As we hear about more and more swine flu cases each day, including the death of a toddler in Houston (who had traveled from Mexico to Brownsville, Texas), school closings, and continuous news reports, and see people wearing masks, it is likely hard for parents to not get a little frightened about swine flu.
Is this all media hype or a true hazard that we should be worried about?
Right now, it seems like it may be a little bit of both. Swine flu is definitely a hazard, but more because of the concern about what this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus may do. Will it become a pandemic strain that can cause a global disease outbreak? Or will we just continue to see sporadic cases for a few weeks or months until it stops?
At this time it is impossible to predict what is going to happen with swine flu, but one thing is clear - panic, fear, and any kind of overreaction isn't going to be helpful. And that means not calling or rushing to your pediatrician for every runny nose, sniffle, or cough that your child has.
Shouldn't you just go in and see your pediatrician and get tested for flu just in case? Unless your child has flu symptoms, there are plenty of reasons why this isn't a good idea. For one thing, if everyone does, there may not be any flu tests around if we really need them. The same thing goes for people taking Tamiflu right now. If people are taking it when they don't need it, Tamiflu might not be available for kids who are sick with swine flu. Pharmacies are already running out in some areas, which is not surprising, since they likely didn't have large stocks at the end of our regular flu season.
Also, doctors who are doing a lot of flu tests on kids without typical flu symptoms are likely to get some false positive tests, which may lead to school closings and even more fear.
So what should you do? You can try to avoid the swine flu by encouraging your kids to wash their hands often, tell them to avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth, and avoid people who are sick (which is why we are seeing so many school closings). If your kids get swine flu symptoms, don't panic, as most of the cases in the United States have been mild. Do keep your child away from other people and call your doctor for further advise.
