Useful Contacts

• Call 0800 1 513 513 to hear the latest information on swine flu.
• England:
  • www.nhs.uk
  • www.direct.gov.uk/swineflu
• Scotland:
  • www.nhs24.com
• Wales:
  • www.nhsdirect.wales.nhs.uk
  • www.wales.gov.uk/health
• Northern Ireland:
  • www.dhsspsni.gov.uk
  • www.nidirect.gov.uk
• If you are planning to travel abroad, check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice at www.fco.gov.uk/travel or call 0845 850 2829 for the latest information.
• Essential information concerning travel, schools and colleges, and the workplace will be published on www.direct.gov.uk

WHAT IS SWINE FLU AND HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM ORDINARY FLU?

Swine flu is a respiratory disease and has some elements of a virus found in pigs. There is no evidence of this disease circulating in pigs in the UK and scientists are investigating its origins.

Swine flu has been confirmed in a number of countries and it is spreading from human to human, which could lead to what is referred to as a pandemic flu outbreak.

Pandemic flu is different from ordinary flu because it’s a new flu virus that appears in humans and spreads very quickly from person to person worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) is closely monitoring cases of swine flu globally to see whether this virus develops into a pandemic.

Because it’s a new virus, no one will have immunity to it and everyone could be at risk of catching it. This includes healthy adults as well as older people, young children and those with existing medical conditions.

HOW DOES SWINE FLU SPREAD?

Flu viruses are made up of tiny particles that can be spread through the droplets that come out of your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze.

When you cough or sneeze without covering your nose and mouth with a tissue, those droplets can spread and others will be at risk of breathing them in.

If you cough or sneeze into your hand, those droplets and the germs in them are then easily spread from your hand to any hard surfaces that you touch, and they can live on those surfaces for some time. Everyday items such as door handles, computer keyboards, mobile and ordinary phones and the TV remote control are all common surfaces where flu viruses can be found.

If other people touch these surfaces and then touch their faces, the germs can enter their systems and they can become infected. That’s how all cold and flu viruses, including swine flu, are passed on from person to person.

WHAT HAVE THE UK GOVERNMENTS BEEN DOING TO PREPARE?

They have been planning for a flu pandemic for a number of years, and the UK plan has been identified as one of the best by the World Health Organization.

While the current situation is serious, there’s good reason for us to be confident that we can deal with it. Thanks to the work of scientists who have studied previous pandemics, we know more now about treatments and how to stop the virus spreading than ever before.

The UK has a good stockpile of antiviral drugs (including Tamiflu® and Relenza®) – enough to treat more than 33 million people (half the UK population), and the government are planning to increase this.

Antiviral drugs are not a cure, but they help you to recover if taken within 48 hours of symptoms developing, by:

• Relieving some of the symptoms.
• Reducing the length of time you are ill by around one day.
• Reducing the potential for serious complications, such as pneumonia.

WHAT CAN I DO TO PROTECT MYSELF AND OTHERS AGAINST FLU?

The best thing you can do to protect yourself is to follow good hygiene practices. These will help to slow the spread of the virus and will be the single most effective thing you can do to protect yourself and others from infection.

When you cough or sneeze it is especially important to follow the rules of good hygiene to prevent the spread of germs:

• Always carry tissues.
• Use clean tissues to cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze.
• Bin the tissues after one use.
• Wash your hands with soap and hot water or a sanitiser gel often.

There’s a simple way to remember this:

CATCH IT, BIN IT, KILL IT.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?

Some of the symptoms are the sudden onset of fever, cough or shortness of breath. Other symptoms can include headache, sore throat, tiredness, aching muscles, chills, sneezing, runny nose or loss of appetite.

It is important for us to make sure that you have upto-date advice. This will include further information on how to access antiviral drugs, should the virus become more widespread in the UK. The Swine Flu Information Line on 0800 1 513 513 will be updated regularly.