The H1N1 virus, the flu, is continuing to spread throughout the world, and because of this, many are afraid of contracting the virus.
The good news is that the H1N1 flu virus isn’t as dangerous as it’s hyped up to be. Of course, some people have died from it, but people die from the flu, or even the common cold, every year. The people who die are usually those who have other health problems such as severely weakened immune systems due to things like AIDS or chemotherapy treatments.
The levels of flu hospitalizations and deaths are a bit higher than normal flu seasons, but they aren’t too high to be alarming. In fact, most people who get H1N1 will, according to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), recover in a few days to a couple weeks. Many readers may have already had this virus and not known about it, since it could easily feel just like an ordinary illness.
The symptoms of the H1N1 Flu Virus, are, according to the CDC:
- Fever* or feeling feverish/chills
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults
* it is important to note that not everyone who gets the flu will have a fever
The CDC recommends a flu vaccine to prevent catching H1N1. All the current vaccines protect against this.
