Newswise — Concerned over a possible second wave of the H1N1 swine flu outbreak this fall, health care officials are urging everyone to prepare for a busy flu season.
The best way to prepare, of course, is by getting a flu vaccination. Another way to get ready is to separate fact from fiction with expert help from The Methodist Hospital and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
MYTH: Healthy people don’t need to worry about the flu.
FACT: Seasonal or swine flu can affect anyone. Although swine flu was considered to be mild this spring, the CDC says a new outbreak could first affect teenagers, young adults and pregnant women in addition to very old, very young and very sick people.
MYTH: If I get the swine flu vaccine, it will give me the flu.
FACT: Many people also believe this about the seasonal flu vaccine, but it is not true. Because flu shots contain dead viruses, they cannot cause the flu. “If you know someone who got sick after a shot, that person was most likely infected before he or she received the vaccine,” says Dr. Jeffrey Kalina, co-director of emergency services at Methodist. “Some people may get a little redness or soreness at the site of the shot, but that typically goes away in a few days.”
MYTH: Washing my hands with only soap and water will not protect me from flu germs.
FACT: Hand sanitizers, particularly those with 60 percent alcohol, are most effective in killing flu virus but washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds is pretty effective also.
MYTH: I might get swine flu by eating pork, or by going to the petting zoo at the county fair.
FACT: There is no evidence that H1N1 swine flu virus spreads from pigs to people. After touching any farm animal it’s a good idea to wash your hands, particularly before eating.
MYTH: If I get sick with a fever, that means I have swine flu and I need to go to the hospital.
FACT: If you are otherwise healthy and begin to show any kind of flu symptoms (coughing, sneezing, head and body aches, chills) you should stay home rather than risk further infection from others in a hospital or doctors’ office waiting room. However, Dr. Kalina says: “If you have pre-existing medical conditions, including asthma or lung disease or immune disease, you should seek medical care as soon as possible.”
With area schoolchildren about to go back to class, Dr. Ashley Drews, an infectious disease specialist at The Methodist Hospital, suggests you take these steps to help your children prevent infection at school and at home:
• Wash your hands often, especially after sneezing or coughing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are most effective, but washing for at least 20 seconds with soap and water works too. Teach kids to sing “Happy Birthday” twice while washing so they know how long to wash.• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your shoulder or your sleeve, not into your hands. • Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread that way. Try to avoid close contact with sick people. • If you or your child is sick, stay home from work or school. Limit contact with other people as much as possible to keep from infecting them. Stay home for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine). Aspirin should not be given to children or teenagers with the flu; this can cause a rare but serious illness called Reye’s syndrome.• Get your family vaccinated for seasonal flu and H1N1 swine flu when the vaccines are available.
If you need more information about seasonal flu or swine flu, go to www.flu.gov, a website operated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For more information about physicians and services at The Methodist Hospital System, go to www.methodisthealth.com.
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