What is the difference between the swine flu and regular flu?

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Is there anything to really worry about? Are the swine and regular flu the same? Why is there such a huge issue with the swine flu?
All types of flu can cause:
• Fever
• Coughing and/or sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Headaches and/or body aches •
• Chills
• Fatigue
H1N1 Flu Symptoms
H1N1 causes symptoms similar to seasonal flu and can include:
• *Fever
• Coughing and/or sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Headaches and/or body aches
• Chills
• Fatigue

In addition to the above symptoms, a number of H1N1 flu cases reported:
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
(*) Not everyone with flu will have a fever.

People infected with H1N1 are contagious 1 day before getting sick, and up to 7 days after that. This time period can be even longer in children and people with weakened immune systems.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health cautions anyone with the above symptoms to stay at home (except to get medical care) until at least 24 hours after the fever ends naturally (without the use of fever-reducing medication). Do not attempt to go to school or work. Doing so could spread the virus to those who are otherwise well.  (+ info)

How long after swine flu infection do symptoms start?

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How long after you get exposed to swine flu do you start getting the symptoms? Also does anyone know when the epidemic started in Mexico?
With in 24 Hrs.

The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.

State # of laboratory
confirmed cases
California 7 cases
Kansas 2 cases
New York City 8 cases
Ohio 1 case
Texas 2 cases
TOTAL COUNT 20 cases

Check out http://swineflu-symptoms.info
It has all you need to know about swines  (+ info)

After infection to swine flu, when do you become infectious to others?

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Can you pass it on to others before you start to feel or show symptoms? Not only swine flu but seasonal flu.
Thanks.
you are contagious 1 day before you start showing symptoms, it is like this with all flu's  (+ info)

What is the differences between swine and season flu?

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My younger sister got the "regular flu" NOT the swine flu. She went to the doctor and the results came back with the regular flu no swine flu. What is the differences between swine and regular (season) flu? Just don't tell me that "it is the same as swine flu but it is NOT."
No, i didnt post this question before.
oh wait. is swine flu more dangerous than season flu?
Influenza A virus strains are categorized according to two proteins found on the surface of the virus: hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N). All influenza A viruses contain hemagglutinin and neuraminidase, but the structures of these proteins differ from strain to strain, due to rapid genetic mutation in the viral genome.

Influenza A virus strains are assigned an H number and an N number based on which forms of these two proteins the strain contains. There are 16 H and 9 N subtypes known in birds, but only H 1, 2 and 3, and N 1 and 2 are commonly found in humans.

Each season, the "seasonal flu" varies because of the mutations in the genes. Seasonal flu, for example, could be H1N2, H2N2, H3N1 and so forth. When you get vaccinated for the seasonal flu, you receive a dead virus with multiple strands. The swine flu is H1N1. That's the only difference, other than the fact that it is more commonly found in pigs, over humans  (+ info)

Can swine flu virus infect you after remaining on a surface for 1 day?

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I have touched my cellphone yesterday, there may be swine flu virus on my hands since I touched many surfaces. Today, if I touch my cellphone and touch my mouth, can I get infected? Can a swine flu virus live on a surface for 1 day and still infect you?
the swine flu virus can remain upto 2-8 hours on the surface. wash ur hands when u shake hands or touch things in public places.  (+ info)

How do I prevent myself from getting swine flu?

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I'm going back to school tomorrow and with a school full of 600 people coughing and sneezing, I'm scared of getting swine flu. I'm bringing a hand sanitizer but is there anything else I can do so I won't get swine flu?
Thanks!
maybe you should homeschool.
others than that try your best to not get too close to people that you see that are showing flu-like symptoms such as coughing & sneezing.

Besides even if you do catch swine flu chances are that if regular seasonal flu hasn't killed you or sent you to the hospital before in your life neither will swine flu.  (+ info)

How long does the swine flu virus last outside its host?

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I read on the internet, from an unofficial source, that the swine flu virus only lasts for about 2 hours outside its host. I know some viruses, such as hepatitis B, can last for up to 6 months outside its host. Does anyone know the actually answer backed up scientifically?
I heard on the news last night up to 6 hours.  (+ info)

What are some good precautions to keep newborn from getting swine flu?

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I have a 5 year old in kindergarten and a 3 year old in a two day a week preschool program. I have a 4 week old and have heard (through a close friend at the hospital) that a few of the nurses at a neighboring hospital have tested positive for swine flu. I get my children vaccinated every year for the regular flu but those haven't been received yet (thought I know that won't help for swine flu.) Should I pull my 3 year old from the preschool program until spring when my newborn will be older? Any ideas and advice would be appreciated. Also, how are babies doing that get the swine flu?
Hello Christie,

Authorities have stated that high alert is only need for sick kids younger than 1 year old. So, this implicates that you can focuss on your youngest child to take care of swine flu prevention.

In general, hand hygiene appears to be among the very few factors that people can manage themselves. So, for example you can make sure that the other 2 kids have washed their hands before they start interacting with your youngest child.

The source below provides 10 golden rules for establishing hand hygiene.

By the way, try to be sensible with your actions. Pulling your 3 year old kid from the preschool program until spring is an option, but might actually be an over-reaction as well.

I hope this answer will be helpful for you to ease your mind a bit, since the some answers indicate that you might have a bit too much of worries on your mind.

Keep cool ... and think about your own hand hygiene!

Best wishes from The Netherlands,

Martijn  (+ info)

Will getting swine flu now make you more resistant to a possible more deadly strain in the future?

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People who were exposed to a previous related strain of swine flu are more resistant to this strain. Following that logic in this pandameic might it be wise to catch swine flu in case the virus mutates slightly and becomes deadly in the next 50 years... What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
This is how vaccines work- they give you a much weaker strain, or a strain that does not affect humans so that you will have immunity or a less severe response to the disease.
So technically, the vaccine should be fine. However, the strain can mutate enough times to make the original virus or vaccine almost void, so it's best to get a new one each year. Not because they wear out, but because the disease mutates.
saying this, I would not suggest consciously attempting to get the disease. ;)  (+ info)

What is a symptom that the swine flu gives you its self besides the normal flu symptoms?

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I know the swine flu gives the symptoms of sneezing, coughing and fever that a normal flu gives you. But I want to know what symptoms does the swine flu gives you besides those symptoms. Like a symptom that would let you know you have the swine flu.

I'm worried I might have it cause I I've had a runny nose and been coughing a lot for about a week. Also I just heard the swine flu came around close to where I live too. :(
There are no particular symptoms that distinguish swine flu from other types of flu. Symtoms like diarrhea and vomiting are also associated with swine flu. Those symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions, and that means that you and your doctor can't know, just based on your symptoms.

There is a similarity between the swine flu epidemic centered in Mexico City and the Spanish influenza epidemic of 1918-19. Infants and elderly were spared. It was the young adults with robust immune systems that were the prime victims and the disease took them literally by storm. What happens with young and healthy patients is that their immune systems react so strongly that they can triggers something known as a "cytokine storm".

In response to every infection, the body has a number of ways to fight back against the invading enemy. Cytokines are part of this defense. The name "cytokine storm" basically describes an over-reaction of a healthy immune system that has over-reacted and is damaging the body, causing failure of multiple organ systems. It can be triggered by many things, including viruses, although it's not common for human influenza A virus strains to cause it. The same thing occurs with new swine flu virus and the body has no defenses built up. When infected the body's own defensive systems are triggered to a powerful extent and cause havoc to the immune system. It’s something like dropping an H-bomb on a suspected burglar in your back yard. The result is to kill, or needlessly harm, the patient

In children the immune responses are still developing, while the elderly immune function tends to be weaker due to the aging process. Both groups have weak immune system that is why they are vulnerable to complications from the regular flu and tend to get pneumonia and other opportunistic infections after being weakened further by the regular flu. Fortunately, they don't have systems that react strongly to the flu itself that can generate the cytokine storm. However, the healthy approximately 15 to 60 year old individual the most likely to actually succumb to the swine flu.

A cytokine storm can overcome the nervous system and cause breathing and internal organs problems, which is why hospitals put critical flu patients on assisted machines. What really frightens experts in the pandemic field is the fact that most hospitals only have a few of these facilities and they are often in use for surgical or other critical patients. There is simply no way to provide interim support for tens of thousands of pandemic flu victims, even in advanced countries with a strong hospital system. The equipment just doesn't exist to put them all on breathing machines until their bodies are able to recover naturally.  (+ info)

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