was. It was a worry that bird flu could change into a form that would effect humans, but for a handful of cases, this did not materialize. Swine flu is a larger concern, swine flu has the ability to pass from human to human making swine flu a very serious threat.

Swine flu (influenza A (H1N1) is a disease that infects pigs and is caused by a flu virus. Swine flu outbreaks in pigs is not uncommon but is rarely fatal. In the past, swine flu doesn’t normally infect humans, although it can occasionally happen.

Swine flu is particularly dangerous as it is a new type of virus. This means that no one has been in contact with this particular strain of flu previously, therefore no one has developed any immunity to this flu strain. It is our immunity that stops diseases from becoming life threatening, with no inbuilt immunity to the swine flu virus we are at the mercy of the virus. Everyone is vulnerable, this includes healthy adults and teenagers as well as young children and the elderly.

The real concern is what occurs when the flu season starts in the winter. This is the period when the virus may quickly spread causing a flu pandemic with the possibility of over half of the population becoming infected.

The symptoms of swine flu are very similar to the symptoms of ordinary flu. The symptoms include a sudden,sudden onset of a fever, cough, shortness of breath. Other symptoms can include headache, sore throat, muscle aches, chills, sneezing, a runny nose, loss of appetite and tiredness.

Precautions to take Anyone with the symptoms of a cold or flu needs to take a few easy, but very important precautions. The virus is spread between humans by the droplets from the mouth and nose when someone coughs or sneezes. This is the way viruses such as swine flu are spread from person to person. Covering your face with your hands when you cough or sneeze is not enough. The virus then live on your hands, then everything you touch afterwards becomes contaminated. Anyone then touching anything you touched will pick up the flu virus and will then risk becoming infected. Therefore, always use a handkerchief or tissue. A tissue is better, this should be disposed of safely as soon as you can, and always use a new tissue if you cough or sneeze again.

There are currently no vaccinations to stop anyone catching swine flu. The swine flu virus is a new strain of virus and isn’t the same as ordinary flu. The vaccination against the usual ordinary flu is not effective against swine flu. Once the type of flu virus causing swine flu is identified, it will then take several months to manufacture. By this time, it may have mutated into a different strain.

The only effective precaution against swine flu is Tamiflu. Tamiflu isn’t guaranteed to stop flu, but when someone has been exposed to another person who is carrying the swine flu virus, Tamiflu can help to stop the virus making a person sick. If Tamiflu is taken within 2 days of contracting the flu virus, Tamiflu can help to stop the virus spreading throughout the body, thereby reducing the symptoms and risk associated. Governments worldwide are stockpiling Tamiflu, these supplies will naturally be used to treat key workers and individuals before treating the general population.

You can however buy Tamiflu online, so if the situation arises you can protect yourself and your family. It can’t be emphasized strongly enough, Tamiflu needs to be taken as soon as possible if it is to be effective, delays in treating the flu virus will greatly reduce the effectiveness of Tamiflu. If you are at a increased risk because of your situation, such as For example living in a city with a large population or working in a busy open plan office, then it may be prudent to buy Tamiflu before the flu season begins. If you live in the country and do not have close contact with many people then of course your risk will be lower.

Remember that swine flu is a global problem. If a pandemic outbreak becomes global it is possible that supplies of Tamiflu may not be enough to meet a huge worldwide demand.

Until a vaccine is discovered and produced in the large quantities required, Tamiflu is the most effective treatment for swine flu.

Disclaimer: This article is based on information that is freely available in the popular press and medical journals related to swine flu. Nothing in this posting is intended to be or should be taken to be any sort of medical advice. For medical advice you should consult your healthcare worker.