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[Sappho]

Is there any markable difference between swine flu and the regular type?  From what I've heard the symptoms seem to be the same.  I woke up with a flu of some type this morning (fever, horrible pain all over my body - especially my head, sore throat, slightly ragged breathing, dizziness and disorientation).  I haven't had the flu since I was a teenager (8 years ago or so), and that time I was puking my brains out and bedridden for a week.  I nearly had to be hospitalized for dehydration, but pulled through.

That time I was living with my mom, so there was someone to make sure I was still alive.  Now I'm living on my own for the first time (well, with four other people, but I don't even really talk to them and they've never even been in my room) and trying to decide whether I should try to find the money to see a doctor.  I don't have any insurance so that would be a major financial blow.  I'm having trouble just finding enough money for rent and food right now.  Which is another question - at what point do I draw the line and call out of work on Monday?  I work as an independent contractor and don't get paid if I don't work, no matter the reason.

I know that the swine flu has been going around Prague and I take public transportation everywhere.  I wouldn't even think of it except for the fact that it's September, which seems the wrong time of year for the regular flu.  I know that the odds of it actually killing me are extremely low and I'll probably be just fine no matter what I do, so my current plan is to see how I feel tomorrow and go from there.  But I also figure it's always a good idea to get second opinions when making any decisions when you have a fever, and there's no one here to watch out for me, so I turn to my Bay12 pals...

Thoughts?  Tips for getting better faster without spending any money?

[Phantom]

Its just like a normal flu, like bird flu, also, eat elderberry, they counteract the swine flu, its basically an ordinary flu that has no widespread vaccine yet.

[redacted123]

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[Vester]

It's about as deadly as all the other flu strains, which is not very much, especially if you drink a lot of fluids and eat well.

You should be fine.

[Jackrabbit]

I had it. Drink fluids, stay in bed, be ready for a secondary infection the moment you lose it.

But it's no different than the normal flu. It's just easier to catch.

[ChairmanPoo]

It's pretty much the same, I think. The big difference is that the viral antigens are different, and thus we got an out-of-season, more virulent flu.
From Harrison:

Antigenic Variation and Influenza Outbreaks

The most extensive and severe outbreaks are caused by influenza A viruses, in part because of the remarkable propensity of the H and N antigens of these viruses to undergo periodic antigenic variation. Major antigenic variations, called antigenic shifts, may be associated with pandemics and are restricted to influenza A viruses. Minor variations are called antigenic drifts. These types of antigenic variation may involve the hemagglutinin alone or both the hemagglutinin and the neuraminidase.

(...)

A major determinant of the extent and severity of an outbreak is the level of immunity in the population at risk. With the emergence of an antigenically novel influenza virus to which little or no immunity is present in a community, extensive outbreaks may occur. When the absence of immunity is worldwide, epidemic disease may spread around the globe, resulting in a pandemic. Such pandemic waves can continue for several years, until immunity in the population reaches a high level.

[Muz]

Yeah, pretty much the same. Deaths are caused just because people underestimate it. Australia got past it fine. Malaysia, on the other hand, had to close down many schools, unis, and offices, and had a lot of deaths. Because most people refused to wear face masks and refused to go to the doctor when they got it. My brother was sick for 3 weeks straight.. he went to a clinic, but didn't take the medicine. Idiots.

Just take good care of yourself. I'd suggest you see the doctor at least. Since you don't get paid for not working, you should try and cure yourself of it ASAP. Assume that you'll be sick for 2 weeks longer than usual if you don't see the doctor.. see if the cost is worth not working. It could just be a normal fever, not a flu, so don't overreact just yet

[kholhaus]

OH HAI GAIZ.

I was doeeng my parkour to be cool and whatnot, it's really cool cuz you freaking do stuff and thin's ya now? Well like, anyway, I got the snifflez, And I want too kno if it's Swine Fl00. Kthxbai.

Seriously, It's nothing to worry about. Swine Flu is a minor mutation of Regular Flu, which just means more people can be affected through underexposure to this new strain.

Oh and the above gibberish is true. I do take Parkour lessons now, and just recently got the sniffles. I'm betting on the common Cold.

[Cthulhu]

I don't know, wearing a mask seems a little much.  Is it really worth looking like a douchebag for protection that may or may not actually exist?

[Phantom]

Y'know, the swine flu had a few outbreaks before the widespread one, seriously, just eat/drink elderberry. Thats how a lot of people survived.

[Cheeetar]

I have heard from reliable sources that regular flu has killed more over than swine flu has over a similar period of time. I guess it's because lots of people have been extremely scared of swine flu.

[Vector]

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[Neonivek]

Very few people actually die of the Swine Flu itself, most people die from onset illnesses such as the ones I cannot spell. Mind you, I am not saying that Swine Flu isn't dangerous, I just mean that healthy caution and proper care should work. A few people who die from ordinary flu are people who ignore it.

One unique aspect of the Swine Flu is that it has a much more spread out death ratio. Most illnesses tend to kill off the old and young, however Swine Flu seems to kill people inbetween just as much.

wearing a mask seems a little much

Unless your trying to protect people from catcing it from you, it is nearly useless. Goggles actually works much better (80 vs. 10-20%).

"My biology professor has a good point about this: if H1N1 picks up a deadly allele from a different flu, we're screwed over."

Yep we would have Bubonic level plague on our hands. Though it is just as likely, if I remember correctly, that it mutates into a completely harmless form.

[SniHjen]

The reason everyone is freaking out over H1N1 (stop with this swineflu crap), is that it is a vira that Mankind have not been exposed to before.

The regular season flu, is something that 4/5 are resistant to, and this limits it's ability to spread.

Nobody is resistant to H1N1, this means that even healthy people have no "ready defences" (for lack of better words.) against it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W57pnVhEhjU

[Neonivek]

Basically if you get Swine Flu you will get it bad

So think of the worst flu you ever had. Swine flu is like that