Separating H1N1 Flu Myths from Facts

With the world facing its first pandemic of influenza in more than 40 years, it’s easy to be distracted by misinformation circulating about the Novel H1N1 (aka "swine") influenza virus and seasonal flu. To best prepare, it’s important to separate fact from fiction.

1. I’m healthy so I don’t need to worry about the H1N1 flu.

Swine flu, like seasonal flu, can infect anyone. What’s worse is that teens, young adults, and pregnant women, who are not usually at high risk for developing complications from the regular flu, appear to be at risk for hospitalization and even death from the H1N1 flu.

200,000 people are hospitalized each year with flu complications and 36,000 die. Flu symptoms are: fever, cough, headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, extreme tiredness, and body aches. The flu can disrupt your work, school and social life for up to two weeks.

2. The H1N1 flu vaccine will give me the flu.

The flu vaccine is created by using egg-based technology containing particles of the dead virus, so there is no way to transmit influenza from an influenza vaccine.

Vaccine prevents flu in about 70-90 percent of healthy people under the age of 65. Vaccine effectiveness is subject to variables such as age, health status and a match between the virus strain in vaccine and the virus strain in circulation. It takes several weeks to develop immunity following a vaccination so it is possible to contract influenza during this time period.

3. Vaccines are dangerous. I’ll just expose myself to a person who has the flu so that I get the virus and build a natural immunity to it.

The risk from the vaccine is far, far less than the risk of actual exposure to the virus. When you expose yourself to the flu, you’re actually getting the disease rather than being inoculated against the disease.

Having the flu also means becoming a carrier. You can spread the flu 24 hours before the onset of symptoms. It is highly contagious and can easily be passed from a low-risk individual to a high-risk individual who can suffer serious complications.


4. Wearing a mask will protect me from swine flu.

Receiving a seasonal flu vaccine and the H1N1 vaccine, when available, are the best method of prevention.

Surgical masks are used as a physical barrier to protect employees from hazards such as splashes of large droplets of blood or body fluids. Surgical masks also prevent contamination by trapping particles of body fluids that may contain bacteria or viruses when they are expelled by the wearer, thus protecting other people against infection from the person wearing the surgical mask.

5. Using hand sanitizer isn’t as effective as washing your hands.

Hand sanitizers have been shown to be very effective in killing flu virus and should be used not only by people trying to prevent catching the virus, but also by people who have the virus to keep from spreading it to others.

6. If H1N1 is a variant of swine flu, I should stop eating pork.

This is a myth. All indications are that this virus is spread from person to person via respiratory droplets, which are passed from a sick person into the mucous membranes (eyes, nose, mouth) of a susceptible host.

7. I never get the flu…

Flu strains change every year, which means even if you had a natural immunity to previous strains, your immunity may not protect you from each year’s new circulating strain.

8. I should stop shaking hands with people.

People can still shake hands with each other as long as they are not symptomatic. Again, the H1N1 flu takes a respiratory root of transmission through coughing and sneezing and landing on a susceptible host.

After shaking hands, people should wash them or use hand sanitizer before they touch their mouths, noses or eyes.

9. If I get the regular flu shot each year, I don’t need to get the H1N1 flu shot too.

The regular flu shot was formulated before we knew about H1N1, so it does not offer protection against H1N1.

The seasonal flu shot will be available in September, and people who normally get the shot should continue to do so.

Certain groups will need to get both vaccines, including health care workers, pregnant women, people between the ages of 6 months and 24 years, household contacts of children under the age of 6 months, and people age 24 to 65 with chronic medical conditions or compromised immune systems.

10. All patients with influenza should be treated with Antivirals.

Clinical judgment is an important factor in treatment decisions. Persons with suspected H1N1 influenza who present with an uncomplicated febrile illness typically do not require treatment unless they are at higher risk for influenza complications.

Administration of antivirals must be used within 48 hours of the onset of symptoms for maximum effectiveness.

Antivirals should be targeted for pregnant woman, children, adults with chronic diseases (such as asthma, COPD, and diabetes), and patients hospitalized due to the H1N1 influenza.

Quoted:
Thanks for the tips.  

So here's a question for you guys.

Would you attend the annual company picnic?
My boss already experienced a week long quarantine due to the illness.
I have a 3 month old baby and the general idea for my wife and I is to limit our exposure to other people.
Is avoiding the party fearful thinking or a sound policy?