“Wash your hands, don’t wring them” is the advice of local and national health experts

While the media coverage about the swine flu outbreak can make people feel on edge and anxious, education is the great equalizer! Instead of choosing to stress, which can make you more susceptible to illness, get busy finding out the facts about swine flu and learn about how to prevent the spread of germs at home, school and work. Here are some tips for staying healthy, calm and informed.

Stay Healthy

These steps may help prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses such as the flu:

  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze – throw the tissue away immediately after you use it.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. If you are not near water, use an alcohol-based (60-95 percent) hand cleaner.
  • Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
  • If you get the flu, stay home from work, school, and social gatherings. In this way you will help prevent others from catching your illness.
  • Try not to touch your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs often spread this way.

Stay Calm
It's important to be cautious, heed warnings if they are issued, and do what you can to prepare and prevent, but there's no need to panic. Anxiety that you may be feeling is your body's natural way to motivate action, but once you've done what you can to prepare, it helps to let go of anxiety. Because stress affects your immune system, excessive worry won't help you, and at this point, there's no call for it.

Check with your doctor

If you have symptoms of flu and have traveled recently to the affected states or countries, contact your health care provider to discuss symptoms and the possible need for testing or treatment. Be sure to tell your travel history. Antiviral drugs (oseltamivir or zanamivir) are prescription medicines that prevent flu viruses from multiplying in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within two days of symptoms).

Swine flu is a type A influenza virus found in pigs, but not usually in people. It spreads the way a cold does, not from eating pork. This year’s seasonal flu vaccine does not prevent swine flu.This new “swine flu virus” is transmitted person-to-person when people cough and sneeze, spreading germs through the air, or on to surfaces that others touch. Infection occurs when the virus gets into the airways and lungs.

Infected people may be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to seven or more days after becoming sick. That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.

Human symptoms for this new type of swine flu are similar to the symptoms of seasonal influenza: Fever above 100º F, cough, and sore throat. Some people also report fatigue, body aches, lack of appetite, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.Call your health care provider; don’t go in person unless your provider tells you to do so.

Stay Informed

  • Knowing the facts is the best preparation. Identify sources you can count on for reliable information. If a pandemic occurs, having accurate and reliable information will be critical.
  • A source for updated information on swine and pandemic influenza is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Hotline at: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636). This line is available in English and Spanish, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
  • Look for information on your local and state government Web sites.
  • Listen to local and national radio, watch news reports on television, and read your newspaper and other sources of printed and reliable web-based information.
  • Talk to your local health care providers and public health officials.
  • Call 425-339-5266 for a recorded message about swine flu in English and Spanish. Also check the Snohomish Health District Web site for updates.

The Center for Disease Control (CDC) is releasing one-quarter of its antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to help states, including Washington, respond to the outbreak. Snohomish Health District will coordinate local distribution to health care providers at the direction of the state if human swine flu is confirmed in SnohomishCounty.

Although, as of April 29, 2009, there were no reported cases of human swine flu in SnohomishCounty, “We all have a responsibility to reduce the chances of that possibility,” said Interim Superintendent Karst Brandsma. “I am asking that all staff and our families be mindful of the universal precautions listed above. As we get information and instruction from health agencies, we will forward it quickly to you.”

According to its site the CDC is working very closely with officials in states where human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) have been identified, as well as with health officials in Mexico, Canada and the World Health Organization. This includes deploying staff domestically and internationally to provide guidance and technical support.

CDC activated its EmergencyOperationsCenter to coordinate the agency's response to this emerging health threat and the Secretary of the Department Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, has declared a public health emergency in the United States. This will allow funds to be released to support the public health response.

CDC has issued a number of interim guidance documents in the past 24 hours. In addition, CDC's Division of the Strategic National Stockpile is releasing one-quarter of its antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to help states respond to the outbreak. Laboratory testing has found the swine influenza virus susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide updated guidance and new information as it becomes available.

Reliable sources for local, national and international information include:

  • wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/
  • wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/contentSwineFluMexico.aspx