The Swine Flu. Let's talk about it.
But just briefly because I hear about it ALL.DAY. at work. And honestly? I'm tired of people freaking out about it. The media goes on and on about "Oh no! The world is going to end! The swine flu is going to kill us all!" Every cold season there is a "MAJOR DISEASE/SICKNESS OMG WE'RE GOING TO DIE!!!" scare. SARS, Mad Cow Disease, etc.
I work in healthcare. While I am not a physician or a nurse, everyone else I work with is. They deal with this stuff daily and several of them are on a "task force" to stay updated and to inform the public about what to do and what not to do. Our dept has done many PSAs and call-ins to radio shows, etc.
Let me break it down for you: the Swine Flu is generally a milder form of the regular flu. It's not WORSE AND OMG WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!! type of flu. Of course, those who are at higher risk (elderly, little babies, immuno-supressed, etc) are more likely to get it.
Best way to avoid it? Handwashing and steer clear of sick folks. Cover your coughs with your elbows and WASH YOUR HANDS! Did I say that already? Yes? Well, do it! If you're running a fever, isolate yourself from everyone and drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and there is nothing you can do but ride it out.
Yes, Tamiflu is available but you must take it within the first 48 hours. It doesn't cure you, it just slightly lessens the symptoms and generally makes it go away a tiny bit sooner.
So wash your hands, cover your coughs, and don't go to your local ER just because your child has a fever. (I am bad about running to the doc when Bayley has a fever because I want to make sure its not an ear infection, etc so this applies to me too.) I'm all for going to your PCP, just don't show up at the ER for "normal" stuff. Obviously, if you feel it is a real emergency, GO!
Guess I'm just asking for people to calm down, use "common" sense, and your mommy's intuition (I don't think any dads read this, so I'm not discriminating against you). You can usually tell when there is cause for concern, so take a deep breath, wash your hands, and don't panic.
NOW GO WASH YOUR HANDS!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
I hear about it all the time...my mom is one of those that's freaking out :) everyones going to die!
Okay I'm off to wash my hands now :)
We wash all the time and use what we call magic soap whenever we are in funky places or not even funky places. I keep that stuff one me constantly.
AMEN! I feel the same way. The more people freak out about it the worse it gets in my opinion.
It amuses me that they are freaking out over the swine flu but the regular flu kills people all the time. Give something a "special" name and you have a media sensation!
All I can say is EW. Why do we have to have an epidemic to tell this?
Post a Comment