Is the Swine Flu Here to Stay?
NEIRAD enilno edition
Imagine missing the week of school right before finals; being absent for tons of reviews and having to rely on friends for notes. This is exactly what I went though when I got the swine flu last year. But I was definitely not the only one.
The Swine Flu or H1N1 Flu has been erratic in both the tri-state area as well as across the nation. Connecticut has confirmed more than 19,000 cases of the H1N1 flu and nine deaths. The victims who died had underlying medical conditions.
More than 600 Americans have died from H1N1 compared to the 30,000 or 40,000 that die from the annual flu worldwide. This is because the H1N1 flu is attacks a healthy population of teenagers and young adults.
Infants, children, and young adults are surprisingly the main target for the flu, which is the opposite of the normal seasonal flu. Having experienced the H1N1 flu myself last spring, it was a miserably long week but many say the media has blown the situation out of proportion.
Senior Scott Dempsey said, “When I had the swine flu I was out of school and homework, but overall it wasn’t that bad.”
Symptoms of H1N1 include fever, coughing, sore throat, headache, and chills; normal flu symptoms. That is why it is important for people to see a doctor if they experience any of these symptoms and not assume is it something less serious.
This may be the best time to put to rest some of the H1N1 rumors around the high school. The H1N1 flu does come from pigs, but you cannot get the flu from eating any type of pork. If you have had the normal (seasonal) flu shot this will not make you immune to H1N1 or in any way decrease your chances of getting the flu.
Many colleges around the area have experienced an increase in H1N1 cases due to the close-knit living conditions. As of 9/17, more than 600 Cornell University students have fallen ill to the flu. And in response, many schools have set up antibacterial stations around campuses and have made an effort to make students aware of the current situation.
Basic steps need to be taken in order to prevent the spread of the flu. Students should cover their mouths and nose when sneezing or coughing. They should wash their hands often with soap and water. Avoid touching eyes nose and mouth because germs are spread that way. And finally, stay home from school if you are sick because there will always chances to make up schoolwork.
According to the Connecticut state Web site, Governor Jodi Rell expects our state will get an initial 500,000 doses of the vaccine later this month. But David Knauf, Director of Health care for the town of Darien, says that Connecticut may receive as few as 30,000 vaccines.
David Reed, Town Medical director in New Canaan, told the New Canaan Patch, “a voluntary program is under development to offer vaccination to all school children [not already vaccinated].” As of now, Darien has no plan to vaccinate students at Darien High School. However Principal Dan Haron said, “We do have an [emergency] plan in place just in case a mass vaccination is determined to be necessary.”
As of now there is no reason to worry, everything is precautionary. However the H1N1 flu may come back even stronger this upcoming flu season. As a student you should maintain healthy habits to protect yourself from the H1N1 flu. If you’ve eaten four pounds of bacon and feel sick, it’s not Swine flu, it’s just unhealthy.
