I agree with you that swine flu awareness is needed, but there is no need to be panicky and join the publicity propaganda carried out by media and others which act as a vehicle to spread misconception than to spread scientific information.
Here are few facts about Swine Flu by Dr Deepak Purohit:
1) Swine flu, that is H1N1 flu is not new,first detected in 1987.
2) Infective stage of flue is 5 days, 1 day before and 4 days after onset of symptoms.
3) The best way to prevent it spreading is asking patient having symptoms of flu like fever cough and running nose to take rest at home for 4 days so he does not transmit it.
4) I have seen that the masks in Pune are worn as fashion statement, while walking on road today morning I saw people wearing masks coming out for a morning walk with their dogs! Many wearing masks around their necks, and so on, infect these masks shall act as the vehicles to carry the virus, instead, avoiding crowded places or cinema halls or malls where air conditioners are on, is advisable, because you get recalculated air, where the virus density multiplies.
5) Death after H1N1 flu is not common, infect infections like measles is taking a toll on thousands every year, and we are oblivious of the facts. Swine flu is being blown out of proportion by media trying to create hysteria among lay people.
6) Fever accompanied by respiratory distress, should be immediately notified which is likely to be a complication of H1N1 flu.
7) The mortality is less than .01 percent of those affected, that means may be one in 10,000 affected is likely to suffer the life loss.
8) If you remember, 2 years ago SARS was blown out of proportion, what happened? Humans develop immunity to the virus, the same is going to happen, we develop immunity in due course of time, the virus is in the air, you cannot stop it, our body is already developing the immunity so nothing to panic.
We need to take care of children and elderly who have less immunity and do not let them go to crowded places that are all.
Here’s something from me:
It is important to understand that it is like a viral flu and each one of us might be affected by it today or tomorrow. This doesn’t mean that we all are going to die. We all will be cured the day after and can resume working two days after that.
The treatment involves nothing more than taking two capsules a day – one post breakfast and the other post dinner. Now, don’t we take more medicines when we are affected by Malaria or Jaundice!
Those who have been dead, there is more to it than what meets the eye.
I am not saying precaution is not important but panic surely isn’t. You WON'T start looking like a pig if you get Swine Flu! (Check image) So chillax.
If you can get Swine Flu twice - The Times of India, 12 th August, page 4 - "Once you have had a virus, your body develops an immunity to it, so unless there is a significant mutation of swine flu you should not get it again.
And, no, its not fatal. Not by itself, only by additional complications and usually if you are pregnant, already have serious illness like heart or kidney disease or something major.
So, it’s just a matter of chilling out at home for 7 days. And you get fever only the first two days, rest of the days, you are just about fine. Watch television at home, but don’t switch on any news channel. If the swine doesn’t kill you, the over hyped news reports surely will!