Is Swine Flu the Same as the Regular Flu?
Written on Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Is Swine Flu the Same as the Regular Flu?
According to US Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, the H1N1 (a.k.a. Swine Flu) virus is no more dangerous than the regular flu viruses that are present each year. She went on to explain that scientists have found that the severity of this particular strain is not stronger than the regular flu.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the H1N1 virus has been blamed for 25 deaths in Mexico and 1 in the United States. The WHO, however, does not plan to raise the alert level to Phase 6.
Napolitano also noted that the regular seasonal flu results in hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and approximately 35,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.
There are still concerns that the H1N1 virus may return in the fall and combine with the typical flu, making an even stronger strain.
The best thing to do to stay healthy seems like common sense – cover your mouth when you cough/sneeze and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer very frequently.
Written by: Carissa Kelley
