Although swine flu is just a variation of ordinary flu, it is dangerous, and you do need to make sure you are getting the best, most reliable information in order to protect yourself, and your children.
The first thing you should do is trust your instincts. If you or your children have bad flu symptoms, and you are concerned that it may be swine flu, go to your doctor. The only concrete way to diagnose swine flu, or H1N1 is through a blood test, and it is better to be safe than sorry!
Many parents these days turn to the internet for help with medical questions. However, there are plenty of sites online that don’t offer the most reliable information. Look for sites that end in .gov or .edu. The former will be government sites, and the latter those of academic institutions, both of which can offer you reliable swine flu information.
Google has a global initiative called Google flu trends, that offers in depth tracking of international swine flu risks and trends, and that can offer you a good idea of what the swine flu pandemic looks like in your area.
The first thing you should do is trust your instincts. If you or your children have bad flu symptoms, and you are concerned that it may be swine flu, go to your doctor. The only concrete way to diagnose swine flu, or H1N1 is through a blood test, and it is better to be safe than sorry!
Many parents these days turn to the internet for help with medical questions. However, there are plenty of sites online that don’t offer the most reliable information. Look for sites that end in .gov or .edu. The former will be government sites, and the latter those of academic institutions, both of which can offer you reliable swine flu information.
Google has a global initiative called Google flu trends, that offers in depth tracking of international swine flu risks and trends, and that can offer you a good idea of what the swine flu pandemic looks like in your area.
