How to prevent yourself from catching H1N1 flu?
Don't panic!You can protect yourself from the new swine flu by keeping hands clean and remembering a few preventive measures.The U.S.government is now referring to the swine flu as the H1N1 virus.The new outbreak of the H1N1 virus in 2009 is spread person to person not swine to person.This influenza virus is unique in that it contains gene segments from North American swine flu virus,North American bird flu virus,one human flu virus and swine flu viruses seen in Asia and Europe but not the U.S.With this new H1N1 virus,even if you have received the influenza virus shot this year you will not be protected.This H1N1 flu virus is spread by respiratory droplets transmitted through the air by person to person or person to an object.The respiratory droplets are spread from the infected person to another person or object.Someone touches the object contaminated with the H1N1 virus and or infected person and then touches hand to mouth,nose,eye- contracting the H1N1 swine flu virus; and does NOT wash hands!The incubation period is 24-48 hours from time of exposure.You cannot catch swine flu from eating pork or exposure to pigs.The earliest and most important step to protection and prevention of H1N1 influenza is hand washing!