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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
A summary of questions we’ve received from the public on H1N1. We’ll update this section each week, so check back often for the latest information.
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What is the current H1N1 situation?
Most states, including ours, are experiencing unusually high
amounts of flu for this time of year. More people have been
hospitalized in the U.S. with flu during the past two months than
are typically hospitalized during an entire flu season. Because it
is early in the year for seasonal flu, most cases being reported now
are assumed to be H1N1. Health officials are concerned that as we
move further into the 2009-10 flu season, even greater numbers of
people may become sick with either seasonal flu or the H1N1 flu
virus. Our department currently tracks the number of
hospitalizations and deaths in our state attributed to
influenza-like illness, rather than H1N1 alone, and updates them on
our Web site on Friday. These statistics can be found on the
Department of Health Web site at www.doh.wa.gov/h1n1.
How serious is this
outbreak?
Most countries have confirmed cases of H1N1 (swine flu). The
United States continues to report the largest number of H1N1
hospitalized cases of any country worldwide. This flu is similar to
the seasonal flu that occurs every year in the U.S. in that most
people who have become ill have recovered without requiring medical
treatment. However, seasonal flu puts 200,000 people in the hospital
every year and because H1N1 spreads much more easily, it has the
potential to make many more people sick. Both types of flu can lead
to respiratory failure and death.
What is WHO pandemic alert
Phase 6?
Phase 6 is the World Health Organization's highest alert level.
It indicates that multiple sustained flu epidemics are occurring in
several regions worldwide. The alert level is based on the amount of
flu being reported worldwide, not on the seriousness of the
infections.
Why did the federal government declare
a national emergency related to H1N1?
The declaration is necessary to give hospitals flexibility in the way
they handle H1N1 patients. For example, it would allow health care
facilities to set up special facilities for the evaluation and treatment
of H1N1 patients in portable structures on their grounds or in nearby
school gyms or other available buildings. The federal government did not
make the declaration in response to current conditions, but rather to
prepare hospitals to act quickly if they need to take these steps in the
future.
What is the government
doing to protect us?
- Local health departments are working closely with health
care providers to investigate cases of influenza-like illness:
- That lead to death or hospitalization.
- In pregnant women.
- In health care workers.
- In places where outbreaks have occurred.
- Our state laboratory is testing samples for swine flu.
- Our state has access to enough antiviral medication to treat
up to 25 percent of our state population.
- We are working with local and federal government to find
ways to effectively distribute H1N1 vaccine.
- We are helping distribute back-up supplies of antiviral
medications for children and N-95 masks to local health
departments for use in their communities. The masks are for use
by health care providers in hospitals and clinics.
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Vaccine
See our
H1N1 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions page for
H1N1 vaccine information organized by these topics:
·
Vaccination overview
· Who
should get vaccinated
·
Seasonal flu vaccine and H1N1
·
Where
to get a vaccine
·
Cost of vaccination
·
About the vaccine
·
Nasal spray vaccine
·
Vaccine
safety
To find out more about seasonal influenza vaccine, see our
Seasonal Flu News page.
H1N1 (Swine Flu) Basics
How serious is H1N1 (swine flu)?
Influenza is a respiratory illness. People who get H1N1 flu have
the same symptoms as people with seasonal flu. Just like seasonal
flu, however, H1N1 can lead to pneumonia, and in some cases, death.
What are the symptoms of H1N1 flu?
Symptoms are similar to those for seasonal influenza. They include:
- Fever or chills
with
- Cough, sore throat, body aches or headache
If you these symptoms and are at risk for severe complications of influenza
you should contact your health care provider. People at risk
include:
- Children under two years old.
- Pregnant women.
- Adults over 65 years
old.
- Residents of long-term care facilities.
- People with chronic
lung, heart, kidney or liver disease; diabetes; sickle cell anemia; immunosuppression
or receiving chemotherapy for cancer.
If you have fever and severe respiratory symptoms, such as
shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, contact their
health care provider.
Will this be like the 1918
pandemic and come back stronger in the fall?
The huge 1918 influenza pandemic resulted in many hospitalized
cases and many deaths. Although it is possible that this new virus
could cause as many severe illnesses and deaths as the 1918
pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the
World Health Organization have stated this is highly unlikely. This
virus does not appear to cause as much severe illness as the 1918
virus, and today we have many more medical resources than were
present in 1918. For example, we have a
vaccine to prevent this flu. In addition, our hospitals are better
equipped to provide care and antiviral medications are available
that are effective in treating this flu. We also have improved our
ability to detect and monitor disease outbreaks.
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How Do People Get H1N1 (Swine Flu)?
How do people get H1N1 (swine flu)?
You can become infected by the H1N1 influenza virus when an
infected person coughs or sneezes droplets near you and you take in
the virus through your mouth, nose or eyes. You can also get the
virus by touching a contaminated surface such as a countertop or
doorknob, and then touching your mouth, nose or eyes.
Can I get H1N1 (swine flu) from
eating pork, ham, etc.?
Although this virus has genes from influenza viruses that infect
pigs and poultry and this virus is often called “swine flu,” this
H1N1 influenza virus is spread person-to-person. You cannot get H1N1
virus by eating animal products.
How long can the virus live
on a countertop or other surface?
The virus can live on hard surfaces for at least several hours and
possibly more than a day. For that reason, it is important that you wash your hands after coughing or sneezing to
avoid passing on the virus.
How long are people
contagious?
Infected people can infect others beginning one day before
symptoms start and up to seven or more days after becoming sick.
Although it is possible to pass on the flu to someone else before
you know you are sick, most flu cases result from a person who has
symptoms passing the virus to another person. Children, especially
younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer
periods.
How long can you be
infected before getting sick (showing symptoms)?
Not all infected people get sick but, if an infected person develops
symptoms, it usually happens 1-7 days after infection.
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How do I avoid getting H1N1 (swine flu) or infecting others if I have the flu?
These things are very simple, but they really work:
- Get vaccinated when the vaccine is available.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or
sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it and clean your hands.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you
cough or sneeze. If you don’t have soap and water, use
alcohol-base hand gel or disposable wipes.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people; don’t share
glasses or eating utensils.
- Wash a sick person's laundry in hot water and dry it on high.
Wear gloves or wash your hands after touching laundry.
- Stay home from work or school if you are sick.
Is there medication that can treat H1N1
(swine flu)?
- We believe that antiviral medications can reduce the severity
and duration of symptoms.
- The commercial names of the antivirals are Tamiflu (a pill) and Relenza (an
inhaler).
- Antivirals must be prescribed
by a health care professional, and should only be used to treat
people who are more severely ill OR are at high risk of
complications. Antivirals can be used to prevent infection in
certain high-risk persons.
Can I use antivirals like
Tamiflu and Relenza to avoid getting H1N1 (swine flu)?
Tamiflu and Relenza should be used primarily for treatment of people
with influenza. In addition, these drugs may be used in people at
high risk for severe complications of illness after they are exposed
to someone with influenza.
- If large numbers of people were to take these drugs for
prevention, the virus may develop resistance to them and they
could no longer be used to treat sick people.
- This disease outbreak could last a long time. If you took
these drugs to try to avoid getting sick, you would have to take
them possibly for many months.
- The Food and Drug Administration has approved the emergency
use of an experimental antiviral medication called Peramivir.
Peramavir is given through injection.
- Antivirals must be prescribed by a health care professional,
and should only be used to treat people who are ill or to
prevent illness in high-risk situations.
Where can I get Tamiflu and
Relenza?
Antivirals must be prescribed by a health care professional, and
should only be used to treat people who are ill.
Does the government have
antivirals?
Federal, state and local governments have supplies of antiviral drugs
that they will use to re-supply hospitals, doctors' offices and pharmacies to avoid any shortages.
These supplies are also intended to provide antivirals at no cost to
the uninsured and underinsured who otherwise would not be able to
purchase them when prescribed by their doctor.
Have hospital visitation rules changed because of H1N1?
Each hospital sets its own policy regarding visitors. If you plan to
visit someone who is ill, you will want to check with the hospital
first. Some measures health care facilities are taking to prevent
transmission of flu include:
- Screening visitors to keep ill visitors out.
- Allowing only visitors 12 years of age or older.
- Limiting visitors to patients in isolation.
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What if I’m Sick?
What should I do if I get sick?
Although typical flu symptoms usually do not require medical
attention, healthy adults who are not at risk for complications of
flu should at least contact their doctor if they have unexplained
fever and trouble breathing or if their symptoms are getting worse.
If people are at risk for severe influenza or complications of
influenza (see above), they should at least contact their doctor
when they:
-
Develop symptoms of the flu, including fever and either a cough or
sore throat, OR
-
Have had close contact with someone who is definitely known to
have influenza.
If you become very ill with influenza-like symptoms, including
fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, or symptoms of a severe cold,
call your health care provider.
NOTE – Unless you need urgent medical care, please phone rather
than going directly to a doctor’s office, clinic or hospital. Your
health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or
treatment is needed.
If you are sick, you should stay home for at least 24 hours after
your fever has passed (without the use of fever-reducing medicine)
and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from
infecting others.
Seek urgent medical care if…
In children,
emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to
be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with
fever and worse cough
- Fever with a rash
In adults,
emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent
vomiting
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Strategic National Stockpile
What is the SNS (Strategic
National Stockpile)?
The SNS is a federal program that stores large amounts of emergency medications and supplies. The
SNS distributes these medications and supplies to states that ask for them during emergencies.
- In our state, we distribute our SNS antivirals to local health departments based on
population.
- Local governments will use SNS supplies only to re-supply
pharmacies, doctors' offices and hospitals if they run out of their current supply.
Will there be enough
antivirals for everyone?
The CDC recommends that states have
access to enough antiviral medications to treat twenty-five percent
of their population. Our allotment from the SNS along with supplies
purchased by our state and several counties gives us enough
medication to meet that recommendation. Again, antivirals should only be used to treat people who are sick. Back to top
How could H1N1 (swine flu) affect my travel plans?
You could be screened for
H1N1 flu. Many countries, including Japan and China, are screening arriving
passengers to reduce the spread of H1N1.
Travelers coming from the United States may be checked for fever and
other symptoms of H1N1, and their travel may be delayed.
If you are sick with symptoms of
influenza-like illness, you should not travel. These symptoms
include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches and headache. Some
people who have been infected with this virus also have reported
diarrhea along with their respiratory illness.
Healthy
people may make travel plans using only common sense precautions to
protect their health during travel.
If you are at risk of
complications from H1N1 flu and traveling to a country
experiencing an H1N1 outbreak, check with your doctor
before traveling. Travelers at high risk for complications include:
-
Children less than 5
years of age.
-
Those who are 65 years
old or older.
-
Children and adolescents
(less than 18 years) who are receiving long-term aspirin therapy
and who might be at risk for experiencing Reye syndrome after
influenza virus infection.
-
Pregnant women.
-
Adults and children who
have chronic pulmonary, cardiovascular, hepatic, hematological,
neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic disorders.
-
Adults and children who have poor immune systems (including
immunosuppression caused by medications or by HIV infection).
People in the above groups should discuss their travel plans with
their doctor. Together, they should consider the H1N1 situation in
their destination and the available health care options in the area.
They should discuss their specific health situations and possible
increased risk of traveling to the area affected by H1N1 virus
transmission.
For additional travel information see the
CDC's
H1N1 and Travel Web page.
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How do I know when I should keep my child
home from school or daycare?
- Does your child have a fever (100º F
or 37. 7ºC)?
(If you don’t have a thermometer, feel your child’s skin
with your hand. If it is much warmer than usual your child probably
has a fever.)
- Does your child have a sore throat,
cough, body aches, vomiting, or diarrhea?
If you answered “yes” to either question, your child could have the
flu.
- Keep your child home from school for at least 24 hours after
his or her temperature returns to normal without the use of fever
reducing drugs such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
- If your child
never had a fever, you should keep your child home for 24 hours
after symptoms have stopped.
If I operate a day care center, where
can I get information about H1N1 prevention?
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a
resources for
day care center operators on their Web site.
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Should I buy masks? Should
I wear a mask?
Wearing a mask does not guarantee that you will be protected from the
H1N1 virus. You will be much better protected if you wash your hands frequently and avoid sick people. In areas
with confirmed cases of H1N1, if you are at risk for severe flu, avoid crowds and stay at least six feet from
those who are coughing and sneezing.
Wearing a mask when you are ill and coughing can reduce your ability
to give the infection to someone else.
What kind of mask works
best?
Masks are usually disposable, certified by the FDA and labeled as
surgical, dental, medical procedure, isolation or laser masks. If properly used, they should stop influenza
transmission due to the droplets resulting from an infectious sneeze or cough.
Wear a mask when close contact with an infectious person is
unavoidable—for example, if you must care for a sick person such as a family member with a respiratory infection.
In some settings, nurses, doctors and
other health care providers wear a respirator. Respirators are not
necessary for the general public; however, if you are suctioning or
giving nebulizer treatments to someone with flu at home, you should
consider wearing a respirator.A respirator should be labeled N95 or higher by the U.S. National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
Make sure that your face mask or respirator fits snugly on your face.
Be sure to dispose of used masks or respirators and wash your hands after touching or taking off your mask.
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Cleaning and Disinfecting
Cleaning and disinfecting surfaces:
- Keep hard
surfaces like kitchen countertops, tabletops, desktops and bathroom surfaces clean and disinfected.
-
Frequently clean
and disinfect surfaces touched often by more than one
person--for example, doorknobs, refrigerator door handles and
microwaves.
-
Use disposable sanitizer cloths or disinfectant on a towel to wipe
electronic items that are touched often, such as phones, computers, remote controls and hand-held games.
When surfaces are not visibly dirty
-
Clean the surface with a commercial product that is both a
detergent (cleans) and a disinfectant (kills germs). These products can be used when surfaces are not visibly
dirty.
When surfaces are visibly dirty
- Wash the surface
with a general household cleaner (soap or detergent), rinse with
water and follow with a disinfectant. This method should be used for visibly dirty surfaces.
For information on cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, see
our fact sheet - available in English,
Spanish,
Russian,
Chinese,
Vietnamese,
Korean,
Tagalog and
large
type.
For instructions on cleaning schools see our Department of Health
fact sheet “Help
control the spread of infectious diseases in schools” on our Schools
page.
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Can my pet get H1N1 (swine flu)? (updated)
A few animals have been infected with H1N1. They include several
ferrets and cats. In each case, the flu was transmitted to the pets
by their owners. Infection has also been reported among some pigs on
swine farms and turkeys on poultry farms. There is no evidence at
this time, that H1N1 can be passed from pets to people, but this is
a new virus and we cannot predict absolutely how it will behave.
Pets that live indoors, especially cats, tend to have close contact
with their owners and that increases their exposure to diseases. To
prevent spreading disease to your pets, take the same steps you
would take to prevent spreading it to humans—wash your hands often,
cover your cough and avoid contact when you are sick. You should get
vaccinated when H1N1 vaccine is available to you. There is no H1N1
vaccine for animals.
Watch your pet's health and consult a veterinarian if your pet shows
any signs of illness.
More information:
Can I get H1N1 flu from
drinking water?
No, you can't catch the virus from drinking properly disinfected tap water, even if the water was
originally drawn from a source that had been in contact with infected people or animals. Since groundwater sources are
not exposed to the virus, water from wells or springs, even if not disinfected, would not directly lead to an
infection.
However, drinking water cups or glasses used by
people who have been diagnosed as having, or show symptoms of the flu
should not be used by others.
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