Apr 29, 2009 4:34 pm US/Eastern
Swine Flu - What You Need To Know
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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A couple kisses at the Historic Center, in Mexico City, on April 25, 2009.
Alfredo Estrella/AFP/Getty Images
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Massachusetts health officials said Monday there have been no confirmed cases of the
swine flu here yet, but they do expect it to show up soon.
"We're advising health care providers to evaluate flu-like illness with the swine flu in mind," said Dr. Al Demaria of the Mass. Dept. of Public Health.
HOW DO I PROTECT MYSELF?
The best way to prevent the spread of swine flu is to wash your hands often, cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and stay home if you have any flu-like symptoms.
IS THERE ANYWAY TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE SWINE FLU AND THE REGULAR FLU?
The symptoms are similar: fever, aches and pains, cough and respiratory symptoms.
One thing to keep in mind is that we're seeing fewer cases of the traditional flu now, so if you develop those flu-like symptoms, it certainly could be swine.
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO GET TO THE DOCTOR QUICKLY ONCE YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS?
If you have body aches and fever, it's worth a trip to your doctor, not only to be tested as soon as possible, but also to make sure you're not developing complications like pneumonia.
Officials believe many people died in Mexico because they did not seek treatment soon enough. The virus is suspected in up to 149 deaths there.
Read: Questions, Answers About Swine Flu
Read: CDC Emergency Updates On Twitter
WILL MY 1970'S VACCINE PROTECT ME?
There was an outbreak of swine flu among people back in 1976 at Fort Dix, New Jersey among military recruits. As many as 240 people were infected and one person – a recruit from western Massachusetts – died.
Scientists scrambled to engineer a vaccine to protect people from a widespread outbreak, but after 40 million people were vaccinated, they stopped, due to concerns about dangerous reactions.
As it turned out, infection dropped off quickly and there was no pandemic, but if you received a vaccine against swine flu back then, it is unlikely you'll still be protected against this new strain because it is a different strain and it's been over 30 years since the vaccination.
WHAT ABOUT A VACCINE?
There is no vaccine available to prevent the new swine flu.
However, there are antiflu drugs that do work once someone is sick.
Dr. Richard Besser, the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday the government is still deciding whether to order that a swine flu vaccine be produced.
Besser said it's not an easy decision, because vaccine manufacture takes a long time and would interrupt ongoing work to create next winter's regular flu shot.
But if a vaccine eventually is ordered, the CDC already has taken a key preliminary step -- creating what's called seed stock of the virus that manufacturers would use.
CAN SWINE FLU LIVE ON SURFACES?
Flu viruses, in general, can live on surfaces for hours depending on the type of surface. For example, flu viruses live longer on hard materials, such as plastic, metal or wood rather than porous surfaces like fabrics, skin or paper.
It's probably not a bad idea to wipe down surfaces that you could potentially share with sick coworkers or family members, like phones, computer keyboards, and doorknobs with disinfectant wipes.
Although the United States has declared a
health emergency to deal with this outbreak, officials say it's not time to panic.
View: Swine Flu Tracking Map (for official WHO reports only, uncheck all other sources on left of the screen).
What is important is to take the necessary steps to be prepared for the worst.
Have you or somebody you know recently traveled to Mexico, and are concerned about swine flu? We would like to hear from you.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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