Swine Flu Alert
On Sunday, April 26, 2009 US health officials declared swine flu a public health emergency. As of Sunday, 20 cases had been confirmed in the US and as of Monday, April 27, the number of cases reported in the US had doubled to 40. Only 26 cases of swine flu in Mexico have been confirmed, though over 1300 people are in hospitals with flu symptoms, and over 100 have died.
So far, cases in the US have been relatively mild, and no one has died. But children, and their parents, should keep their eyes open for signs of swine flu virus, and try not to contract it.
Look for these symptoms in children:
- Fever with a rash
- Dehydration
- Fast breathing
- Bluish skin coloration
- Slow to wake or sluggish interaction
- Flu-like symptoms improve, but then return and cough worsens
- Severe irritability
Look for these symptoms in adults:
- Difficulty breathing
- Dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Pain or pressure in the chest or stomach
To prevent the spread of swine flu, or any other flu, the US Center for Disease Control recommends:
- Wash your hands often with soap and water
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth--places where germs enter your body
- Try to avoid contact with sick people
- If you are sick, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough
posted by Dr. Suzanne Thomashow at
3:12 PM
1 Comments:
Now that we know the swine flu can be spread person to person, it is more important than ever to utilize a proactive preventative approach. There is a great program out that teaches the recommendations laid out in this article called Germy Wormy Germ Smart Kids. It teaches children in a mom-invented, innovative and imaginative way the CDC recommendations (and more) to both avoid catching AND keep from spreading germs. It is useful year-round, pandemic or not!
http://www.germywormy.com
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