The Young Chronicle: For 2nd Graders February 21st, 2015 | Page 3

YOUNG CHRONICLE

What is Swine Flu and Why is it Spreading so Fast?
Flu is like common cold. The virus attacks the body by spreading through the respiratory tract. The difference
between a cold and flu is that, flu can make you shiver and it can spread to other parts of the body, making you weak.
It can be very dangerous.

Swine flu is a new type of virus (called the H1N1 virus). It is said that humans caught this virus from Pigs. Yes,
animals can also have flu, just like humans. Usually humans don’t catch an infection from animals, but in this case,
some people caught it and then spread it to the entire world. We can’t say how they caught the virus, but they
somehow did.

The virus has spread so fast because no one has immunity against it, as it is a new virus for humans. No one’s body
knows how to fight the virus back. But the good thing is that there is a vaccination against it now.

How do you catch it?
Swine flu spreads in the same way as ordinary flu. When someone
with swine flu coughs or sneezes, the moisture or droplets that
comes out of their mouth or nose, has the virus in it. The droplets
can usually spread about one metre and can hang around in the
air for a while. If you breathe them in, the virus can enter your body
and you can catch it too. When the droplets land on surfaces the
flu virus can survive for up to 24 hours. If you touch a surface with
the swine flu droplets on and then wipe your eyes, nose or mouth
you can also catch it.
If you have caught the swine flu virus, it can take up to 7 days
before you get sick, but normally it takes between 2 and 5 days.
This is called the incubation period.
Once you're sick, you can give other people swine flu for up to 7 days. When you don't have any symptoms you can't
spread swine flu anymore.
How can I stop it spreading?
The best way to make sure you don't catch swine flu is by washing your hands - a lot! Use soap and water, and wash
them regularly. If you do catch swine flu, you should make sure you use a tissue to "catch" the droplets if
you cough or sneeze. Then you should put the tissue in the bin as soon as you can. This will help stop spread swine
flu to other people. It also helps to keep surfaces around you clean so that no germs can live on them.
Also, you don't need to worry about eating meat that comes from pigs like bacon or ham. When it's properly cooked
you can't catch swine flu from food!