By Andrea Moreno
Translation by Patricia Roxana Solórzano
Translation by Patricia Roxana Solórzano
Swine, hog or pig flu is a phenomenon that has caused global panic and uncertainty. Now any simple cold is taken out of proportion, and people sneezing around are subject of discrimination and rejection. We cannot afford to trust if someone is infected or is following the health tips, the least we can do is pay more attention to ourselves and our bodies, trying to feel relaxed in order to avoid false symptoms caused by stress and suggestion.
The virus is not in the air; it travels through small drops of saliva that people expel while speaking, coughing or sneezing. The virus, survives for 48 to 72 hours in surfaces such as hands, banisters or handles, and porous surfaces like tissues and clothes. It spreads when talking closely to someone infected, shaking their hand if they have saliva particles on them, and by kissing.
Above all, it’s very important to be clear about the differences between a common flu and the H1N1 flu that is currently affecting many people around the world:
Fever
Flu: is not that common in adults and teens, however it can rise up to 39°C (102.2 F) in little children
Swine flu: it rises up to 39°C (102.2 F) and may reach 40°C (104 F) for the next three or four days
Headache
Flu: it does not always appear
Swine flu: it is very intense and unbearable
Muscle pain
Flu: mild to moderate and bearable
Swine flu: very intense
Fatigue and weakness
Flu: mild to moderate
Swine flu: it is often very intense and it may last two or three weeks
Nasal congestion
Flu: frequent
Swine flu: it is not a common symptom but it happens sometimes
Sneezing
Flu: frequent
Swine flu: sometimes
Sore throat
Flu: often
Swine flu: sometimes
Cough
Flu: mild to moderate
Swine flu: it is very often and may be very intense
The virus is not in the air; it travels through small drops of saliva that people expel while speaking, coughing or sneezing. The virus, survives for 48 to 72 hours in surfaces such as hands, banisters or handles, and porous surfaces like tissues and clothes. It spreads when talking closely to someone infected, shaking their hand if they have saliva particles on them, and by kissing.
Above all, it’s very important to be clear about the differences between a common flu and the H1N1 flu that is currently affecting many people around the world:
Fever
Flu: is not that common in adults and teens, however it can rise up to 39°C (102.2 F) in little children
Swine flu: it rises up to 39°C (102.2 F) and may reach 40°C (104 F) for the next three or four days
Headache
Flu: it does not always appear
Swine flu: it is very intense and unbearable
Muscle pain
Flu: mild to moderate and bearable
Swine flu: very intense
Fatigue and weakness
Flu: mild to moderate
Swine flu: it is often very intense and it may last two or three weeks
Nasal congestion
Flu: frequent
Swine flu: it is not a common symptom but it happens sometimes
Sneezing
Flu: frequent
Swine flu: sometimes
Sore throat
Flu: often
Swine flu: sometimes
Cough
Flu: mild to moderate
Swine flu: it is very often and may be very intense
It is important that people know about the current disease because the lack of information or the distortion of the truth may bring paranoia, or the exact opposite. Neither reaction is proper or safe because with the paranoia you discriminate like the post says, you over react and it’s not good for your mental health because you live scared and you always feel like your safety is in danger. However, with the lack of interest or the extreme confident that you are safe, you don’t take the proper measures and you can get sick. Having the information current and real makes it easier to protect ourselves. I think this post is interesting because with the comparison of the symptoms of the swine flu, and the regular flu you can know what preventive measures to take. This is important because some people don’t treat themselves on time thinking that what they have is a simple flu, but it’s not. Some of the cases of the people that didn’t make it were because they didn’t treat themselves on time. On the contrary if you only have a regular flu you can be calm knowing that you are not sick with the swine flu, and it’s not that dangerous. I think we all need to be precautious for a while, but thinking about this sickness like any other sickness. It is curable, the epidemic will pass and they will control it, so we can live like we use to. What we need to change a little bit are our habits to be cleaner with our things, to be more considerate when we are sick, and to be more conscience on how we have contact with other people, but everything with moderation.
ReplyDeleteReading this post, i finally know the differences between the normal and the pork flu, because the symptoms of the swine flu as published in the media didn´t really differ from the ones of the common one. I think it´s really important to be well informed, because otherwise people get paranoid, which was the case in the current epidemic in Mexico. But of course it is important to take care and take it seriously.
ReplyDeleteThe Mexican government did a good job when it came to implementing the important measures.
With all of the hype I have heard about the swine flu, I had never actually heard what the particular symptoms were. We had a couple of cases at the college I went to, but they told us about them after the fact and acted as if it was no big deal. I thought the media had blown the disease way out of proportion so I didn't bother to pay much attention to what was going on. I think if I would have known more about what the disease actually was I would have been more concerned. Some of those symptoms are really quite serious, and I can understand how they would be dangerous to people.
ReplyDeleteI think the biggest problem was that there were so many conflicting accounts of what was going on with this new disease. Some made it seem like it would be the new black plague, they even made it sound like it would be worse than bird flu or saars, which maybe it was/is. On the other hand, some of the media sources make it seem like this disease is either nothing to worry about, or in some cases they joke about the scare that a number of people are experiencing. It is hard to know how to respond to this type of thing when all you are getting are the two extremes of a reaction to the swine flu. Either we should all panic and fear for our lives because this flu is killing thousands of people each day, or we should just ignore what is going on because it's not really as bad as people are saying.
Thank you for clarifyin what are the symptoms of this flu. As usual, media overexpose the bad aspects of the news (dead people, spread, economic consequences, discrimination, etc) and forget that most of its audience have no medical background to understand why it is so important to take care and NOT panic. This is very clear because we can use regular knwoledge about the flu to feel at peace (or go to doctor).
ReplyDeleteI think the beauty of the Swine Flu, from a news angle, are its simple, everyday symptoms that have deadly consequences. Its just like any 60 Minutes special that focuses on some serial killer that was disturbingly normal and suburban.
ReplyDeleteHere in the States the flu is less of a terror and more of an alluring threat. News stories talk about how proms are canceled, schools are closed, or any other disruption of the mundane.
I think it is great to have forums like this where you can can get accurate and leveled information regarding the Swine Flu without the threads of human interest or intrigue.
Its very important to know the big problem that is having pass in Mexico and unfortunatly many people doesn´t know, they have a lack of information for the big flu and doesn´t care the health tips like cover mouth and go to places with big groups of people and cleaning frecuently the hands, the excusse that some people use is “the virus is not in the air” ok is true, but they ignore that the virus travel trough of the saliva when people talking and more dangerous sneezing and coughing they transsmited that virus because is in the saliva and is highly contagion. Otherwise many people have the precautions for this big flu and know this theme clearly but exist the sugestions, they autotreat and create syntoms in his body, the mind is so powerful and can make symptoms of influenza creating panic, paranoia and confuse as a result they autotreat or accude to the hospitals but in the hospital there are inside many people and increase the risk to take that pig flu, Im not saying to not go to the hospitals because they can help you, Im saying that don´t create the paranoia and stress to avoid false symptoms in your body and only react when you see many symptons together not just one, like sneezing, cough, nasal congestions, pain in the bones, waeakness, an extremely and repently pain in the head and the most important “ fever“ this is the most dangerous symptom, be cautious prepared for everything and take care your body for persons that you don´t know if they have the flu.
ReplyDelete