Sorry it's been awhile since I've had a chance to post - things have been really busy here around the household, but hopefully I'll have a few more minutes this week.
First up - I found this new research this morning and wanted to share it with you all, especially for those of you who might have family / friends in the high risk category:
Link: National Terror Alert.com: Swine Flu Spreads Long After Fever Stops
And one more that I found in my research over the weekend:When the coughing stops is probably a better sign of when a swine flu patient is no longer contagious, experts said after seeing new research that suggests the virus can still spread many days after a fever goes away.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been telling people to stay home from work and school and avoid contact with others until a day after their fever breaks. The new research suggests they may need to be careful for longer _ especially at home where the risk of spreading the germ is highest.
Swine flu also appears to be contagious longer than ordinary seasonal flu, several experts said.
“This study shows you’re not contagious for a day or two. You’re probably contagious for about a week,” said Gaston De Serres, a scientist at the Institute of Public Health in Quebec.
Physicians are noting that about 2/3rds of the pediatric deaths from swine flu so far have had underlying conditions such as asthma, diabetes, epilepsy, MD or other diseases that suppress the immune or respiratory systems.
In 1/3rd of pediatric cases, however, they are unsure why otherwise normal, healthy children have died from this virus.
They do note that these seem to be exacerbated by a bacterial infection:
So, as I've said before, there is no need to panic, but it pays to be prepared. Treat this as you would any other flu unless a child experiences the symptoms noted above or if a family member starts to have shortness of breath.But they did say that when influenza combines with a bacterial infection, such as pneumonia, the patient often follows a pattern in which his symptoms start to subside but then suddenly worsen. That pattern — which includes symptoms such as vomiting, chest pain, a racing pulse, breathing trouble, bluish skin or trouble staying awake — is an indication that the flu has turned deadly, and it means a sufferer should talk to a doctor immediately.
3 comments:
It does worry me a lot. I hope everyone stays safe, but it's in the area, so who knows?
A one-year-old in our church was just diagnosed with it. He seems to be doing okay, though.
My 5yr old was just diagnosed with what we think was the flu. He has asthma, so the doctors got him the tamiflu within the first 24 hours and he seems to be on the mend! I was putting all my focus on avoiding it at first but now with so many in our community sick, my focus is now on just getting through it. I have 3 other kids we are watching closely, including a 1 yr old whom they put on Tamiflu as well preventatively. It is scary, but as you said, close monitoring is the key!
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