General Measures:
- Don't shake hands or hug - verbal greetings only.
- Wear mask if your house ventilation is inadequate - like small rooms, no windows
- Flu usually starts with fever, shivering, body ache, headache
Test & Treatment:
- Your doctor may swab your nostrils & your throat
- This will then guide whether you can justify taking Tamiflu 1 tablet 2x/day (best started within 48 hours). In an outbreak swabs are not needed.
- Panadol or Nurofen helps with fever & aches; children should NOT take Aspirin
- Keep well hydrated and rest; soup gives both fluid & nutrition
- Over the counter decongestants & cough mixtures may help
- If symptoms worsens or last longer than a week - contact your doctor
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Flu Outbreak
- You still can get a flu shot ( covers both A & B, during the outbreak ) if you are at high risk of getting the flu or can't afford to be sick.
- For 2010, A(H1N1) is pre-mixed with the vaccine for the other flu strains
- The flu shot take 2 weeks to kick in
- While waiting ( if shot given during outbreak), you can have the option of taking Tamiflu 1x /day during this outbreak; then stopped after 2 weeks.
- Some people take the option of only taking Tamiflu ( without the flu shot) 1x/day during the outbreak - an expensive option considering a 5 days course cost anywhere between $60 - $75.
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