Highlights: swine flu latest
Swine flu
In London, swine flu is now considered to have spread into the community in general and Government policy on swine flu is now one of treatment rather than containment.
NHS Barnet has advised that the virus remains comparatively mild at the moment, milder than ‘seasonal flu’. It is now clear that the greatest impact of the virus is in the first few days and the illness is, in most instances, mild, with most patients recovering within 48 hours.
The guidance on staying away form work and school has thus changed to 48 hours or until symptoms have resolved – whichever is the longer period.
Adults
Advice for the general population is to behave as you would with a similar illness. Contact with somebody who has swine flu should not prevent you going around your daily business. In practice this means that contact with someone who has flu should not prevent you from going to work, but if you show symptoms of swine flu you should stay at home.
The most striking symptom of swine flu is a very high temperature, over 38 degrees..
If you have a temperature and display two or more of the following symptoms:
- headache
- cough
- tiredness
- chills
- aching muscles
- limb or joint pain
- diarrhoea or stomach upset
- sore throat
- runny nose
- sneezing
Further advice
National swine flu line:
- Tel: 0800 15 13 100.
- Website: www.direct.gov.uk/pandemicflu (external link)
Of course it is now even more important to follow good hygiene by ensuring you wash your hands thoroughly and regularly, remembering the ‘Catch it, Kill it, Bin it’ message using a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Check out the 'Catch it, Kill it, Bin it' advert on YouTube.
Email this pageLast modified by: Webmaster on 17/12/2009