The Young Chronicle: For 4th Graders February 21st, 2014 | Page 5

YOUNG CHRONICLE

What is Swine Flu and Why is it Spreading so Fast?
Flu is a short form of Influenza. Like the common cold, a flu virus attacks the body by spreading through the
respiratory tract. The difference between a cold and flu is that, it can make you shiver and spread to other parts of the
body, weakening you, and can also be life threatening.

Swine flu is a new type of virus (called the H1N1 virus), which is believed to have originated from pigs or swine’s,
hence the name. Yes, animals can also have flu, just like humans. Swine Flu, is believed to be contracted by people
in Mexico for the first time.

It’s spread so rampantly because no one has immunity against it, as it is a new virus for humans. No one’s immune
system knows how to fight this type of flu, which is now grown to become a pandemic.

An immune system is built and becomes stronger as people are
exposed to infections. Some immunity is transferred across
generations, and some is also attained through vaccinations. Since
this is a deadly virus and no one has caught it before, no one has a
defence mechanism built for it and it is spreading like wild fire.

How do you catch it?
Swine flu spreads in the same way as ordinary flu. When someone
with swine flu coughs or sneezes, tiny droplets with the virus in
them fly out of their mouth or nose. 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!