Botsford Hospital Main Campus
28050 Grand River Ave.
Farmington Hills, MI 48336-5919
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Seasonal Flu and H1N1 (Swine) Flu: What You Should Know
Botsford Hospital has an emergency plan in place to handle an outbreak of flu.
Preparing for flu season and dealing with the virus doesn’t mean a trip to the hospital for most people. For your best “shot” at prevention, please follow the following advice, which is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Vaccination is the best protection against contracting the flu.
You need two vaccines to be fully protected this year. The seasonal flu vaccine is different from the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine. The CDC is encouraging people to get both vaccinations. More…
The H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine is ready. The FDA has approved four vaccines against the H1N1 (swine) flu virus. More…
The CDC recommends that certain priority groups receive the H1N1 (swine) flu vaccine. More…
Reduce your possibility of getting/giving the flu
Following these tips will lessen the likelihood of contracting or transmitting both seasonal flu and H1N1 (swine) flu:
Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
Wash hands often to help protect against the spread of germs.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Stay home from school or work when sick.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
Clean/disinfect frequently touched surfaces.
Be Prepared
With fall here and winter approaching have you thought about “being prepared” when it comes to dealing with the assortment of colds, flu, and other illness that seem to arrive during this time of the year? And with the continuing conversation about the potential of a new influenza virus in the mix you might want to consider the following suggestions.
These are especially important if you live alone – you don’t want to discover that you’re down to the last spoonful of cough medicine or it expired two years ago when you’re sick, it’s snowing and well…you know the rest.
Being prepared includes:
Having a supply of fluids on hand – water, juice, soda, tea, etc. – and easily available.
Check and replenish as needed your supply of symptomatic over-the-counter medications that you normally take for headache, fever, cough, nasal congestion.
If you have influenza (high fever, body aches, coughing, headache and fatigue) let a family member, friend or neighbor know that you are ill. Arrange to have either them call you or you call them on a regular basis so they know how you are doing.
Have a sheet or card with a list of chronic health problems you may have along with a list of the medications you normally take readily available.
There is a sample form for this information that you could complete and print off for posting in your home.
And while the clinical attributes of this are sometimes in question, having a few cans of chicken soup in the house is always a good idea.
Symptoms
Seasonal Flu
H1N1 (Swine) Flu
All types of flu can cause:
Fever
Coughing and/or sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Headaches and/or body aches
Chills
Fatigue
Same as seasonal flu, but symptoms may be more severe.
Fever
Coughing and/or sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Headaches and/or body aches
Chills
Fatigue
In addition to the above symptoms, a number of H1N1(swine) flu cases reported:
Vomiting
Diarrhea
What to do if you get sick
If you have been diagnosed with H1N1 (swine) flu, you should stay home, follow your doctor’s orders, and watch for signs that you need immediate medical attention.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)recommends that you stay at home until you have been free of fever (100°F or 37.8°C), or signs of a fever, for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing medication.
Avoid close contact with others, especially those who might easily get the flu, such as people age 65 years and older, people of any age with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), pregnant women, young children, and infants.
Clean hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub often, especially after using tissues or coughing/sneezing into your hands.
Drink clear fluids such as water, broth, sports drinks, or electrolyte beverages made for infants to prevent becoming dehydrated.
Get plenty of rest.
Do you need to go to the emergency room if you are only a little sick?
No. The emergency room should be used for people who are very sick. You should not go to the emergency room if you are only mildly ill. If you have the emergency warning signs of flu sickness (see below), you should go to the emergency room. If you get sick with flu symptoms and are at high risk of flu complications or you are concerned about your illness, call your health care provider for advice. If you go to the emergency room and you are not sick with the flu, you may catch it from people who do have it.
Know these flu emergency warning signs
Get medical attention right away if you:
Have difficulty breathing or chest pain
Have purple or blue discoloration of your lips
Are vomiting and unable to keep liquids down, or
Show signs of dehydration, such as feeling dizzy when standing or being unable to urinate
