” A new influenza virus was discovered in the United States this past spring. Almost everyone has heard of it and the ensuing panic. Now that traditional flu season is just around the corner, the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, is on the minds of many who are worried about getting seriously ill this fall and winter.”
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A new influenza virus was discovered in the United States this past spring.

Almost everyone has heard of it and the ensuing panic.

Now that traditional flu season is just around the corner, the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, is on the minds of many who are worried about getting seriously ill this fall and winter.

What many people may not have heard, however, is how few people have actually died or required hospitalization from swine flu in the past few months.

It’s not tremendously different from the regular seasonal flu, Diane Fashinpaur, director of University of Akron health services, said.

Fashinpaur explained that there really is not a reason for panic concerning swine flu.

For people to get the [regular symptoms of the] flu and run to their health care provider is really counter-productive because they’re just going out and exposing everybody in the waiting room, she said.

You can feel kind of crummy with a cold, but you usually don’t have the level of severe fatigue and fever [that you would with the flu].

The regular flu symptoms, such as body aches and pains, fever and nausea are not a cause for alarm.

However, the symptoms to look out for that may require a trip to the hospital include difficulty breathing, dizziness, shortness of breath, confusion, pain and pressure in the chest or abdomen and severe or persistent vomiting.

Fashinpaur explained that a person cannot officially know if they have swine flu without having a specific test done. UA health services is not offering this test as of now, and she emphasized the importance of not rushing to a hospital unless a person is experiencing the more severe symptoms mentioned earlier.

She said that if there was an oddball breakout, such as in a residence hall, then the department would probably do testing on students for the virus, but there have been no outbreaks.

It’s very probable that a good number of cases of influenza that are going around right now are H1N1 and people are doing well. They’re sick for three to five days and it’s mild to moderate. That’s good news, Fashinpaur said.

Flu season is typically strongest in November and December. The numbers of regular flu cases confirmed at UA are slightly elevated for this time of year. They have been isolated incidents and there have been no serious outbreaks.

UA health services is not aware of any confirmed cases of H1N1 on campus.

Some people believe the word swine in the new virus means that it can be contracted by eating pork.

Fashinpaur quickly dismissed the myth.

Eating pork has nothing to do with swine flu.

Scientists classified the virus as swine flu because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in the virus were similar to influenza viruses that normally are found in pigs.

Fashinpaur noted that people panic when there is a lot of press about any particular illness.

Know what flu-like symptoms are, take good care of yourself at home, and if any of the more serious signs occur, that’s when you go to the doctor, she said.

The regular seasonal flu vaccine is not expected to protect against H1N1. A vaccine for the illness is expected to be available this fall.

For more information about H1N1, visit student health services at www.uakron.edu/studentaff/health/.

Call news writer Bonnie Blum:

330-972-7362

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