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Today we are (more and more|more} at risk from the various strains of the flu virus. First we had alarms over bird flu, but recently swine flu has become a major concern. Swine flu is more serious than bird flu ever was. It was a worry that bird flu may change into a strain that would effect humans, apart from a few cases, this situation has not materialized. Swine flu is of much more worry, it has the ability to spread from human to human making it a very serious threat.

Swine flu, or to be more correct influenza A (H1N1), is a respiratory disease that effects pigs and is the result of a flu virus. Outbreaks of swine flu in pigs is not uncommon but is only rarely fatal. Swine flu has not normally infected humans, although it can happen occasionally.

Swine flu is very dangerous because it is a new strain of the flu virus. It is dangerous because no one has been exposed to this particular strain of flu previously, therefore no one has built up any immunity to this type of flu. It is our inbuilt immunity that stops diseases from becoming life threatening, with no inbuilt immunity to the swine flu virus we are at the mercy of the virus. Everyone is vulnerable, including healthy adults and teenagers as well as young children and the elderly.

The real concern is what occurs when the winter flu season arrives. It is then when the swine flu virus may spread quickly causing widespread illness with possibly over half the population becoming infected.

Swine flu symptoms are very similar to the symptoms of ordinary flu. The symptoms include a sudden,sudden onset of a fever, cough, shortness of breath. Other symptoms can include headache, sore throat, muscle aches, chills, sneezing, runny nose, appetite loss and tiredness.

Precautions Anyone with cold or flu symptoms needs to take a few simple, but most important precautions. The virus is spread between humans by the small droplets from the nose and mouth when someone coughs or sneezes. This is the way viruses are passed from person to person. Holding your nose and mouth with your hands when you cough or sneeze isn’t enough. The germs then live on your hands, and everything you handle afterwards becomes contaminated. Anyone then touching anything you touched will pick up the flu virus and will then risk becoming infected. Always use a handkerchief or a tissue. A tissue is better, this should be disposed of as soon as you can, and always use a new tissue if you cough or sneeze again.

At the moment there are no vaccinations to prevent anyone catching the swine flu virus. Swine flu is a new strain of virus and is not the same as ordinary flu. Therefore the vaccination against the normal seasonal flu isn’t effective against swine flu. Once the type of flu causing swine flu is identified, it will take many months to manufacture. By which time, it may have changed into a different strain.

The only real effective precaution against the swine flu virus is Tamiflu. Tamiflu isn’t guaranteed to prevent flu, but when a person has been exposed to another person who has the flu virus, Tamiflu can help to stop the virus making a person sick. If Tamiflu is taken within two days of developing flu, it can help to stop the virus spreading throughout the body, thereby reducing the symptoms and associated risk. Governments are stockpiling Tamiflu, but the supplies will be used to treat important workers and individuals before treating the general population.

You can however buy Tamiflu online, so if the situation occurs you can treat yourself and your family as much as possible. Although it can’t be emphasized strongly enough, Tamiflu has to be taken as soon as possible to be effective, delays in treating the flu virus will greatly reduce the effectiveness of Tamiflu. If you are at a higher risk due to your situation, such as For example living in a busy city with a large population or working in a busy open plan office, then it may be prudent to buy Tamiflu before the flu season begins. If you live in the country and do not have close contact with many people then of course you will be at a lower risk.

Remember that swine flu is a worldwide problem. If a pandemic outbreak becomes global it is possible that supplies of Tamiflu may be diminished and may not be enough to meet a huge worldwide demand.

Until a vaccine is found and produced in the quantities required, Tamiflu is the most effective treatment for swine flu.

Disclaimer: This article is based on information freely available in the media and medical articles related to swine flu. Nothing herein is meant to be or should be construed to be any sort of medical advice. For medical advice you are encouraged to consult your own physician.

Filed under: General Interest