What's New with the Swine Flu?

Emily Akland
Staff Writer

How concerned should students be about Swine Flu on campus? Society has expressed their concerns about the Swine Flu, but fortunately it’s not a critical situation. Upon being asked whether he thought that the Swine Flu was a pressing issue, Peter Browning, The Director of the Skagit County Health Board, replied “It’s not going to be a big plague; it’s going to just be dangerous for medically vulnerable populations.”
The Skagit County Health Board website states that there are 700 people in Washington State with confirmed cases of Swine Flu since April 2009; 157 of those people have been hospitalized, and there have been 14 reported deaths. Peter Browning says that within the period of one week, the positive lab results for Type A influenza doubled. If you test positive for Type A influenza, it means that there is a 99% chance that you have Swine Flu.

Now that we know the strength of the Swine Flu virus, what do we do about it? We can’t just stop going to school because we are afraid of catching this virus can we? Luckily there are things that you can do every day to strengthen your immunity against the Swine Flu.
Peter Browning says that on campus we need to be aware of the Swine Flu and make sure we don’t infect each other. An example of this would be coughing into your shoulder instead of into your hands. If a person coughs into their hands, or they have an uncovered cough, then their germs have spread to the people around them. He says that students need to be “peer-pressured” into making smart choices on campus every day. “The virus can live on hard surfaces for a long time,” replied Peter Browning while discussing the Swine Flu. This means that we should think twice before putting our hands on a door knob, a stairwell railing, or all over the tables in the library.
Since we can’t avoid germs all together, it is crucial that everyone keeps their hands away from their face and that students wash their hands. There are several openings on the face that could let a virus into the system. The eyes, the mouth, and the nose are all places that the Swine Flu virus can possibly enter, so you should wash your hands before eating.
Students should wash their hands after using the bathroom. To do this the most effectively, use a paper towel to turn the water on and off. Then, after drying your hands with the paper towel, you would use it to turn the bathroom doorknob so you don’t touch it with your newly cleaned hands. Another way you can keep your hands clean is by using hand sanitizer. Any hand sanitizer is sufficient. Browning says that washing your hands for 30 seconds is the best way to cleanse but that hand sanitizer can also be effective.
Getting vaccinated may also help prevent from getting the Swine Flu. The nose mist, which is one form of the vaccine, was made available the week of October 5 at the Skagit County Health Department in Mt. Vernon, WA. The live vaccine, which is the next form of vaccine, will be available until October 18. This vaccine will not be available for pregnant women because the Skagit County Health Department has reason to believe that the live vaccine may cause serious side effects for these women. That is why the “killed virus” vaccine will also be available. The “killed virus” shot is supposed to be better for the systems of pregnant women and also for people with suppressed immune systems. The first people in line to receive the vaccine are children 4-18, pregnant women, health care workers, and people with suppressed immune systems. The Skagit County Health Department is hoping to receive at least 25,000 doses of vaccine. This amount will cover the people with the most priority. If they get more than 25,000 doses, then more people will be able to become recipients of the vaccine.
If a student finds that they have a sore throat, headache and a fever of 100 degrees or above then he or shes should isolate themself from the public. These are symptoms of the Swine Flu and infected people must make sure that they are quarantined from those who don’t have it.
Be sure to stay well hydrated. Browning says that fluids will flush your body out and help you get better. It is also good to take Tylenol or Ibuprofen to reduce your temperature and to fight mucus These things will help the virus pass through your body safely and quickly. 
As we wait for the vaccine to come to our area, we must continue to watch out for our own health. We can do things everyday that can make us less likely to contract the Swine Flu.
Most importantly, Swine Flu could potentially take people away from their jobs or their classes. The AOL News website states that over 2,000 students at Washington State University (WSU) came down with the Swine Flu during their first week of classes. These students probably had to isolate themselves from school which is why SVC students need to make sure that we stay well.    

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