Personal health and H1N1 influenza

I think I have the flu. What should I do?

• If you are sick with the flu, you may be ill for a week or longer. Please stay home so you can get better and prevent others from getting ill. Drink plenty of fluids and rest as much as possible. Do not go to work or school until at least 24 hours after your fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine (like Tylenol and ibuprofen).
• Only go out if you need medical care or other important supplies. If you leave the house to seek medical care, wear a facemask.
• Wash your hands frequently with warm water and soap or use a hand sanitizer.
• Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue or the sleeve of your elbow.
• Avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness, especially to people at high risk of serious illlness if they catch the flu.
• You don’t need to see your doctor unless you have unusually severe illness. Most people experience and recover from H1N1 flu just as they do from seasonal flu.
• Public Health does not recommend getting a note from a doctor to return to work, school or child care after you are well again. Writing notes takes away valuable time from patients who need immediate medical care.

For more information, see the tip sheet When to Seek Care.

Should I get tested for H1N1 influenza if I have the flu?

For most people, testing for H1N1 flu is not necessary or helpful. Those who are generally healthy will recover fully from the flu without testing or treatment. For those with more severe illness or chronic medical conditions with the flu, health care providers can usually make treatment decisions without a test.

Testing for H1N1 flu is generally needed when patients are sick enough to be hospitalized or have severe illness. If you are not in the hospital and your health care provider feels that testing for H1N1 flu would be helpful to guide your care, he or she can order the test through one of the private laboratories that offer the test. Public Health clinics do not offer H1N1 flu testing to the public.

Are there prescription medicines to treat H1N1 flu and seasonal flu?

Antiviral medicines oseltamivir or zanamivir (brand names Tamiflu and Relenza) can treat H1N1 and seasonal influenza viruses. Prescription antiviral medication is generally not needed except for people with the flu who have severe illness or are at higher risk for complications. Healthcare providers will decide when antiviral medication is needed.

Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough or sneeze.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are also effective.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
• Get plenty of sleep.
• Be physically active.
• Manage your stress.
• Drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
  
  
• Get your seasonal flu vaccine. Seasonal flu vaccine is available now in King County. Public Health recommends seasonal influenza vaccine for people in high risk groups and anyone who wants it so that they are protected. (Note that the seasonal flu vaccine does not protect against H1N1 influenza.)
  
  
• Once available, get a H1N1 flu vaccine. The H1N1 vaccine is different from the vaccine for regular seasonal flu. It will likely be available in mid-October. Once available, the vaccine will likely be given first to those at highest risk for severe illness as well as health care workers and first responders. In King County H1N1 vaccine will be distributed through healthcare agencies, Public Health clinics, private healthcare providers and pharmacies.
  
  
• Plan at home. Store medical and health supplies, such as cough syrup, soap, and pain relief medicines. Also, plan ahead and talk with friends, relatives, and other families about child care and other arrangements if children are sick with flu or schools or childcare centers are closed.
  
  
• Plan at work. Know employer policies about sick leave and ask your employer what your business will do if many workers are out sick. Explore ways to work from home. Plan for back-up child care in case your child gets sick and you still need to work.

Should I wear a mask?

Facemasks may prevent the wearer from coughing on others, and may protect the nose and mouth of the wearer from contact with other people's coughs. They do not offer complete protection because they do not fit tightly to the face, so very small air particles can leak in around the edge of the mask.

Public Health does not recommend the use of masks except for the following people:

• Sick people if they must be near others at home, or if they must leave the home (such as for an appointment with a health care provider).
• Caregivers of people who have influenza when the caregiver leaves their home. This is to prevent spreading flu to others in case the caregiver is in the early stages of infection.

Whenever possible, do not rely on the use of facemasks alone to provide protection against catching influenza. The best way to prevent exposure to influenza is to avoid contact with ill people. Other steps include avoiding crowds and washing your hands frequently.

If you use a facemask:

• Change masks when they become moist
• Do not leave masks dangling around the neck
• Throw away used masks

After touching or throwing away a used mask, wash hands or use alcohol sanitizer.