How can I prevent swine flu infection?

How can I prevent swine flu infection?

The CDC recommends taking these steps:

Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Or, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.

Avoid close contact with sick people.

Avoid touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

Got flu symptoms? Stay home, and when you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. Afterward, throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands.

Should I cancel my travel plans?

Only if you're already sick. The World Health Organization and CDC currently don't recommend any travel bans or travel restrictions for healthy people. An earlier U.S. advisory against travel to Mexico has been lifted. But if you're sick, health officials want you to stay home. If you have flu-like symptoms, the CDC says you should stay home and avoid travel for seven days after you get sick or for at least 24 hours after you stop having symptoms, whichever is longer.

What else should I be doing?

Keep informed of what's going on in your community. Your state and local health departments will have important information on how your area is handling swine flu and on the swine flu vaccine, when it becomes available. If you're a parent, you may also want to plan how you would handle your child's school being temporarily closed due to H1N1 swine flu.

Is there a swine flu vaccine for people?

Is there a swine flu vaccine for people?

Clinical trials of a swine flu vaccine are underway. Here, WebMD Senior Writer Daniel J. DeNoon gets his shot in a trial being conducted at Emory University in Atlanta. Depending on how long federal officials wait for the results of these tests, tens of millions of doses of swine flu vaccine could be ready as soon as September 2009, with more vaccine becoming available each month thereafter.

How severe is swine flu?

The severity of cases in the current swine flu pandemic has varied widely, from mild cases to fatalities. Most U.S. cases have been mild, but there have been a number of deaths and hundreds of hospitalizations. Flu viruses can change, and it's impossible to know whether the H1N1 swine flu virus will become more deadly. But so far, this particular virus hasn't changed much since it first appeared.

How many people have swine flu?

How many people have swine flu?

That's a hard question to answer, because the figure is changing so quickly and the H1N1 virus is has spread worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) is no longer keeping count of people sickened by H1N1 swine flu, and is concentrating instead on unusual cases that may arise. The CDC is also de-emphasizing case counts. Instead, it's reporting where and when there are unusually high numbers of flu cases.

How is swine flu treated?

The H1N1 swine flu virus is sensitive to the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza. The CDC recommends those drugs to prevent or treat swine flu; the drugs are most effective when taken within 48 hours of the start of flu symptoms. But not everyone needs those drugs. Most people who have come down with swine flu have recovered without treatment. The U.S. government has replenished state stockpiles of Tamiflu and Relenza in preparation for the fall flu season. Health officials have asked people not to hoard Tamiflu or Relenza.