H1N1 flu is also known as swine flu . It’s called swine flu because in the past, the people who caught it had direct contact with pigs. That changed several years ago, when a new virus emerged that spread among people who hadn’t been near pigs.
How Do You Catch It?
The same way as the seasonal flu. When people who have it cough or sneeze, they spray tiny drops of the virus into the air. If you come in contact with these drops, touch a surface (like a doorknob or sink) where the drops landed, or touch something an infected person has recently touched, you can catch H1N1 swine flu.
Swine Flu Symptoms
These, too, are pretty much the same as seasonal flu. They can include:
- Cough
- Fever
- Sore throat
- Stuffy or runny nose
- Body aches
- Headache
- Chills
- Fatigue
According to statistics from the Ministry of Health, 6,356 cases of influenza were recorded in various hospitals at mid-day on Wednesday 31 May. Some 800 new cases are registered every day. As at 20 May, there were 6,010 cases. Dr Aukhojee explains that most flu infections result in mild illness. Most persons do not need medical care or antiviral drugs, and will recover in couple of weeks.