For the longest time I was trying to be exact in my terminology and call it Influensa A(H1N1). Then it turns out that this too, is a term describing a number of virus', among others the "real" swine flu (of which it turns out there are 2 types, an american and a european). So to be really exact I would have to call it "new influensa A (H1N1)". I recently saw a shorter and also very precice name: A(H1N1)09.
Anyway, the media attention and the regulations etc following in the wake of this flu are tremendous. Other years when there is a flu going around nobody stays home from work or school for a week. A lot of people I know tough it out even with a fever, a sniffle and couph.
To tell the truth, I don't know what the fuss is all about. Every year there are 1000 - 1500 deaths related to the seasonal flu in Norway. So far there have been 15 deaths from Swine Flu.
I had it last week, and I got it from Husband. He had started coughing on thursday morning and in the afternoon it hit him like a freight train with a fever of 40 C. Since he works for Norsvin and they were worried about the pigs getting infected they sent him to the doctor to get tested. They also gave him Tamiflu, and antiviral medicine. That was nasty stuff! He started vomiting about an hour after taking it and continued all day. I started coughing on friday, but didn't get a fever after I went to bed late that evening. Felt pretty bad on saturday: fever up to 39 C, muscle aches, mainly my back. Saturday I woke up with no fever, just a bit of sore throat and that bad couph. By evening I was running a low temperature again: about 38, and coughed so much it made me throw up. Once. Monday the doctors office called with the results: it was swine flu. So for the next 4 days, although I felt fine, except for the cough which was getting better all the time, I had to stay home. I was climbing the walls with frustration. Couldn't seem to concentrate on studying either. I was dead weary, which made me wonder how it would be to go back to work, but that dissapeared completely. I felt great, and suspect the weariness was in my mind, caused by being stuck at home.
I had refused to take the vaccine. I believe that the immunity I can get from actually being sick is both stronger and lasts longer than a vaccine would have given me. Plus I don't have to worry about the side effekts of this practically untested vaccine.
