A closer look at how the virus works: the 3 stages people typically experience.

[snagglepuss]

Stage one
- Symptoms can start to develop 24 to 48 hours after initial infection
- However, it can take up to a week for symptoms to develop
- People seem to become contagious one day before the onset of symptoms


Stage two
- people typically spend from 2 - 4 days in bed
- serious symptoms require immediate medical attention, including shortness of breath and extreme lethargy or being “out of it,...



Stage three
- people remain contagious for about a week after they develop symptoms
- 1 week to be back on their feet
- 2-3 weeks before feeling completely better

Some people's symptoms can grow worse after they initially begin to improve, which could be a signal of a secondary bacterial pneumonia. Although different from viral pneumonia, one of the rare and serious complications appearing in a small number of people with H1N1, bacterial pneumonia is very serious and requires medical intervention.



snip
Warning signs

People who get more severe illness and complications from the H1N1 pandemic virus will experience worsening symptoms over the first few days...



snip
How the virus kills

This virus, much more so than seasonal influenza virus, tends to attach to the cells within the lower respiratory tract where it can cause severe infection,...


To read more:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/h1n1-swine-flu/how-the-virus-works/article1341054/

[stray cat]

1. This is accurate and informative - what is it doing here?

:hi:

[beam me up scottie]

4. LMAO!

Dude sets the bar too high :toast:

[electropop]

6. Sounds like the effects of accidentally tuning in to Fux News

That's why I've blocked the channel from my TV.

[fascisthunter]

2. in this country, you are lucky to have a sick day with pay

nevermind a week to get better. No wonder so many get sick... nobody has any time to stay home, and away from their co-workers.

In germany, you take all the time necessary.... which is smart. But greed and stinginess seems to make some people really fucking dumb.

[snagglepuss]

3. I was laid off in July but if I was still working that would be a real concern.

My workplace had only two paid sick days per year which is better that some places that have no paid sick days. Very few people can afford losing 1 week's pay so if I were still there I know people would be dragging themselves in. Businesses are utterly ignorant for not addressing this disincentive to stay home.

[fascisthunter]

5. yup... I am bit more fortunate

and in no way am bragging when I state this, but I have.... wait for it! I have 6 sick days for the year. How generous, huh? I really wish my parents stayed in Europe. This country uses and abuses people, just to feed the uppercrust.

[tinrobot]

7. I had it pretty bad last week.

Not sure if it was swine flu, but it was the worst flu I've had in a while. I hardly ever get sick. It was also a week filled with deadlines (I'm a self employed animator) and my clients need their stuff come rain or shine, sick or well.

Sunday/Monday was the worst day of the flu and Monday was a major deadline day. So, Sunday night was spent sleeping in the office, waking up every few hours to start the computer in on some new things to calculate, then going back to sleep for a few hours. I was like a Nyquill fueled zombie.

Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a regular job with sick pay, but freelance doesn't allow for that.

[snagglepuss]

10. That's a rough slog, dragging oneself into work despite feeling rotten.

It sounds though like you're feeling better. Maybe you can squeeze in some R & R soon.

[Chemisse]

16. Apparently the swine flu is the only one making the rounds

As it crowds out the regular flu. So that must be what you had.

[tandot]

8. My sister-in-law, who is undergoing chemotherapy, was just diagnosed with H1N1

They drove her to the ER yesterday morning.

She has to take 5 different meds on top of those she is already taking because of her chemo. I was surprised that they didn't keep her in the hospital. It is a really scary situation :(

[snagglepuss]

9. I'm sorry to hear that . The important thing is that she sought

treatment and didn't brush it off. I hope she'll have a quick recovery.
:hug:

[tandot]

22. Thanks, snagglepuss.

[Chemisse]

17. That must be so tough on her body

After being weakened by chemo. I hope she recovers quickly.

[tandot]

21. Thanks, Chemisse.

I hope she gets back on her feet soon.

[MineralMan]

11. While interesting...your list is incorrect. Here is the correct info:

Catching influenza has four stages:

1. Denial -- "It's probably just a cold, honey..."
2. Anger -- "Damn! Now I have a fever and I ache all over"
3. Acceptance -- "I'm going back to bed now..."
4. Recovery -- "Hey, my fever is gone." "Good, dear...now you can take out the trash."

[snagglepuss]

13. Point taken. My bad. I stand corrected.

:rofl:

[mzmolly]

12. I've not been able to confirm the notion that the virus is more deadly

than typical influenza, however from what I've read, it does kill more young and healthy people than typical influenza.

[snagglepuss]

14. The virus is not more deadly . Most people have no major issue however there

is a "small subset of otherwise healthy individuals who become desperately sick or even die, however, the blame may lie in a seemingly distinctive trait of the H1N1 virus - an ability to bind itself to tissue deep within the lungs, causing dangerous viral pneumonia"



Read more: http://www.nationalpost.com/most-popular/story.html?id=2156348#ixzz0VS9lxgPk

[mzmolly]

15. The question becomes, why do some people avoid the

wrath of viral pneumonia while others do not.

Very interesting article:

But, the death of a seemingly healthy 13-year-old Toronto boy this week has underlined questions about how the new pathogen can prove so lethal for a tiny minority of patients, and fairly run of the mill for others. Dr. Evans cautions that that tragic case and the demise a few days earlier of a 10-year-old Ottawa girl should not overly alarm people.

"Every year, young, healthy people do die of influenza, but they never get on the front page."

Perhaps these young/healthy people should be studied in greater depth?

In addition:

Dr. Evans is less convinced by the importance of the British research, though, saying that he believes most serious cases are related to the exaggerated inflammatory response. He also notes the majority of people who have died from H1N1 worldwide had some kind of underlying health problem, though the ICU study showed that many of the problems were relatively minor, such as mild hypertension.

[Chemisse]

18. Recent news stories claimed that millions had been infected

with it by last July, and of course many millions more now.

That makes the death rate much lower than that of the seasonal flu I think.

[Chemisse]

19. Ahh, just saw the story elsewhere here

"Between 1.8 million and 5.7 million Americans caught pandemic H1N1 influenza this spring, as many as 21,000 were hospitalized, and perhaps 800 died, according to new estimates by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The revised numbers suggest that even larger numbers will become infected during this flu season."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x74809

So the death rate would be 0.044 percent of the lowest estimate (1.8 million).

[snagglepuss]

20. It is a typical flu for most people, however there is a small subset of

otherwise healthy people dying or at least suffering severe complications. This is a group of people that normally don't die or have severe complications.

[mzmolly]

23. Could be.

:shrug: