Influenza Virus Scare: Watch Out Before You Kiss Your Valentine
Valentine’s Day is a day for love and romance, candlelit dinners and bubble baths, kissing and cuddling. However, if you or your partner is down with the flu, you might not be able to do any of the above. Kissing and getting intimate is the easiest way to spread the virus. Find out more about influenza below to avoid spreading the virus.
What is H1N1 virus?
H1N1 is a flu virus and is more commonly known as swine flu. It was first detected in the United States in April, 2009. It is named for a virus that pigs normally catch. This virus has now widely spread throughout the world contaminating almost 10% of the world’s population. The virus was originally called swine flu because of the genes, which are similar to that of flu viruses in pigs. The H1N1 flu virus is passed from person to person just like other flu strains. You cannot catch swine flu from eating pork.
How does H1N1 virus spreads?
Like most viruses, it enters the body through the mucous membranes – the eyes, the nose or the mouth. Swine flu is spread just as the regular seasonal flu spreads. It goes from person to person through close contact and direct touch, indirect touch, or respiratory droplets carrying the virus from person to person or from person to environmental surfaces through coughs and sneezes. If you touch where a person with swine flu touches, you will most likely pick up the virus and get the swine flu. That is how it spreads indirectly.
Precautions to be taken
You can help prevent the spread of germs that cause influenza by covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
You can take simple precautions to stay away from any contamination by:
Washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You can also use alcohol-based hand cleaners.
Avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Trying to avoid close contact with sick people.
Staying home from work or school if you are sick.
Avoiding kissing and getting intimate with an infected person on Valentine’s Day
Influenza treatments
A number of methods have been recommended to help ease symptoms, including adequate fluid intake and rest. Over-the-counters pain medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen do not kill the virus; however they may be useful to reduce the symptoms. Aspirin must not be used (by anyone, but especially by people under 19) with any flu symptoms because of the risk of developing other symptoms.
At the moment there is only one prescription medication approved and widely used for the treatment of this condition.
Tamiflu (oseltamivir): It works by binding itself to the neuraminidase and stops the virus from spreading. When the neuraminidase is blocked, the newly formed viruses cannot be released from the infected cells. This prevents the flu virus from spreading and infecting other cells.
Avoid kissing and getting intimate with an influenza infected person on Valentine’s Day. As the news of swine flu spread around, it is better to take precautions and get timely influenza treatment like Tamiflu
.
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