With the Swine Flu engulfing the world and the press spinning up hysteria to sell , it’s time to bring some sense to the Pandemic. I asked my wife, Who has a Doctorate in Pharmacy and is currently working in a hospital, what can individuals do to prevent getting Swine Flu.
First, Pandemic means it is spreading all over the world at once, not that we are all going to die from Swine Flu. Swine Flu has the same fatality rate as any other Flu we see every year. According to CNN, around 36,000 victims mostly the very old and the very young.
The big fear is that it will kill the young and strong which many are going back to the last pandemic to prove their point. What they forget to say is the last pandemic was around 1910 and we have learned much since then.
Next, good personal hygiene will help you prevent the Swine Flu and help recover if you get it. Covering your mouth, washing you hands is essential. Here are the top 10
Prevention
1) Wash your hands, this simple task is ‘Number One’ because it works the best
2) Cover your mouth when you cough, this is more to prevent the spread
3) Cover Nose when you sneeze , see Number Two
4) Then, Wash your hands. Bacterial Soap will do no better than regular soap because this disease is Viral
5) Carry Hand cleansing lotion. It works great when you are not near a sink.
If you Get the Flu
1) Stay Home and get plenty of rest
2) If a family member has the Flu, Stay home.
3) Drink Fluids, keep yourself from getting dehydrated
4) Manage symptoms; if you have a headache, take medicine
5) Try to take Flu Medicines at the onset of symptoms to reduce the severity
So don’t panic, use common sense and we will all get through this.