Swine Flu Facts

H1N1 (swine) Influenza

Brought to you by:

• As soon as flu-like symptoms develop, go home to recover, and take special care to avoid infecting others.
• Take care of yourself - stay in and rest. Sleep is the best thing you can do to heal and recover.
• Consult by phone with a medical provider if you have questions, concerns, an underlying health condition, or if symptoms worsen.
• Monitor your temperature. (Be aware that you are most contagious when you have a fever.)
• Drink plenty of clear liquids (water, broth, herbal tea, gatorade, etc.) to avoid dehydration.
• Take in adequate nutrition to support your immune system (soups, juices, applesauce, and other bland foods may be most comfortable).
• Use over-the-counter medications to treat symptoms: acetaminophen (Tylenol) for aches and pains (NOT aspirin); lozenges for sore throat; decongestants for runny nose.
• Continue to take your usual prescription medications (birth control, antidepressants, etc).
• Understand that antiviral medications (like Tamiflu) are recommended only for those at greater risk of complications or those seriously ill. (Antibiotics are not effective against viral illnesses like influenza.)
• Do not rush your recovery. Going back to work or class before you are well puts you at risk of a setback or making your illness worse.

• Keep a safe distance (at least 6 feet) from others.
• Wear a disposable face mask if close contact with others is unavoidable or if you must leave your room for medical care or other necessities.
• Be attentive to careful hygiene. Cover coughs and sneezes. Dispose of used tissues in the trash. Wash your hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Do not return to class or work until you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours. (Fever should be absent without the use of fever-reducing medicines.) A cough may linger, but is not considered reason to stay out of circulation.
• You can transmit virus for several days after symptoms are gone, so continue to use good hygiene and avoid close contact.
• Do not care for infants or other high-risk individuals if you are ill.
• Do not use public transportation. Delay travel until you are symptom-free.

• Because of the way flu is transmitted, most people have no more risk from a roommate they know is sick than they do from a classmate, teammate, friend, or even stranger they don't know is sick....if they are careful.
• Seasonal flu and novel H1N1 flu viruses are spread through infected droplets from breathing passages (they are not 'airborne'). Droplets are expelled by talking, spitting, coughing, and sneezing. They spread up to 3 feet from the infected person, either directly to other people or indirectly through hands and other surfaces.
• Consult a health care provider if you are pregnant or have a chronic health condition that puts you at greater risk for flu complications.
• Keep your distance from the sick person. If close contact (within 6 feet) is unavoidable, ask person to wear a mask.
• Clean your hands thoroughly and often, using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
   
• Help limit the spread to others:
   
• Restrict visitors, especially those who are at greater risk for complications from influenza.
• Clean surfaces with a household disinfectant (especially bedside tables and surfaces in the bathroom and kitchen).
• Wash linens (such as bed sheets and towels) with regular household laundry soap; tumble dry on a hot setting. Clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer right after handling dirtly laundry of an ill individual.
• Wash eating utensils in a dishwasher or by hand with hot water and soap. Rinse with hot water and dry thoroughly with a clean dry cloth.
• Consider using paper towels for drying hands after hand-washing. Alternatively, dedicate separate cloth towels for use by individuals in the household.
• When possible, maintain good ventilation in share household areas.

Schuyler County Health Department

Chemung County Health Department