Certainly not one of my usual topics
Since yesterday was Columbus Day, my husband had the day off. We had spectacular plans of which none came to fruition. Thankfully, back in 1492 when Christopher Columbus set sail with Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria he experienced a different outcome!
Our Columbus Day started out very lovely as we spent time in our children’s school attending their open house. We left with smiles on our faces anticipating an afternoon together. Less than ten minutes later my cell phone rang and were heading back to school to get our son. The school nurse just notified us that he had a fever.
He had a cough before school but we thought it was the remnants of a cold. Both a fever and cough are symptoms of the swine flu and of course, the seasonal flu, common cold and probably a dozen other ailments. So what normal, sane mother wouldn’t go from fever and coughing to swine flu?
My son has asthma. Thoughts of recent headline news flashed in my mind: 75 children die of swine flu. Naturally, I contacted our pediatrician and told the nurse I thought he had swine flu. Given his medical condition, they needed to see him immediately. The first thing they did was swab his throat to check for the streptococcal bacteria. Sure enough, he had strep throat! Both my husband and I were relieved. When our vivacious daughter came home from school, we decided to take some precautionary measures and head back to the doctor’s office to have her tested. Sure enough, her results were positive; she too had the streptococcal bacteria. On a positive note, my husband and I did test negative for strep throat.
So if you’re a parent reading this blog. My first advice is to remain calm (unlike me) and obtain information about influenza.
H1N1 and the Seasonal Flu
Influenza (the flu) is a contagious respiratory disease. Scientists predict this flu season will cause more people to get sick than previous seasons. It is important to note that most people who contract H1N1 or the seasonal flu have had mild illness and no need for medical attention. They recover within two weeks. However, certain individuals can experience severe illness.
The following people are at high risk for flu complications:
Children < 5 years old (risk is highest in children < 2)
Adults > 65 year s old
Pregnant women
Individuals with a medical condition (e.g. asthma, diabetes, heart disease)
Symptoms of flu include high fever, cough, sore throat, headache, fatigue, runny or stuffy nose, and body aches. Sometimes nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can occur – this is more likely to occur with children than adults.
It is believed that the spread of the viruses occurs from person to person through infected individuals coughing or sneezing. People may become infected by touching something with the viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Once a person has contracted influenza, they may infect others as soon as the day before symptoms develop and up to 5 days after becoming ill.
Since the spread occurs from sneezing, coughing or unclean hands, we can take some precautionary measures to prevent the spread of germs. Parents should set a good example and encourage your child to do the following things:
Cover coughs and sneezes. If possible use a tissue and discard it immediately. Most times, our children do not have a tissue handy so we taught them to cough into their sleeve (not hands).
Wash hands with soap and water. We told our children to sing the ABC or Happy Birthday song two times. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
Wear a surgical mask to protect others. This seems a little over the top but we did it, at our doctor’s request, when we went for our office visit to prevent the spread to other children.
Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth. If they have an itch, we told our children use the inside of their sleeve.
One must always state the obvious, stay away from sick people.
Antiviral drugs can treat influenza. They need to be prescribed by a doctor and work best when started within two days of contracting the virus. Children can receive these drugs. However, these drugs are reserved for those individuals who are severely ill or at a high risk. An infected individual should get plenty of rest and fluids.
Consult your doctor immediately if the following occurs in children:
Fast or troubled breathing
Bluish skin
Not consuming enough liquids
Extreme fatigue
Intense irritability (e.g. child does not want to be held)
Improvement followed by return fever and horrible cough
Fever coupled with a rash
Consult your doctor immediately if the following occurs in adults:
Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
Chest or abdomen pain or pressure
Sudden dizziness and/or confusion
Severe vomiting
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends people to stay home for a minimum of 24 hours after the last fever. It is important to note the fever must be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.
Source: The Center for Disease Control and Prevention at http://www.cdc.gov
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