ET By Invite - You can Fence Yourself against Swine Flu

The number of swine flu (H1N1) cases in the first three months of this year has already

crossed the total num ber of cases reported in all of 2016. This reporting of cases only

represents the tip of the iceberg because of two reasons -clinically it is impossible to

differentiate H1N1 from normal flu and the lab facility to conduct the test is not freely

available (may not be needed too).

SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST

No other organism can claim to have taken these words more seriously than the flu virus. By

the unique mechanism of Antigenic Shift and Drift -change in the structure of viral protein to

hoodwink the host defence -the flu virus reinvents itself into a more lethal form than the

existing strain. This resultant loss of defence memory of the host results in rapid and

devastating spread of flu from time to time, lead ing to a pandemic. The influenza virus is of

three types A,B & C. Only the influenza A virus can affect species other than human beings,

including birds and animals. H1N1 virus is a Type A influenza virus with a reassortment of

human, avian and swine proteins, hence it is called the Swine Flu Virus.

SPREAD

People who have flu can spread it one day before they have any symptoms and as many as

seven days after they get sick. Kids can be contagious for as long as 10 days.

I) DIRECT SPREAD `Droplet' Spread

Droplets containing the virus produced when coughing, sneezing and talking get deposited in

the mouth, nose and eyes.

II) INDIRECT SPREAD

Touching the mouth, nose and eyes after touching contaminated surface.

The virus can survive on hard surfaces for a few hours (that is, on desks, chairs, door handles,

etc).

SYMPTOMS

The symptoms are similar to those of seasonal flu. They are fever, cough, sore throat, muscle

aches, joint pains, fatigue, diarrhoea and vomiting. Patients may experience some or all of

these symptoms and may be contagious before symptoms are seen.

HIGH-RISK GROUPS

Children below five years of age and adults over 60 are at a greater risk of contracting the

infection. Being in crowded places, at tending to someone with flu, caring for the sick and

being exposed to school or hospital environments add to the risk Those pregnant, obese,

diabetic, having cardiovascular disease, asthma and COPD should be extra cautious.

TREATMENT

Reassuring the public that H1N1 is not fatal in all cases and that most cases respond to simple

measures is important. Early recognition of complications of respiratory distress is also

crucial.

Most patients do not require any specific measures and are treated as normal flu cases. Based

on the associated risk factors and presence of warning symptoms, other patients are

categorised into A, B and C.

Besides supportive treatment, categories B and C should be treated with antiflu medication; it

is important to recognise and treat the complications as well.

Some of the same antiviral drugs that are used to treat seasonal flu also work against H1N1

swine flu. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu), peramivir (Rapivab), and zanamivir (Relenza) are the drugs

that are effective. It is important to note that these drugs work best when used within 48 hours

of onset of symptoms.

We should discourage the routine use of antiflu drugs. The overprescription of these

medicines is most often unnecessary and starting beyond 72 hours may not be helpful.

Antibiotics are useful only in case of secondary bacterial infection.

PREVENTION

While swine flu isn't as scary as it seemed a few years ago, it's still important to protect

yourself against it. Here are some things you can do to stay healthy:

A) VACCINE

Flu vaccine can be taken as a shot or as a nasal spray. The injections have more predictable

response compared to sprays.

B) OTHER METHODS

i) Wash your hands periodically with soap and water. You can use an alcohol based hand

sanitiser too.

ii) Cover your nose and mouth while coughing and sneezing.

iii) Don't touch your eyes, nose or mouth.

iv) Avoid people who are sick.

v) Mask, as a prevention of spread, is more useful when the patient wears it rather than close

contacts wearing it.

vi) Close contacts (of H1N1 cases) can take oseltamivir once a day for 10 days, after

consulting a doctor.

Resting at home when sick is the most important thing to do to minimise the spread in the

community and for a speedy recovery.

Source: The Times of India