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WebMD Has Swine Flu
Since the swine flu outbreak began, the writers, editors, and doctors at WebMD have made sure that you are on top of the latest swine flu developments.
But now swine flu has hit us in a different way. Like many other Americans, WebMD employees are coming down with swine flu symptoms.
Just in the past week, there have been several employees who have been home sick with swine flu symptoms, or home with sick kids.
Their experiences, which they will share over the next few days, will answer questions you have probably been wondering about.
What will the doctor do if you have swine flu symptoms? What should you do? Read their stories and learn all you can about swine flu in WebMD's Swine Flu Center.
Learn what to expect from others who have already gone through it. It might not be what you'd guess.
For example, if you had swine flu symptoms, you'd want to be tested to know for sure if you actually had swine flu, right? Well, you probably won't be. Unless you're very sick or have complications, which, thankfully, most people don't, your doctor won't likely test you for swine flu. And the truth is there is really no reason for the test in most of us. The test won't change treatment, it takes a long time (and by that time you're better anyway), and it's not very accurate.
It might be trite, but knowledge really is power when it comes to swine flu. You need to be prepared before you get sick.
Know when you should stay home, when you should go see the doctor, and what to expect if you do go see the doctor.
Even though some of us are home sick (which is where you should be if you think you may have swine flu!), WebMD is on top of the latest swine flu developments and recommendations, including "New Details on Swine Flu Deaths in Kids" and the latest CDC swine flu recommendations on day care advice.
But now swine flu has hit us in a different way. Like many other Americans, WebMD employees are coming down with swine flu symptoms.
Just in the past week, there have been several employees who have been home sick with swine flu symptoms, or home with sick kids.
Their experiences, which they will share over the next few days, will answer questions you have probably been wondering about.
What will the doctor do if you have swine flu symptoms? What should you do? Read their stories and learn all you can about swine flu in WebMD's Swine Flu Center.
Learn what to expect from others who have already gone through it. It might not be what you'd guess.
For example, if you had swine flu symptoms, you'd want to be tested to know for sure if you actually had swine flu, right? Well, you probably won't be. Unless you're very sick or have complications, which, thankfully, most people don't, your doctor won't likely test you for swine flu. And the truth is there is really no reason for the test in most of us. The test won't change treatment, it takes a long time (and by that time you're better anyway), and it's not very accurate.
It might be trite, but knowledge really is power when it comes to swine flu. You need to be prepared before you get sick.
Know when you should stay home, when you should go see the doctor, and what to expect if you do go see the doctor.
Even though some of us are home sick (which is where you should be if you think you may have swine flu!), WebMD is on top of the latest swine flu developments and recommendations, including "New Details on Swine Flu Deaths in Kids" and the latest CDC swine flu recommendations on day care advice.
20 Comments:
Is there any information on how long the H1N1 virus may live on hard surfaces? I believe that with HBV and HIV the lives of those viruses were seconds and weeks.
once diagnosed with swine flu and you have recovered
can you contract the virus again?
I want to know the answer to the second question. We think our college-age daughter had H1N1 this summer (all the symptoms--every one) but the initial rapid flu test had come back negative.
Should she be getting vaccinated, since we're only 99% positive it was H1N1?
I have been Diagnosed by my doctor with the Swine Flue, will I die?
Ok, some answers
Anonymous 1: read the 8 page article on WebMD (given below) and other informational articles from different websites.
"One study showed that flu viruses can live for up to 48 hours on hard, nonporous surfaces such as stainless steel and for up to 12 hours on cloth and tissues. The virus seems to survive for only minutes on your hands" (Source: WebMD)
Anonymous 2: Probably not, H1N1 is similar to common influenza and once your body creates immunity by having the virus you should be fine. Only if the virus mutates than you could possibly catch a new strain but H1N1 has shown few signs of mutation.
Anonymous 3: Sucks she was sick, sounds like H1N1 and rapid tests don't always see the virus. I wouldn't panic and would think about getting the shots eventually
Griph: Don't be so dramatic, although people do die from complications resulting from H1N1 it is far from a death sentence. Make some chicken noodle soup, call in sick, take your vitamins, get some rest, and get better. Be mindful of your symptoms and seek medical attention if you worsen. I think you will be ok ;)
For anyone else take the time to educate yourself, knowledge is power.
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/flu-guide/swine-flu-faq-1
WASH YOUR HANDS AND COVER YOUR MOUTH WHEN YOU COUGH!!!
~Good advice from a 24 year old in West Michigan.
My daughter is 5 and has a fever for the past 2 days but has not had any of the other symptoms except for a headache... could it be swine flu of just a cold... Should she be checked
If she is 5 and has had a fever for 2 days....yes, I would say bring her in? What's the worst....a $25 co-pay? Or your 5 year old baby in pain with a fever?
since we live rural and I pay for a daycare type of preschool since that is all thats is available in my area and I do it just for social activities for my son I am keeping him home and continuing education here... he is 4 and not eligible for kindergarten till next year. Is this a paranoid decision? I feel it is a good one, because of all the factors he has a 2 yr old sister and my 80 yr old grandma lives next door my husband is our breadwinnner and I hope he will be able to avoid missing any work.
If you think you have swine flu insist on getting tested for it because my youngest of 4 children had it and was hospitalized for pneumonia for a week. The other kids had symptoms and were not tested but put on tamiflu. This was in May. Now their doctor told me that she doesn't know if the other kids should get the vaccine when it becomes available. I wish they would have been tested but at the time no one was thinking about future issues as this.
My 10 year old son is due for his yearly flu vaccine(now, the 2009 virus strain).I wanna have him get the vaccine now, together with everyone in our household. However, my husband, said the swine flu vaccine might be available anytime, so he's opposing me to ge my son vaccinated with his yearly flu vaccine. His concern is that, maybe if our son get vaccinated with his yearly flu vaccine, he won't be able to be vaccinated with the swine flu vaccine whenever it's available. Can we give our son his yearly flu vaccine? Then whenever, the swine flu vaccine is available, can he be given that vaccine too? Or it can't be??? because they are both flu vaccines? Please enlighten me with this, coz my husband is always travelling, working in the airlines, making us all at risk of different diseases, especially viruses!
Hope everyone at WebMD is feeling better soon. I think sometimes we (the readers) get so caught up in our own health problems, etc., that we forget that there are humans involved in producing WebMD. Thanks for all that you do.
My daughter is 25 weeks pregnant and they want her to be vaccinated against the seine flu. How do we know this is safe for the unborn baby and that she will not be damaged in any way since this is such a new vaccination?
Is there any way besides going to the doctor to tell if you have swine flu or strep, they sound the same to me
My daughter tested positive for Influenza Type A, which is most likely swine flu. She has had symptoms for 5 days now. Although she isn't vomiting anymore, she still has a 102 degree temp and just started complaining about being itchy. Should the new symptom be a concern or is a sign the fever is on it's way out? We are currently alternating between ibuprofen and acetomenophin.
I am 48 and have had swine flu-verified at the ER-for 2 weeks. They would not keep me at the hospital even tho my temp was 105 degrees and I am diabetic and have lupus and copd. I also had pneumonia and severe vomiting and diarhea-ALL the symptoms that come with it. My chest still hurts from coughing so much and I am asleep 20 hours a day and too weak to care for myself but they refused to keep me at the hospital saying they had to protest themselves and other patients! I went by ambulance and have noone to take care of me. Don't we all matter and what is the hospital for if not to take care of those of us too sick to care for ourselves? That'swhy I am on the Internet; I don't know what to do for myself. I have lost 15 lbs in 2 weeks and also to get an IV in my veins, they had to poke me 8 times to get a vein to hold some saline because I was so dehydrated. Theynstill sent me home and have only given me nausea meds. I've taken Tylenol to help my fever that has lasted over a week of 104 and higher. They say this is mild, but my life has stopped the last 2 weeks! Will I ever get better? Am I immune to getting it again? I hope you all are better soon. My thoughts and prayersa re with you especially if you are anywhere as near sick as I am. Deb
The answer to if you can get it again is the same as the regular flu....you can certainly get the regular flu more than once in a season...so this should be the same...it's just a flu.
my daughter was just diagnosed with it this morning.She started running a fever while we were visiting relatives this weekend & complaining of feeling achy all over along with coughing & a sore throat.She has ran fever off & on since then but hasn't threw up & hasn't had the diarrhea.When our doc called us back with the results, they called in a prescription for Tamiflu - we notified our family & the school.Obviously we aren't the only ones in our area to have the crud when the clinic was full of alot of people coughing/complaining today.I think that whenever anyone is sick with ANYTHING that they need to stay home so they don't infect anyone else. And Jason,how dare you tell Griph not to be so dramatic! Do you have this? Does one of your kids or a loved one? There have been I don't know how many deaths in Mexico from it & 4 in Dallas- 1 or 2 were kids. Those of you thinking that everyone is blowing this all way out of proportion,you don't know until you or a loved one get it!
People stay home when you're sick & practice good hygiene!
I am 69 yrs. old, in good health, exercise frequently, and had both the Asian flu in 1958 and the HongKong flu in 1968 or early 69. I realize those two flus were not H1N1 but does having had them help make me immune to the H1N1 flu? RG
My husband probably has Swine Flu - I have no symptoms but I work with an 88 year old in close contact once a week. Should I skip this week just in case I do have it and the symptoms haven't shown yet? Or can it only spread once the symptoms have started to show.
my daughter is 2 and she has been runnibg a fever off and on for about 10 days runny nose and coughing and today she threw up but it was mucus but has stopped coughing a little bit since then should i be worried especially about the fever even though its not consistant and she acts fine now the first few days she just wanted me to hold her but the whole family has been coughing and had runny nose but no fever could this be swine flu thank you
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