Following yesterday’s announcement that the
World Health Organization has raised the pandemic influenza alert level to 5 on its six-point scale, we at the Red Cross realize there is growing concern and confusion about the swine flu (H1N1) outbreak. I know that I personally still have questions that have been left unanswered, like “Is it safe to travel, or what’s the deal with the masks?”
I had a feeling that some of you might be wondering the same things, and since we at the Red Cross have been talking about it for the past few days, I wanted to take a minute to share with you what we know, with the hope that it will answer questions, ease fears, and guide you in the right direction.
At the Red Cross we are talking about 3 main things: preparing for it, putting it into perspective, and protecting ourselves.
PREPARE
Prep yourself for updates with the outbreak in the same way you would’ve prepped for a school exam. Know and understand the terms so the news updates aren’t overwhelming:
Seasonal Flu: Chances are you get this every year and you already know how to beat it with a little rest, medicine, and a trip to the doctor.
Swine Flu or H1N1 Influenza: A type of flu virus that causes regular outbreaks between pigs. People do not normally get this strand, but it can happen.
Avian Flu: This is also known as bird flu, as this strand of flu most often occurs with birds.
Epidemic: The spread of a disease that affects some or many people within the same community at the same time.
Pandemic: The spread of a disease that affects large numbers of people globally.
PERSPECTIVE
Put swine flu into perspective. Take off the word “swine” and all you are left with is “flu”, and we’ve all been there before. Each year the
CDC (Centers for Disease Control) says seasonal flu causes 200,000 people to go to the hospital. And health officials say the
severity of the swine flu doesn’t seem to be much different than what it is in regular seasonal influenza. Essentially – if you catch it early- contact your doctor, keep your germs to yourself by staying at home and by disinfecting common areas, drink plenty of fluids, get lots of rest, and chances are you will be okay.
PROTECT
There are a number of simple steps you can take right away to protect yourself. For instance, check out the video below which demonstrates how to cough properly. It may sound obvious, but these simple tips can easily prevent the spread of germs.
Do you still have unanswered questions? Let us know by commenting below and we will do our best to answer them for you.
Lindsey Weber is the Marketing/Communication Intern for the St. Louis Area Chapter.