One Good Thing You Can Say About the H1N1 Virus

Posted on 10. Nov, 2009 by joannagreer in Health

By “Doctor” John

The only good thing you can say about the H1N1 virus is that it grows slowly.  This is one reason that the vaccine is not widely available at this time;  it grows too slowly for manufacturers to make enough supply for everyone who wants it.

Since the virus doesn’t survive well in the air, it is most often transferred to your body through physical contact.  This means that we most likely pick it up on our hands and pass it to our mouth, nose, eyes, or ears, areas known as portals of entry.

The following are two things you can do to increase your chances of stopping the H1N1 virus from getting into your body in the first place.  First, and most important, wash your hands and apply hand sanitizer frequently.  Second, be conscious not to touch your face.  See if you can catch yourself doing this.

Because these precautions may not prevent the H1N1 virus from entering your body, make sure you also gargle with salt water and use a saline (salt water) nose spray at least twice each day, especially before going to bed.  This will increase the chances that the virus will not successfully incubate and spread from your nose and throat to the rest of your body.

Finally, if you do feel the onset of flu-like symptoms (a combination of a fever, the chills, muscle aches, and especially if you also develop trouble breathing), make sure you visit your doctor right away and stay home for at least 48 hours after you first experience these symptoms.