Announcement:

The 10 Things You Should Know About Swine Flu And How doctokr Family Medicine Can Help

By now everyone is aware of the swine flu news story. We’d like to reassure you that this flu is a highly treatable condition if treatment is started promptly from the onset of symptoms. As you may have heard, Virginia just has been added to the list of states reporting active cases of the swine flu.

Here are the 10 things you should know about swine flu and how doctokr family medicine can help:

1. Influenza “flu” is a serious illness and is severe enough that almost everyone has very high fever and is sick enough to feel like they can’t/don’t want to get out of bed. Unlike a typical cold (upper respiratory illness), you don’t just feel bad, you feel terrible!

2. Characteristic symptoms include: headache, chills, high fever (usually above 101), bodyaches, cough, runny nose, and a very reduced appetite.  These symptoms come on quickly and within hours a person usually feels like they should be in bed.

3. People can spread the illness before they even feel sick (about 2 days) so it’s often not possible to tell who you got the illness from. Starting at the time of contact until the time of getting sick can be as fast as 36 hours and as long as 7 days.

4. Treatment within 48 hours of onset of flu symptoms can dramatically reduce the illness and reduce mortality rates significantly, so speed to treatment is critical. (Currently, the US has a 1% mortality rate from the swine flu.)

5. All influenza illnesses have a certain mortailty rate (usually low). Beyond this risk, there the days, even weeks, of lost productivity because of recovery time needed. This is why the annual flu shot is recommended and promoted.

6. The flu shot this year does NOT cover the current swine flu virus. There is no vaccine yet available.

7. Other than avoidance, it is possible to prevent swine flu. If you have been in contact with someone with a confirmed case of swine flu, it’s reasonable to consider starting prophylactic (preventative) treatment before you get sick.

8.  People who are low risk, or have no known exposure, should not be taking preventive treatment (Relenza, Tamiflu). Everyone worries that excessive use of medicine, inappropriately used, will significantly increase the risk for the virus to mutate into resistant strains.

9.  If you think you’re coming down with the swine flu, or you have been in contact with someone who has a confirmed case of swine flu, don’t wait. Call us immediately day or night (no matter what the hour) or weekends.  doctokr family medicine, P.C. is one of the few medical practices which can get you the help and information almost instantly and you can even get your meds when needed without fuss or delay. Phone: 703-938-4604.

10. Updated information on this as the news develops is found on:

CDC updates http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/ or more specifically for Virginia http://www.vdh.state.va.us/

We remain yours in primary care,

Alan Dappen, MD
Steve Simmons, MD
Valerie Tinley, CFNP