What is the virus? Is called "swine flu" but it combines genetic material from swine, birds and humans in a way that researchers have not seen before and that can be transmitted among people.
What are the symptoms? Fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, body aches, runny nose. Some also have had vomiting and diarrhea.
How does it spread? Primarily through coughing, sneezing and touch. You cannot get it from eating pork or pork products.
What should you do if you feel sick? Stay home. Person-to-person transmission in public settings is currently the biggest threat to health. If you have symptoms call a clinic.
What if you're around people who might be sick? Avoid close contact and wash your hands frequently. But there is also an aerosol component to the influenza virus, experts say, meaning that even if we kept our hands in our pockets, we could still get flu.
But keep washing your hands because besides conferring some protection against swine flu, it helps against other problems such as common colds and intestinal bacteria, said Peter Palese, a microbiologist and infectious diseases expert at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
What are the medications? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends prescription antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu and Relenza to reduce symptoms and prevent serious complications. Supplies are adequate in Minnesota, but public health officials encourage consumers not to stockpile the drugs unnecessarily.
Is there a vaccine: No vaccine has been developed for this strain of flu.
What about facemasks? When close contact cannot be avoided, the CDC recommends use of surgical or dental facemasks approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The pore size of the masks lets viruses go through. Still, facemasks protect people by preventing others from getting too close, providing at least a psychological barrier, and the masks do help if someone sneezes right at you.
Do hand sanitizers work? They are effective if used correctly and they have alcohol in them, Palese said.
Can vitamin C help? A lot of people swear by vitamin C, but there is very little evidence that it works. But there is a placebo effect, which can be useful.
LEARN MORE
The Minnesota Department of Health: mdhflu.com
CDC: cdc.gov/swineflu
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: pandemicflu.gov
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