By now, most people worldwide have heard of H1N1, also known as swine flu.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC), state health departments, schools and the media throw around prevention techniques and new statistics on the virus daily.
But what is the disease really like? What do you do when someone you know has H1N1?
Don’t panic.
That’s Sharon Carnes? advice for dealing with it. Two of her sons, one in Lake Orion High School and one in an Orion elementary school, have the virus.
Carnes said when her doctor confirmed her eldest son’s case, he was surprised she wasn’t worried or scared. But, Carnes says, those reactions don’t make sense.
‘Number one, [the boys] are not so bad to be hospitalized,? she said. ‘Number two, this is what it is; we’re going to deal with it, get it over with. And number three, if I start stressing out, my immune system’s going to drop and chances are I’ll get it. There’s no sense in panic.?
She adds that the hype surrounding swine flu doesn’t necessarily reflect the virus’s severity.
‘People are afraid of the term ‘H1N1? or ‘swine flu.? They’re scared of it because they hear of how many people have been hospitalized and how many people have died. But what people don’t realize is that there are other illnesses that hospitalize just as many people and that kill just as many people ? the flu, some other viruses that are not H1N1. It’s a matter of what the news and the press is going to pick up and blow out of proportion,? Carnes said.
Carnes? other piece of advice is to get tested for H1N1 even when the symptoms seem more like a cold than the flu and then stay home.
‘One thing that’s really bothering me is a lot of parents are not getting their kids tested and not taking them out of school like they should be,? she said, because parents think it’s not the flu since it’s not gastrointestinal. ‘That’s the biggest misconception I can think of.?
Carnes said her doctor told her it’s an upper respiratory infection and doesn’t usually include symptoms like vomiting and diarrhea.
She noted that she treated her sons? illness like she would a cold or bronchitis, with lots of rest and liquids and hand washing, and some extra sanitation so the rest of the family didn’t catch it.
‘The only difference was that I kept them in the house for the full seven days per state and our doctor’s recommendations,? said Carnes. She added that her doctor prescribed Tamiflu and Tylenol to treat symptoms.
What made Carne’s situation unique from most others is that both her infected sons have Asperger’s Syndrome. Because her sons were restricted to the house, she had to make errands ‘very short and very sweet,? as this was the first time she’s left them home alone.
Her eldest son’s cough was the warning sign prompting Carnes to get him tested for H1N1.
‘He called me from school and said, ‘I have a fever, can you come get me??? said Carnes.
After a trip to the doctor and pharmacy, her youngest son’s teacher called, alerting Carnes to similar symptoms. So she went back to the doctor and pharmacy.
‘They were both crabby, fatigued, had general achiness, a cough and a headache,? she said.
Carnes said she didn’t consider getting the vaccine before her sons became ill.
‘I’m very strong in my faith and I always believe that, if it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen and God’s going to take care of it. There’s nothing really to worry about,? she said.
And now that her family is back in good health, with antibodies to the virus, she says they still won’t get it.