# Swine Flu Is Trying To Get Up Close



## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

5 houses down, the 14 yr old daughter has it.Tay has been playing with her little sister the last 2 days, but not in the house. They have been playing outside or in another neighbors house. My daughter is sick but not thinking it's Swine. I guess we can't avoid it , it's everywhere, but now we know Tay has been super close to it. 
Anyone have a good understanding of contagious phase and how easily it's transmitted?

(Tay is my 5 yr old grandaughter)


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## BlueWedge (Sep 11, 2005)

I heard is was easily transmitted at Outbacker rallies.








Just kidding. I haven't been following the specifics that much other than old and young are most susceptible.


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## Ridgway-Rangers (Apr 18, 2008)

According to the press, if someone with the swine flu even looks in your direction, Beems of swine flu will flow from their eyes, pierce ytour flesh and infect you.







That is if you listen to the press.

It is only as contagious as any other flu. usually direct contact or contact with muchus of the infected party (from a sneeze or chough). i'm thinking if the infected 14 year old coughed on her little sisters arm then your daughter touches the infected arm then wipes her eyes or mouth, you might be in trouble.









I think you daughter will be fine, just make sure you break off contact with he friend if her friend starts showing symptoms. 
I hope your family stays safe and healthy,
Brian


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## ED_RN (Jun 25, 2006)

I'm pretty up to date on the issue because of my job. Usually flu is transmitted via mucus membranes. You touch something that someone coughed on then touch your mouth, nose or eyes. New data is showing that you can catch it by breathing in air near someone who already has it and is coughing. Before now it was believed the size of the particles were to big to stay suspended in the air.
You can be infected and spreading it for about day before you feel sick and then for about 5-7 days after you feel sick.


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

thanks for the info and the humor too! yeah, the kids won't be playing together for a few days anyway, just to be safe...we have a rally to go to!


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## N7OQ (Jun 10, 2006)

I know that it takes 5 days at best to get the test back to find out if you really have H1N1 but doctors and hospitals are telling people they have H1N1 when in fact they really don't know. So a lot of people who think they have H1N1 really only have the standard old regular flu. Anyway you look at it, it is going to be a busy flu season.


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## col. Sanders crew (Sep 28, 2007)

My 15 year old son has the swine flu, diagnosed on Tuesday of this week, very much like seasonal flu, he is taking
Tamiflu, so far my husband and I haven't gotten it. My son picked it up at school, his school system closed Monday 
of this week due to the Flu, and there are other school systems in our area that have closed also due to same reason,
Swine Flu has hit South Central Kentucky for sure !


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## JerseyGirl86 (Mar 30, 2009)

The flu is going around here in NJ VERY early. It's hard to quarantine yourself from the world when you have to go to work, kids to school, etc.... I'm already in panic mode, as I am every year, but this year will be much worse as it's the first winter of the swine flu. The kids got their regular flu shots Wednesday...whew...but no piggy one yet.

TRYING...NOT...TO...PANIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Camping Fan (Dec 18, 2005)

N7OQ said:


> I know that it takes 5 days at best to get the test back to find out if you really have H1N1 but doctors and hospitals are telling people they have H1N1 when in fact they really don't know. So a lot of people who think they have H1N1 really only have the standard old regular flu. Anyway you look at it, it is going to be a busy flu season.


The CDC is no longer recommending the full testing for the H1N1 influenza virus except in the cases where people are sick enough to need to be hospitalized. In those cases where the full test has been done, the overwhelming majority of current influenza cases are coming back positive for the H1N1 virus. So when doctors and hospitals tell people who have not had the full testing done that they have H1N1, they are making a clinical diagnosis based on what they know is the current predominant circulating influenza virus. No, they don't know 100% that the people they are treating have H1N1, but they know that most likely that is the case.

FYI - the "quick" influenza tests that can be done in doctor's offices/ERs/walk-in clinics are 50% at best at correctly picking up the H1N1 influenza virus. Most of these tests check for presence of Influenza A or B viruses in general, they cannot test for a specific virus within the A or B group. H1N1 influenza is an Influenza A virus. So if a quick test is positive for Influenza B, that means you do not have the H1N1 virus. If a quick test is positive for Influenza A, right now that means most likely you do have the H1N1 virus, since that is currently the dominant circulating Influenza A virus. BUT, a totally negative quick test DOES NOT completely rule out H1N1 because the quick test will miss the H1N1 virus 50% of the time. That makes the quick test basically a flip of the coin as far as accuracy in diagnosing H1N1 goes right now, so CDC is actually recommending people be treated based on symptoms and clinical diagnosis rather than based on lab tests currently. They also are not recommending routine use of Tamiflu due to concerns that the H1N1 virus may become resistant to Tamiflu. Current recommendation is to reserve the use of Tamiflu for people who are hospitalized or are at increased risk for developing complications (ex. people with asthma, emphysema, pregnant women). For everyone else they are recommending Tylenol, Motrin, rest and fluids.


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## leaderdogmom (Feb 14, 2009)

Well said! Sounds like a matter of time b4 H1N1 moves north here to Michigan.


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## GoodTimes (Mar 9, 2009)

My youngest (11 y/o) had the flu last week that lasted 9 days. He had a fever on sat & sun and we didn't see his doctor until Monday after lunch. (I chose NOT to bring him into a wknd clinic for fear of him catching more than what he might have) The flu test came back positive (reg. flu) and he was given his 1st dose of Tamiflu that night - which was appx 72 hours into the flu. My brother in law is a pharmacist and told us that the Tamiflu probably wouldn't make a difference because he was getting it too late. He said it's VERY important to get that medicine in the first 24-48hrs. I went ahead and gave it to him ANYWAY, thinking it can't hurt and HOPED that it might give him SOME relief. Well, the bro-in-law was right. My son got NO relief and my wallet was out $40. Oh and I had to fight him twice a day to take it because it tastes horrible no matter WHAT we mixed it in. The flu literally wiped out this very energetic kid and he slept most all day and only got up to eat. This was the first time our family had it. NEXT TIME any of us have a fever for a full day, I'm going to call the doctor and get in sooner!

I hope your daughter stays well!


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## Doxie-Doglover-Too (Jan 25, 2007)

so they say you need Tamiflu in the first 24 hours, but how in the heck do you know if it's Swine or some other flu?


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## Camping Fan (Dec 18, 2005)

Doxie-Doglover-Too said:


> so they say you need Tamiflu in the first 24 hours, but how in the heck do you know if it's Swine or some other flu?


The only way to know for sure is to do the full virus typing test, but that takes several days to get results on - too long to wait if you're going to use Tamiflu. The current recommendation is to use Tamiflu only in people sick enough with an "influenza like illness" (fever, chills, cough, muscle aches, etc.) to be hospitalized, or at high risk for complications. In those people, the doctor will go ahead and start the Tamiflu right away, based on a clinical diagnosis. For everyone else, Tamiflu is not currently recommended to be used anyhow. That is mainly because of concern that the H1N1 virus could be become resistant to Tamiflu if it is overused. The other consideration behind the recommendation to restrict the use of Tamiflu is that in general, except for the limited number of people who become severely ill, most people will actually have a milder illness from the H1N1 virus than from the usual seasonal influenza viruses.

You can find more information about using anti-viral medications for H1N1 influenza here CDC information page


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## Camping Fan (Dec 18, 2005)

leaderdogmom said:


> Well said! Sounds like a matter of time b4 H1N1 moves north here to Michigan.


Actually, there have already been confirmed cases in Michigan, both in the spring when H1N1 first showed up, and within the last month. Your best protection until the vaccine is available (hopefully in a couple weeks) is *LOTS* of hand washing, trying to keep your hands away from your face, and trying to keep anyone who is ill with a fever to stay out of public settings.


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