Home Flu Care

GCVMS A(H1N1) Care at Home Protocol You may have A(H1N1) if you have an acute febrile illness with symptoms like cough, headache, body ache, sore throat & runny nose. Whether or not you have known contacts or travel to affected areas, is irrelevant now considering the spread of the illness. You may need to stay in your house until your swabs results are known. The swabs are inserted into both nostrils & your throat. Your options are: Refuse the swab. Assume you are infected with the A(H1N1) virus. Have the swabs. Anti-flu medications will be commenced in high risk groups if the 48 hours " recommended period" to start them is affected by the "results waiting time." Non-high risk groups will be advised appropriately.

What about those who are not symptomatic in your house? Basic hygiene. Wear at least surgical quality masks. Hand washings. Minimal contacts. Separate rooms if possible. May choose to get A(H1N1) vax. It takes about 2 weeks to kick in. "High risk" very close contacts may need to take anti-flu medications for prevention. Find somewhere else to stay especially those who have underlying illnesses or are immunosuppressed.		You can get seriously ill & even died if you also have an underlying chronic illness like the followings: Diabetes - can become unstable. Chronic Airways Disease - can be exarcerbated requiring extra dosages of regular medications. Most will have secondary bacterial infections requiring antibiotics. Some will also get pneumonia. Chronic Heart Problems - all can worsens & become more symptomatics. Immunosuppressed patients - from those taking steroids for chronic asthma, arthritis etc , to those on supressants for organ transplants; HIV patients. All will be at risk for overwhelming secondary infections. Your Specialists may advise hospitalisation for closer monitoring. The very youngs & the very elderlies. They are not ill but are very susceptible to complications.

Home A(H1N1) Care