The death of 14-year-old Pune girl has put the government on the backfoot. Here are the symptoms and treatment for the deadly diseases and how to fight it.
Symptoms and treatment
The basic symptoms for swine flu are similar to the seasonal flu – fever, sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, headache, body aches and fatigue.
H1N1 strain is a mutated form of the swine virus. It is communicable only through human-to-human contact.
Swine flu is not a food-borne disease and does not spread through pork.
Tamiflu, Relenza are prescription drugs effective against these strains of Swine Flu.
There is no vaccine for swine flu as yet.
The incubation period is one to seven days.
If an antiviral agent is warranted, it should ideally be initiated with 48 hours from the onset of symptoms.
Precautions
Here are a few simple dos and don’ts that will help prevent spreading the infection.
Maintain hygiene, wash hands frequently.
Avoid contact with those who cough and sneeze.
Avoid crowded places and social gatherings.
If there are any symptoms, contact the doctor immediately as the treatment drugs are not available in the open market.
If infected, stay home and avoid travelling.
Always cover mouth while coughing or sneezing, to avoid the disease from spreading.
–Agencies