Swine Flu: Stay Informed

Your Health is a column By Dr. C. Farquharson-Deveaux,MD that is published monthly in The Eleutheran Newspaper. Dr. Farquharson is a Family Medicine Specialist at Holistic Family Medicine Center, Tonique Williams-Darling Hwy (West) , Nassau, N.P. Bahamas. P.O. Box S.P. 60568, Tel: 242-326-1665/6. Office Hours 9a.m. to 5p.m. Call For more Information

The media has been saturated with information regarding the swine flu for the past few weeks.  It is possible that people can become immune to what is being spewed out at this point, especially since the Bahamas has not been directly affected by the disease. However, one of the most important things to do during an epidemic is to keep informed, especially as information changes on a daily basis.  Information prevents or minimizes the likelihood of fear and panic.

So what is the swine flu and is it any different from the regular seasonal flu?  Swine flu is caused by a virus just like all others and has been found to share most of the same features with the obvious exception that it can be passed from pigs to humans. Essentially the symptoms are the same.  These include fever of at least 100.4, headache, runny nose or nasal congestion, sore throat, cough, muscle and joint pains, and feeling very tired. This swine flu, however, does have a high occurrence of associated diarrhea and vomiting which is not typical of other influenzas.  These additional symptoms significantly increase the chances of dehydration which can be a complication of all flus.  Other complications in common are development of viral or bacterial pneumonia, meningitis (infection of the covering of the brain) and worsening of any chronic underlying disease like diabetes, asthma, emphysema and sickle cell disease.  One other thing that is somewhat different with the swine flu is the age group it appears to infect the most.  Usually the very young (less than 5 years) and the elderly (older than 65 years) tend to be most affected.  However, the average age of persons with this epidemic has been about 25 years.  Why this is the case is not completely understood.  Experts suggest that this age group travels more and so are more likely to come in contact with the infection or it could be that older persons (more so in the US) have some pre-existing residual immunity from similar swine flu epidemics in 1957 and 1976.  Whatever the situation, it is important that everybody take precautions when travelling or if experiencing any symptoms that could be related to the flu. These basically include:

1.    Sneeze or cough into your sleeve or disposable tissue then throw the tissue in the garbage
2.    Wash hands frequently with soap and water or with a hand sanitizer
3.    If you are caring for someone with the flu or in a room with someone who has symptoms, stand at least six feet away or use a surgical mask.

At this point there is no swine flu immunization available, but it is in the process of being developed and should be ready in a few months.  It is speculated that this particular epidemic will die down soon in the Northern Hemisphere (where we are located), but is likely to re-emerge in the fall.  So the availability of the swine flu vaccine will be just in time for the regular flu season.

Now if you do get sick based on the symptoms previously presented and have been in contact in the prior seven days with someone who was confirmed to have the swine flu or you had travelled to an area where there were confirmed cases of swine flu or you had been in contact with pigs with confirmed or suspected swine flu, then you have the swine flu until proven otherwise.  At this point you may need to see a doctor, preferably at a private office so as to limit the number of people you may potentially expose at the emergency room or public clinic. You may be required to have a special swab test done of your nostrils and be placed in voluntary quarantine at home. If you are very sick then you may be admitted to hospital and placed in an isolation room until you're better which will be at least seven days.  Most viral illnesses run their course in about 5-7 days, but may be longer in much older, much younger and otherwise unhealthy people.

Treatment for the flu is essentially taking care of the symptoms and includes acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin) for the fever and pain, decongestants, cough medicine and fluids (water, Gatorade) to prevent dehydration.  It is also important that anyone with underlying chronic conditions monitor these carefully to avoid worsening of the illness.  Additionally, anti-viral medications are available that if taken within 2 days of the start of symptoms, can shorten the length and severity of the disease.

The rate of illness in Mexico where this epidemic originated is leveling off now and it is felt this trend will continue in the other countries affected.  No one knows for sure how this epidemic will continue to progress.  There is some belief that it will eventually die out over the next month or two and possibly re-emerge in the fall when the weather gets cooler.  The disease is now in several countries around the world including Great Britain, Spain, The United States, Canada and some parts of Asia.  Bahamians do a lot of travelling and the Bahamas has many foreigners entering our borders everyday which leaves us vulnerable to the swine flu entering our country.  We have to remain vigilant to minimize any potential impact this may have on our major industries, most importantly tourism. So keep informed, keep calm and most importantly keep safe.