New studies show that many people spread swine flu for a week or more after symptoms first appear, and doctors say coughing may be a better sign than fever for telling who is contagious.
Health officials have been telling people to avoid contact with others for a day after their fever goes away. The new research suggests they may need to be careful for longer, especially at home where the risk of spreading the germ is highest.
“This study shows you’re not contagious for a day or two. You’re probably contagious for about a week,” said Dr. Gaston De Serres, a scientist at the Institute of Public Health in Quebec, Canada.
It is unclear whether the new research will prompt the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to rethink its advice. Long breaks from school and work do not seem worth it for a virus that now seems to cause mostly mild illness, said the CDC’s flu chief, Nancy Cox. Swine flu is spreading so widely now that confining the sick does less good, she said.
“We tried to have our guidance balance out all of these factors,” she said. “It’s just virtually impossible not to have virus introduced into settings such as schools and universities.”
Source - The Associated Press
What Would You Do?
So how would you know what to if you or your kids were sick?
How are we supposed to know the difference between a cold, the flu and swine flu?
According to the CDC, like seasonal flu, symptoms of swine flu infections can include:
- fever, which is usually high, but unlike seasonal flu, is sometimes absent
- cough
- runny nose or stuffy nose
- sore throat
- body aches
- headache
- chills
- fatigue or tiredness, which can be extreme
- diarrhea and vomiting, sometimes, but more commonly seen than with seasonal flu
Signs of a more serious swine flu infection might include pneumonia and respiratory failure.
If your child has symptoms of swine flu, you should avoid other people and call your pediatrician who might do a rapid flu test to see if he has an influenza A infection. Further testing can then be done to see if it is a swine flu infection. (Samples can be sent to local and state health departments and the CDC for confirmation of swine flu, especially if a child is in the hospital.)
Today I took both of my kids top the doctor. They have been coughing and I was increasingly worried about my 8 year old, who has been suffering with a fever and cough for 6 days now.
I thought he had bronchitis or worse, from the way he was coughing. Luckily he didn’t. I also dealt with something that I had not thought about before, my older son, now 13 has asthma, making him more susceptible to infections of the lungs. Which is one thing associated with the swine flu.
I was obviously worried about both of my children, so I did what a parent is supposed to. I kept both kids out of school and took them to the pediatrician for an assessment.
Serious Swine Flu Symptoms
More serious symptoms that would indicate that a child with swine flu would need urgent medical attention include:
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish or gray skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
About The Author - Lisa Macfarlane is a professional health writer and editor who specializes in sexual health and men’s health issues.
