When Chris Lewis was first asked to be tested on H1N1 in August, she wasn't so keen on it. But when she thought about it, she knew that taking one needle could save many lives. "I heard people might die from it," Smith said. "So I think it's a good idea to help people, by being involved." Chris and her girlfriend Tyra Smith were part of a group that were the first Americans to be given the H1N1 shots. They kept diaries and gave blood, to help create vaccines that would be ready for the fall. Now with the winter closing in on us,many people will be getting the cold and the flu. Doctors are worrying that some people may be getting the one-two punch of H1N1 and the flu, could make some Americans not be able to cope with the sicknesses, plus the colds many peple get this time around. But how can you tell what you have? Dr. Shmuel Shoham, an infectious-disease specialist at Washington Hospital Center, says "the common cold, seasonal flu and H1N1 are all respiratory illnesses, but they're caused by different viruses." Cold symptoms consist of three to five days of a cough and stuffy nose. Swine flu and a seasonal flu have similar symptoms which makes it dificult to distinguish one another. These symptoms include fever, body aches, diarrhea and severe fatigue. People need to go to the doctors once they start feeling these symptoms because they could end up in the hospital for many days, or even weeks, if it is not taken care of. The people that have the best chance of getting H1N1 are young people ages 6 months to 25 years, pregnant women, and people with long-lasting health conditions like asthma or heart disease. The CDC recommends that these people get vaccinated first.
Getting these tests done is very helpful. I think that this year is going to be one of the worst years for illnesses and if the symptoms are not identified, the number of sicknesses will be to the maximum. People sacrificing themselves should be given benefits of some kind like money because they aren’t just helping themselves, but others as well. Also, people will be able to find out how severe their illness is and can let people with H1N1 get the help they need before they need treatment or medicine for their little cold.
Monday, September 21, 2009
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2 comments:
i think it is crutial that Canadians are well aware of the diffrent symptomes of the swine very good bolg well done. Next time maybe make a little shorter but all in all great job
As Flu season approaches once again, distinguishing the difference between a cold, flu and H1N1 becomes crucial. Becoming aware of the necessary steps to avoid catching the flu is ideal but learning/distinguishing the seriousness of one’s illness is just as important. For some, it could be the difference between life and death.
I also agree that this flu season will have a very high moritality and illness rate in comparison to previous years, as this will be an overlap of multiple strands of the flu.
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