Swine....Flu...Really, must I explain?

Alright, aside from that visual pun above, most of you may well know that something very delicious dangerous going by the name of the Swine Flu, is flying around (literally: it’s airborne).

My dear friend Ananth (yes, you only ) suggested I do a post with the content of an email, that he forwarded for the benefit of class, for the general mass of equally ignorant … people.

So with less of me, and more of him, here is the email copied word for word, character for character, tittle for tittle..

Hi Friend,

There are 4 cases of Swine Flu detected in our state also, so its
important for everyone to know about it.

A) WHAT IS SWINE FLU?

Like people, PIGS can get influenza (flu), but swine flu viruses aren’t the same as human flu viruses. Swine flu does not often infect people, and the rare human cases that have occurred in the past have mainly affected people who had direct contact with pigs. But the current “swine flu” outbreak is different. It’s caused by a new swine flu virus that has changed in ways that allow it to spread from person to person — and it’s happening among people who haven’t had any contact with pigs. That makes it a human flu virus. In an effort to avoid confusion, the CDC is calling the virus “Novel Influenza A (H1N1) virus” to distinguish it both from flu viruses that infect mainly pigs and from the seasonal influenza A H1N1 viruses that have been in circulation for many years.

B) WHAT ARE ITS SYMPTOMS?

Symptoms of swine flu infections can include:
1. Fever, which is usually high, but unlike seasonal flu, is sometimes absent
2. Cough
3. Runny nose or stuffy nose
4. Sore throat
5. Body aches
6. Headache
7. Chills
8. Fatigue or tiredness, which can be extreme
9. Diarrhea and vomiting

Signs of a more serious swine flu infection might include pneumonia and respiratory failure.

SERIOUS Swine Flu Symptoms -

More serious symptoms that would indicate that a child with swine flu
would need urgent medical attention include:
1. Fast breathing or trouble breathing
2. Bluish or gray skin color
3. Not drinking enough fluids
4. Severe or persistent vomiting
5. Not waking up or not interacting
6. Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
7. Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

C) WHAT IS THE VACCINE TO SWINE FLU ?

The is no drug that is present so far, but experts say taking anti-
influenza drugs can help. But research is still under progress.

D) HOW MANY ARE AFFECTED SO FAR ?

There are now over 21,000 confirmed cases in 66 countries. The
countries with the most cases are:

• United States of America 11,054 (17 deaths)
• Mexico 5,563 (103 deaths)
• Canada 1,795 (3 deaths)
• Australia 876
• United Kingdom 508
• Japan 410
• Chile 369 (1 death)
• Spain 218
• Panama 173
• Argentina 147

E) 5 HEALTH TIPS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SWINE FLU -

Tip #1: Stay home if you’re sick.
Tip #2: Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Tip #3: Wash your hands often and avoid touching your eyes, nose and
mouth.
Tip #4: Cover your mouth or nose with a tissue when coughing or
sneezing.
Tip #5: Keep up with health information in your own community.

Keep the TIPS in mind and do FOLLOW.

So friend be careful, if you or your family member is not feeling well
immediately consult a doctor. Educate others also about this.

Alright, that was the exact, well, not exactly exact same email I got. I updated some of the statistics from this nice statistics site and looked up the present state of swine flu in Andhra Pradesh:we’re fine until we get the results. Then we can probably freak out.

Oh, here’s a map. You know, in case you get lost. Ok, ok, I know. I think the map is self explanatory (Number on country, and the color of circle. Do the maths)