Swine flu Q and A

Q. Should I wear a mask to keep from catching or spreading swine flu?

A. Officials are not recommending that people wear a mask in public places in the United States at this time. Medical professionals treating people suspected to have swine flu are being advised to take the usual precaustions for treating people with infectious diseases, including wearing surgical masks.

Q. What are the symptoms of swine flu?

A. They are similar to symptoms of the regular seasonal flu, and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills, and fatigue. Some people who have gotten the swine flu have had diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting.

Q. What should I do if I get sick?

A. If you are sick with flu symptoms, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and wash your hands after each time you cough or sneeze. If you are sick and have traveled to or live in areas where swine flu cases have been identified, you may want to contact your primary care provider for advice about possible treatment or testing. Two anti-viral drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza, can reduce the severity and duration of illness from swine flu only if taken within two days of symptoms appearing. (The drugs are notknown to be effective if taken as a precaution before getting ill.)

Q. What is the test for swine flu, and how long does it take to get the results?

A. A sample from your throat or material that you cough up can be taken by a doctor, and then submitted for initial genetic fingerprinting to a state laboratory, a test that takes 2 to 4 hours. If this test rules out more routine flu strains, the sample is sent for more detailed analysis by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta to see whether it matches the new swine flu strain. To expedite testing, federal authorities are preparing to send state labs kits to test specifically for swine flu.

Q. How sick can people get from swine flu?

A. More than 100 deaths associated with swine flu have been reported in Mexico, while most of the people diagnosed with this new strain in the United States have had milder cases. Because the overall number of people infected with the virus is unknown, public health officials do not yet know what percentage of infected people will become seriously ill or die.

Q. Is there a vaccine?

A. No vaccine exists to protect humans from the current swine flu, but the federal government is taking initial steps to prepare for potential production of a swine flu vaccine. The seasonal flu vaccine available this year is not believed to be effective at warding off swine flu, and it's unlikely that people vaccinated against the 1976 swine flu strain are protected against this new strain.

Q. Is it safe to eat pork?

A. Yes, as long as it is properly cooked and handled. You cannot get swine flu from eating pork products.

Q. Can my dog or cat catch swine flu?

A. At this point, it’s unlikely. But viruses can change and veterinarians warn that transmission to pets could occur at some point.

Q. What is a pandemic?

A. A pandemic is an outbreak of infectious disease that becomes widespread across regions or continents and large parts of the population. A flu pandemic happens when the influenza virus mutates into a form that can readily spread from human to human and to which people have no natural immunity. Influenza pandemics have occurred every 10 to 50 years for centuries. Not all pandemics are deadly to large portions of the population. However, in 1918, a global flu pandemic killed tens of millions of people worldwide. The World Health Organization has not designated this strain of swine flu as a pandemic.

Sources: US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and medical professionals. For more information, visit the CDC swine flu website, or the World Health Organization's website.