The 411 on H1N1
“We'll test you for swine flu, but chances are you don't have it.”
That's what I heard the doctor tell me early Monday after I’d felt hot-chilly-sweaty-achy over the weekend. I hadn't had any variety of the flu in at least 15 years and I never suspected I'd be in the "testing" category for the flu variety of the year. I won't get lab results until at least Thursday, so that means I’m staying home and lying low as much as possible.
It also means I spent much of Monday on Web sites with information on the H1N1 virus, aka swine flu. The best place to get the facts and latest data about the H1N1 virus is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention site: www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU/
I read nearly every word on the topic, and have a hunch I'm done with the aches and sweaty nights. The "Taking Care of a Sick Person" and the webcast by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano were the most relevant to me. You won't be surprised to hear that my home now has new bottles of hand sanitizer and foaming antibacterial soap at every sink.
In addition to the very concise Web site, the CDC has an active Twitter site: @CDCEmergency
Other sites with good H1N1 info include:
www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/
If you know of others with unique information, please share. In the meantime, pass the hand sanitizer, please. Then, excuse me while I go back to bed.
