Have a question about the swine flu?

Canadian Lung Association
News Release

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Ottawa – On Tuesday, August 25th at 10am (EST), The Canadian Lung Association will hold a “Getting Prepared for H1N1 flu” media call to help inform Canadians on how to prepare for an expected second wave of H1N1 flu.

In advance of the call, the Association is calling on Canadians to submit their questions about H1N1 flu to [email protected] or to Twitter them to @canlung.

“We realize that many Canadians, especially parents with young children and people with lung disease, have a number of questions about how they should be preparing for H1N1,” said Cameron Bishop, Director of Government Affairs for The Canadian Lung Association, “We hope Canadians will send us their questions on H1N1 flu and we’ll have our experts answer them in a nationwide media call on August 25th. We also encourage the media to take part in this important public health information session”.

The media call will include noted experts in pediatric respirology and infectious disease.

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What you should know

What are the symptoms of H1N1 flu (swine flu)?
H1N1 flu symptoms are similar to regular seasonal flu symptoms:

Fever
Cough
Sore throat
Body aches
Runny nose
Headache
Chills
No appetite (don’t feel hungry)
Nausea, vomiting (throwing up) or diarrhea –about 40% of people with H1N1 flu get stomach symptoms)

These symptoms usually come on quickly.

Warning signs of severe flu in children – get emergency help if kids show one or more of these signs
Fast breathing or trouble breathing
Skin is bluish or gray
Blue or grey lips
Not drinking enough fluids, hasn't peed (passed urine) in many hours, or no tears when she cries
Lots of vomiting (throwing up)
Not waking up, not paying attention to anything
Cranky, doesn't want to be held
Seizures
Child’s flu symptoms improve but then come back; she has a fever and her cough is worse
Warning signs of severe flu in adults – get emergency help right away if you have one or more of these signs
It's hard to breathe, you're short of breath
Blue or grey lips
Pain or pressure in your chest or stomach
Suddenly dizzy
Confused
Dehydrated, not peeing (no urine)
Lots of vomiting (throwing up)
Seizures
Your flu symptoms improve but then come back; your cough is worse and you have a fever.
What should I do if I think I have H1N1 flu (swine flu)?
If you have flu symptoms, call your doctor or health-care provider. They'll decide if you can take care of yourself at home, or if you need to see a doctor or come to the hospital. If you have these severe flu symptoms go to the emergency department or call 911 or your local emergency number.

What’s the treatment for mild or moderate H1N1 flu (swine flu)?
For people with mild cases of H1N1 flu, doctors may not give any prescription medicine. The treatment is just to stay home, stay away from other people, and take care of yourself. Mild H1N1 flu may go away on its own after a week or two.

If you have mild or moderate H1N1 flu (swine flu) symptoms, here's how to take care of yourself at home:
Stay home. Don't leave your home unless you need emergency help. Stay home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer.
Rest. Get lots of sleep.
Stay away from other people in your home. If possible, stay in a seperate room by yourself, and use a seperate bathroom. Wash your hands, clean common areas, and take these other steps to avoid spreading your H1N1 flu germs.
Drink lots of fluids:
Water
Broth
For adults and teens: sport drinks (for example, Gatorade©)
For kids: electrolyte drinks (for example, Pedialyte©)
For babies: continue breastfeeding, and give electrolyte drinks (for example, Pedialyte©)
For your headache, muscles aches, and fever, you can take over-the-counter medicines like acetaminophen (for example, Tylenol©) or ibuprofen (for example, Advil©). Children and teens should not take aspirin (ASA or acetylsalicylic acid). If you're not sure what to take, call a pharmacist.
Follow your doctor's advice about antiviral medicines (antivirals). There are two prescription medicines that can fight H1N1 flu (swine flu): oseltamivir (brand name Tamiflu©) and zanamivir (brand name Relenza©).(See footnote about Tamiflu©*)
Doctors do not give antiviral medicine to everyone who has H1N1 flu (swine flu). Some people with flu H1N1 (swine flu) get better on their own, and don’t need antiviral medicine. Your doctor may give you an antiviral medicine if have severe symptoms, if you have other health problems, or if you live with many other people (for example, in a nursing home). Your doctor will decide if antivirals are right for you. Most of the time people start antiviral medicines within two days of their symptoms starting.

Watch for warning signs of severe H1N1 flu. If you have these warning signs, get emergency help right away.
Watch other people in your home carefully, and call the doctor or healthcare provider if they show symptoms of H1N1 flu.
Call your doctor again if you are not improving after a few days.
Read detailed advice on how to take care of a person with flu H1N1 (swine flu) at home, from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

What can I expect if I go to the hospital with H1N1 flu (swine flu) symptoms?
If you go to the emergency room with flu symptoms:

You may be separated from other patients.
You may be asked to wear a mask, so you don’t spread germs to others.
The staff looking after you may wear masks.
If you have asthma or COPD, tell the staff. This will help them choose the right treatment for you.
Doctors may give you tests to understand what’s wrong with you (your diagnosis). They may:
test your blood
give you a chest x-ray
swab your nose and throat. They can test the mucus in your nose and throat to see what kind of virus you might have.
If you have severe H1N1 flu, doctors will give you this treatment:
What’s the treatment for severe H1N1 flu (swine flu)?
This is the treatment you may get if you’re in the hospital with severe H1N1 flu (swine flu):

If you are dehydrated (your body is low on water), nurses will give you IV fluids. IV fluid (intravenous fluid) is a mixture of water and salts. The nurse will put a tube into a vein on your arm or hand. The IV fluid will go through the tube into your bloodstream.
If your oxygen level is low, doctors will give you extra oxygen. You breathe the extra oxygen through a mask.
If you have a fever, doctors will give you medicine to lower it.
If you have a bacterial infection, doctors will give you antibiotics. Some people get a bacterial infection after they catch H1N1 flu.
Doctors may give other treatments, depending on what you need.
Learn more about H1N1 flu (swine flu)
How to prevent H1N1 flu: all about hand washing, controlling germs, and preparing for a flu pandemic

Special advice on H1N1 flu for people with asthma, COPD, and other lung diseases

More about H1N1 flu from the Public Health Agency of Canada The Public Health Agency of Canada's toll-free public information line for H1N1 flu questions: 1-800-454-8302.
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