What is the H1N1 and why is it so dangerous?
Basically, it's this new flu that began in the USA on April of 2009. It came mostly from people who visited Mexico for April break. It's very contagious, and since it's new, very hard to prevent. Recently, there have been swine flu doses to protect you against it -- but there's nowhere near enough for everyone yet. So if you haven't got your dose yet (like me), which is a mist they spray up your nose, you can be at risk.
How do I know I've got it?
There are some symptoms. The thing is, it's so similar to the seasonal flu that it can be hard to tell if you have H1N1. So if you have some of these symptoms, don't be scared -- it doesn't necessarily mean you have it.
If you have any of these, there's a chance you have it:
- Bone/Muscle/Head aches
- Fever of over 100 degrees F
- Cough
- Sore Throat
- Chills
- Possibly diarrhea and vomiting
Then what can I do to prevent it?
Well duh -- wash your hands! Sounds simple enough, right? Totally. It's just that, at school, we may not have access to the bathrooms every five minutes. Thats why I've made these tips.
- Wash your hands when you wake up in the morning. If you wear makeup, don't share it with anyone. If you get that "slightly sick" feeling in the morning, do not use makeup, especially lip products (gloss, chapstick, lipstick). We don't want to infect our expensive makeup!
- Don't touch your face during school, especially your eyes, nose, and mouth. This is the most common way to get sick.
- If you are sitting next to a sneezing friend or you have to work on a project with someone coughing every five seconds, try to avoid touching them and their stuff and quickly wash your hands after.
- When buying lunch, wash your hands after touching any money. The H1N1 germs stay on money for three days until they go away on their own. The best thing you can do is a bring a lunch to school, and pack a mini hand sanitizer bottle in the lunch. If you can't bring a lunch, keep some sanitizer in your pencil case or binder, or excuse yourself to the bathroom to wash up before eating. (Have your BFF watch your lunch)!
- Doorknobs and handles are infested with germs. Seriously, use common sense. Don't pick your nose or suck your thumb after openning a door. Don't even touch your face.
- Try to eat as little as possible at school. Don't randomly snack on chips or pretzels during science class. Eat breakfast at home, have a good lunch at school, and snack after school, where you can wash your hands in the privacy of your own home. :)
- Remember -- using hand sanitizer is nowhere near as effective as washing your hands, so if you can, don't hesitate to wash your hands instead.
This has been Sassy, your favorite school blogger here to give you the facts that you need to know. Don't get sick! :)
