H1N1

January 7, 2010 • Rebecca Dove  
Filed under Features

H1N1 is a new flu that causes illness in people.  H1N1 is also referred to as the swine flu because testing had been done on the genes of the H1N1, and it showed that the genes of the flu were similar to flu viruses that normally occurred in pigs, hence the nickname the swine flu. Although testing showed that the genes in the flu were similar to pigs, the genes were very different than the genes found in the flu viruses that circulate in North American pigs. H1N1 has two genes from flues that circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia, bird (avian), and human genes.

The H1N1 first affected people in the United States in April 2009. The virus spreads through person-to-person contact, like being around people with the flu that sneeze and cough. You can even become infected by touching something an infected person touched and then touching your nose, mouth, eyes, or ears.

There are multiple symptoms that allude to H1N1 are fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills, and fatigue. Most of these symptoms are symptoms of the regular flu, so the only way you can be sure that you have either H1N1 or the regular flu is to be tested for H1N1.

You can protect yourself from catching H1N1 is getting either the H1N1 shot or the H1N1 flu mist. You can also protect yourself from catching the regular by receiving the regular flu shot and the regular flu mist. Other day-to-day ways of preventing yourself from catching the H1N1 is wash your hands with soap and warm water often, but if soap and water is not accessible use an antibacterial hand scrub or wash and avoid touching your nose, mouth, eyes, or ears.

If you are sick with a flu-like illness the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend staying home for twenty four hours after the fever is gone, except to get medical care or other necessary items.

Students at Dundalk High have varying opinions on the H1N1. Junior, Kim Sheets, stated “I think I already had H1N1. I had a one hundred and three fever. It was bad.” Other students are not afraid of getting H1N1 at all like sophomore, Tia Belcher, that commented “I’ve been sick of many things before. The H1N1 is just another flu. I’m not worried at all.” Senior, Kaitlynn Barrett also said that “I’m not worried because I already got the shot.” With or without the shot, students at Dundalk High are not very worried about H1N1.

You can find more useful information on H1N1 or the regular flu on www.cdc.gov.

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