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H1N1 Influenza FAQs
Click the following questions for answers, or scroll down the page.
- What is H1N1? How is it different from regular seasonal flu?
- Why is this outbreak being called a pandemic?
- What is a pandemic?
- What are the symptoms of influenza?
- How do I tell if I have allergies versus influenza?
- Is it safe to eat pork, or fruit and vegetables from outside Canada?
- Is it safe for my family to go to work, school or daycare?
- What if my child or family member gets sick?
- How and when are we going to use antiviral drugs?
- Will I get quarantined?
- Why should I stay home if I’m not feeling very ill?
- This feels like SARS is starting again. Is this going to be like SARS?
- What do I tell my family members about how to protect themselves?
- What is Mount Sinai Hospital doing to protect staff?
What is H1N1? How is it different from regular seasonal flu?
H1N1 Influenza is an acute respiratory disease of pigs, caused by one of several swine influenza A viruses. Outbreaks in pigs occur year round, with an increased incidence in the fall and winter in temperate zones. Many countries routinely vaccinate swine populations against swine influenza.
Although swine influenza viruses are normally species specific and only infect pigs, they do sometimes infect people who come into close contact with pigs. The current “swine flu” virus is now a human influenza virus.
Why is this outbreak being called a pandemic?
An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, resulting in epidemics worldwide with high numbers of people being infected. With the increase in global transport, as well as urbanization and overcrowded conditions, epidemics due to a new influenza virus are likely to quickly take hold around the world.
What is a pandemic?
A pandemic is a sudden outbreak of disease that becomes widespread and affects a whole region, continent or the world. The term pandemic describes the spread of disease not the severity of the virus.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a pandemic can start when three conditions have been met:
- Emergence of a disease new to a population.
- Agents infect humans, causing serious illness.
- Agents spread easily and sustainably among humans.
A disease or condition is not a pandemic merely because it is widespread or kills many people; it must also be infectious. For instance, cancer is responsible for many deaths but is not considered a pandemic, because the disease is not infectious or contagious.
What are the symptoms of influenza?
Influenza (also known as the flu) is a contagious respiratory illness caused by flu viruses. It can cause mild to severe illness, and rarely may be fatal in certain cases. The flu usually comes on suddenly and may include these symptoms: fever or chills, cough, headache, extreme tiredness, runny or stuffy nose, muscle aches and sore throat. Stomach symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea can also occur, but are more common in children than adults. Influenza does not cause stomach symptoms without fever or respiratory symptoms.
How do I tell if I have allergies versus influenza?
Itchy, watery eyes with associated runny nose, stuffy nose, sniffling and possibly itchy, scratchy sore throat are the symptoms of allergies.
Fever, severe cough, muscle pain, headache and profound fatigue are not normal allergy symptoms. Influenza symptoms will also probably not get better when you take your usual allergy medication.
Is it safe to eat pork, or fruit and vegetables from outside Canada?
Influenza, including this strain of influenza, is not transmitted by any food or drink. People cannot contract H1N1 flu from eating pork, or any food imported from Mexico.
Is it safe for my family to go to work, school or daycare?
As long as the person is not sick and does not have symptoms of influenza, it is okay to go to work, school or daycare.
No matter where a person is, close attention to hand hygiene is required. Everyone in the community is strongly advised to wash their hands at least 5 times a day (with alcohol handrub or soap and water). People should also try to avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth with their hands.
What if my child or family member gets sick?
It is important to use the same criteria you would normally use to determine whether your child or family member needs to see the doctor. If there are symptoms of influenza, precautions should be taken to reduce the risk that the virus will spread. These precautions include staying six feet away from the person, washing hands carefully after contact with the sick person and not sharing drinking glasses or cutlery with the infected person.
Healthcare workers, like everyone else, have important family responsibilities. However, healthcare workers will be critically needed professionals if this virus spreads. If possible, arranging for someone else to look after family members if they need care but are not too ill, will allow health care workers to work at the Hospital and provide care to patients.
How and when are we going to use antiviral drugs?
There are two antiviral medications that are effective for both treating and preventing influenza. They are oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) and zanamivir (Relenza®). Doctors prescribe these medications for severe cases of seasonal influenza.
If this new virus continues to spread, drugstore supplies of antiviral medications will be used up quickly. For this reason, both the Ontario government and Mount Sinai Hospital have stockpiles of these medications to use if we need them.
The government stockpile is for treating people who develop influenza and who are severely ill. People who are mildly ill get better by themselves, and do not need treatment. This stockpile is for all Ontarians.
The Mount Sinai Hospital stockpile is for staff and other persons (i.e., students) who are required to work in the hospital during a pandemic.
Will I get quarantined?
It is important to remember that SARS and influenza are very different. Quarantine is not being recommended by Public Health or our Infection Control professionals and is not being used for influenza at Mount Sinai Hospital. However, it is possible that some organizations or regions outside of the Hospital are choosing to use using quarantine. It is critically important that people stay home when they are ill. The Hospital will be asking all staff to adhere to this important instruction.
Why should I stay home if I’m not feeling very ill?
Staff who have an infection due to any respiratory virus, including influenza, may spread it to colleagues and other people they have contact with, including patients, when they are at work. This means that, although staff may get some work done, they may make other people sick. This results in a decrease in the ability of the hospital overall to function and provide the best patient care.
This feels like SARS is starting again. Is this going to be like SARS?
SARS was a different experience. SARS involved an unknown virus and we did not understand how it was transmitted, how long patients were infectious, and how to treat it. We understand a great deal more now about the spread of influenza, how to diagnose it, how it is transmitted, how long patients are infectious and how long it takes to manifest symptoms. We also have effective treatments available.
Another important difference is that SARS spread primarily from very sick patients, so that it was able to spread quickly in hospitals, and health care workers were affected much more than other people. Influenza spreads in the community.
Finally, the goal in the SARS outbreak was to control the spread of the virus, and eradicate the virus completely – which was successfully done. We cannot do this with influenza; the goal of our work during the pandemic is to protect people from serious illness and death.
What do I tell my family members about how to protect themselves?
There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
If you get sick with influenza:
- Stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. Do not travel when ill.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Put your used tissue in the waste basket.
- Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue.
- Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.
- You may want to contact your health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.
In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
- Fever with a rash
In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- High fever
What is Mount Sinai Hospital doing to protect staff?
Because influenza is a community illness, infection can be acquired anywhere – at home, in the community (i.e., at the grocery store, in the theatre, etc.), or at work. Mount Sinai Hospital is committed to providing the best protection for staff while they are at work. In addition, the hospital will be providing information to staff and their families about how to protect themselves in the community and at home. We know that it is not possible to stop the spread of illness, or to prevent all infections. We also know, however, that, by working together, we can slow the spread, reduce the number of illnesses, ensure that people get the best possible care, and keep our staff and their families as safe as possible from influenza.