The flu (influenza virus) is an infection specifically of the nose, lungs, and throat. Flu viruses are a major cause of illness, hospital visits, and even deaths every year in the United States. Although we use the term “flu” interchangeably, there are actually many different flu viruses that people suffer from. Sometimes a new flu virus will start spreading among people causing more cases of the flu making people sick.
One of these new flu viruses is the 2009 H1N1 flu. This is often called the swine flu or the novel flu. This new flu virus is very different from the other common flu viruses around the world. It is believed that the 2009 H1N1 flu virus will cause more people to get sick than the regular flu viruses that we are used to. They also expect more hospital stays and deaths to occur.
Most people that are infected with the swine flu have had mild illness and have not needed medical attention. The same is also true with the typical seasonal flu. However, the swine flu can turn into something very serious especially with young children or other individuals who have had certain chronic medical conditions. Some of these conditions include asthma, lung problems, diabetes, autoimmune diseases, kidney disease, heart problems, another neurotic cold and narrow muscular disorders. Children and adults with these conditions may experience more severe illness symptoms for many flu, but especially from the swine flu virus.
Both the swine flu and the seasonal flu are thought to be spread from person to person through regular coughs and sneezes from those that are infected. It may also be transmitted by touching something with a virus on it and then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.
Symptoms of the flu can include fever, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, coughing, aching bodies, headaches, chills or sweats, fatigue, vomiting, or diarrhea. People infected with the flu may or may not have a fever.
People that are infected by the flu may infect others from one day before getting sick themselves 25 or seven days afterward. Some people, however, can harbor the virus for longer periods of time.
