by Emily Hines
We’ve all heard a few things here and there about the swine flu virus (H1N1). It has traveled far from where it originated from and now has the United States taking precautions.
You might have heard every day when you were younger to make sure you wash your hands. Our parents must have said it to us a thousand times, but now it’s very crucial. “Wash your hands with soap and water,” emphasized our school nurse Mrs. Laws.
Everybody has most likely heard a lot of different things about this virus and most of the time information can be passed on incorrectly, so the CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) has listed many facts on their website about this virus and how to stay healthy and avoid getting it.
First off, you may be wondering what exactly the virus is, besides a form of flu. Swine Influenza is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by a type of the A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza of pigs. The first swine flue virus outbreak in 1903 was isolated from a pig, but the reason it is spreading today, even if you’re not around a pig that is infected, is through other infected people.
Also, the virus is more serious than you might think. Even though it’s not a major problem to us in Pittsford yet, that doesn’t mean that it won’t be in the future. Some symptoms of swine flu are very common to regular flu, such as fever, fatigue, lack of appetite, coughing, and incontinence. Swine flu can spread mainly from person to person, from someone who coughs or sneezes. The symptoms are mainly those of the regular flu. Many ask the question of whether this H1N1 flu is any more deadly than the regular flu, “Most of us have never had influenza A or B. Swine flu is worse than ‘Pittsford flu’, but equal to influenza, which kills 30,000 people each year,” shared Mrs. Laws.
Another big issue with the news about the swine flu is that eating pork may lead to you catching the virus. This information is false. “Cooking pork to an internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit kills the swine flu virus, as it does other viruses and bacteria,” sys the CDC website.
The CDC has issued an emergency response in response to the outbreak in the U.S. The CDC’s goal as stated on its outbreak response is to provide information to help health care providers, public health officials, and the public address the challenges brought on by the new virus.
The U.S. must consider itself very lucky to have programs like the CDC working to prevent and inform the public about harmful diseases. Also, if you are sick you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible, says the CDC.
