• How we treat H1N1 flu depends on how serious the infection is.
In healthy people, treating H1N1 flu is similar to dealing with the seasonal flu. The key: stay home, rest and drink lots of fluids, recommends the Public Health Agency. A mild cough suppressant may be useful for sleeping at night, except for children under six. A cold compress, as well as acetaminophen or ibuprofen every four to six hours, can help treat a fever or body aches. Don’t give kids under age six aspirin because it has been associated with Reye’s syndrome, which can be a deadly disease. Pregnant women who have H1N1 flu symptoms or people who have other health problems should visit their doctor right away to figure out the best treatment.
Two antiviral drugs may be given to patients whose H1N1 flu appears more serious within 48 hours of getting sick. They are called oseltamivir and zanamivir (the brand names are Tamiflu and Relenza, respectively). They work by reducing the virus’s ability to reproduce in the body. Canada has 55 million doses of these drugs, and they can only be prescribed by doctors. In the most serious cases, people with H1N1 flu may need to be hospitalized. A special ventilator may be used, if necessary, to help these patients breathe.
• There are other measures besides vaccination to help prevent H1N1.
There’s no magic trick to avoiding the pandemic flu; health officials say common sense goes a long way. Infected people should cough and sneeze into their sleeves. Disinfect common surfaces and dispose of used tissues carefully and promptly. And despite a controversial report commissioned by the Public Health Agency showing that handwashing isn’t very effective in preventing the spread of flu, experts such as Kredentser insist it doesn’t hurt. “I don’t think there’s anybody in health who could deny that historically we know that handwashing is a significant strategy in infection control,” she says. “It would be a shame if people believe that, ‘Well, I don’t need to bother doing that anymore.’ ”
• “Pandemic” and “mild flu” aren’t contradictory.
“People think of pandemics as people dying left and right,” says Kredentser. That’s the stuff of science fiction. Pandemic alerts actually signal that a virus is highly communicable, not virulent. The WHO officially calls this a moderate pandemic, but “mild” has become the buzzword, referring to the symptoms experienced by most sick people. So, while the WHO’s pandemic alert is alarming in that it represents the highest level of transmissibility, it doesn’t mean H1N1 is always deadly.
THE FUTURE
Even though most Canadians aren’t planning to roll up their sleeve for the H1N1 shot, virtually all medical authorities around the world unilaterally endorse the vaccine as the best way to prevent the flu. One of the big reasons getting the shot is so widely promoted is because of its impact on entire communities, not just individuals. Experts say that every time someone refuses to get the flu shot, that jeopardizes the well-being of others.
This thinking is based on the concept of “herd immunity,” which is often overlooked by the public when considering the benefits of immunization. The basic premise is that if 70 per cent of a population gets vaccinated against H1N1, the virus will, effectively, be stopped in its tracks. “If people have been vaccinated it creates transmission barriers,” explains Henrich. “So basically, the disease can’t spread or spreads very inefficiently.” Family, friends and co-workers will have one less person to potentially infect them. It also protects people who can’t get the flu shot because of underlying conditions. “For those individuals,” says Henrich, herd immunity means that “it’s unlikely the virus is going to be able to find a route to them.”
If most people don’t get vaccinated against H1N1, experts worry that a large percentage of the population will get sick, says Low—and that the health care system won’t be able to manage. Intensive care units may be overloaded, beds and special ventilators may be scarce, and medical professionals may be run off their feet. In fact, hospitals could be short-staffed if a significant share of health care workers become infected too. “It’s really a numbers game,” says Low, “so the more people that you can protect, the more people you can take out of the equation of being susceptible, the better we’re able to handle [H1N1] as a society.”
Although the pandemic has been confusing, Quinn says that, to a large extent, that’s inherent in dealing with new viruses. “If there’s one watchword for influenza, it’s uncertainty,” she explains. Viruses mutate, and in the case of H1N1, scientists are just learning about how this strain behaves in people and responds to various treatments. Some reluctance to get vaccinated is understandable, adds Quinn, because it’s been decades since we’ve had to deal with a severe and pervasive outbreak of communicable disease, and its devastating effects. Many people don’t “fully grasp” that “vaccination is really not just an issue of personal good,” says Quinn, “but of the public’s health.” Or, depending what comes next with H1N1, widespread public illness.
