All types of flu can cause:
Seasonal flu:
• Fever
• Coughing and/or sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Headaches and/or body aches
• Chills
• Fatigue
H1N1: 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 flu cases reported:
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
According to the Web site www.flu.gov, if you have been diagnosed with H1N1 flu, you should stay home, follow your doctor’s orders, and watch for signs that you need immediate medical attention.
• CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever (100 F or 37.8 C) is gone except to get medical care or for other things you have to do and no one else can do for you. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol.) You should stay home from work, school, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings.
• 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.
• Cover coughs and sneezes.
• Wear a facemask when sharing common spaces with other household members to help prevent spreading the virus to others. This is especially important if other household members are at high risk for complications from influenza. See Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator Use to Reduce Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Transmission.
• Drink clear fluids such as water, broth, sports drinks, or electrolyte beverages made for infants to prevent becoming dehydrated.
• Get plenty of rest.
• 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
The 4-year-old daughter of a Rincon dentist succumbed to an illness on Sunday, and the child’s preschool decided to close Monday and today.
Elaina Redick, the 4-year-old daughter of Dr. Kimberly Redick and a Richmond Hill resident, was a student at the Savannah Christian Preparatory School daycare and preschool.
The younger Redick fell ill with nausea early on Saturday morning. She was taken to Memorial University Medical Center on Saturday and passed away early Sunday afternoon. Doctors have not as yet firmly determined the cause.
Local health officials also are hesitant to say H1N1 was the cause.
Coastal Health District public information officer Sally Silbermann said they only can confirm that a 4-year-old female, a resident of Bryan County, died as a result of an influenza-associated illness.
According to a statement on the Savannah Christian Preparatory School Web site, parents acknowledged that the nausea was not accompanied by fever, which would seem to rule out one of the primary characteristics of the H1N1 virus.
Her sister, a student in the SCPS Lower School, had a fever and tested positive for the flu, and is being treated. Test results will not be back for two days, so it is not known at this time if she has Influenza A or the H1N1 virus. She will be out of school until it is safe for her to return.
During its closing, the SCPS daycare is going through a thorough cleaning, according to its statement, as a precaution. Although not required to close by the state licensing board, the school made the decision to clean and disinfect every nook and cranny, including washing the walls, in order to take extraordinary precautionary steps.
