Since swine flu is so serious, I believe the signs & symptoms would be good to know. They are identical to flu, and include fever (almost always present & may rise above 103 F in the first 12 hours of illness), chills, muscle aches, loss of appetite, extreme fatigue, eye redness and burning, stuffy or runny nose, dry cough, and sore throat. Some people also report nausea & vomiting. Dr. Steckelberg ( http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/swine-flu-symptoms/AN02034 ) recommends home care unless you're pregnant & basically healthy. Take acetaminophen or ibuprofen to reduce fever & muscle aches (don't give aspirin to children or young adults). Drink clear fluids (e.g. water, broth, or sports drinks). Rest as long as you continue to feel tired, & sleep as much as you can. Wait 24 hours after the fever has left (without being reduced by drugs) before coming back to society.

There is a vaccine being made available this fall. It's not in the seasonal flu shot, but works the same way. The Mayo Clinic ( http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/swine-flu/MY00675/NSECTIONGROUP=2 ) recommends getting the vaccine if you're pregnant, a household contact or caregiver for children younger than 6 months of age, health care & emergency medical services personnel, or for your child (6 months to 18 years), young adults (19-24), or people ages 25-64 who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza.

For some reason, swine flu attacks young adults more. There is a nasal spray form of the vaccine that can take the place of a shot, unless you are pregnant (Your 6 month to 2 year old needs the shot, as do people over 49.) In most places (and it looks like Provo is one of them), the seasonal flu shot is available before the swine flu shot, but there's no reason you can't get both on the same day if they're both available. Children between 6 months and 10 years old need 2 shots for immunization to the swine flue, given 3-4 weeks apart. Everyone else will only need one shot.  Health professionals will screen you for contraindications to the vaccine (like allergy to eggs) and would suggest you not get the vaccine.  You can get more information on the vaccine at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/swine-flu-vaccine/MY00816.

The CDC has a great site with guidance on taking care of someone sick with H1N1 in your home. Visit it athttp://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm.

Update: 11/8/2009                Swine Flu: In every state but Mississippi and Hawaii, there was widespread influenza activity in the week leading up to Halloween. The week before, 49 states had widespread flu activity. Hospitalization rates continue to be higher than expected. 18 children died of the flu that week, 15 definitely from H1N1, the swine flu. Almost all of the flu viruses the CDC is finding are H1N1 influenza A viruses, which are what the vaccine was designed to prevent. H1N1 is also still showing susceptibility to the antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir with rare exception. The CDC publishes a weekly report on the flu, FluView, which has been very helpful to me in getting up-to-date, accurate information. Feel free to check it out at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm.

 Update: 11/23/2009         Here's the swine flu update on prevention. Some prevention tips:

 Cover your nose & mouth with a tissue or sleeve when you sneeze or cough.  Wash your hands often with soap and water (ideal) or hand sanitizer. Avoid touching your nose, mouth, & eyes. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you get sick, stay home, away from public places, such as grocery stores, school, work, or malls, until your fever has been gone for more than 24 hours without fever reducers. At home or work, regularly sanitize things everyone frequently touches, like door handles, light switches, or counter tops.   One note of healthcare etiquette. Don't show up at your physician's office without an appointment unless you know that he/she views that as acceptable. Also, don't bring a support crowd to the doctor's office or hospital. Ideal: have one other person with you, so the waiting room isn't crammed. Utah has a decent flu site called www.utahflufighters.com where you can go for local information, as a starting point. 

Article by Alex Heimbigner