Swine Flu in New York

As winter is rapidly approaching, the talk about swine flu is becoming more common and frequent. Many people, myself included, are concerned with the predicted outbreak of swine-flu in the coming months. There has been a story about a medical malpractice lawsuit in New York regarding swine flu.

According to Dr. Richard Bresser, former head of Centers for Disease Control (CDC), swine-flu is a new strain of the influenza virus that is circulating around the world. The first appearance of swine-flu was in Mexico and the United States in April of 2009 and has now spread to all parts of the globe.

The symptoms of swine-flu are the same as the symptoms of the seasonal flu.

These symptoms include:

- sore throat
- fatigue
- coughing
- body aches
- runny nose.




According to the CDC website, people that have swine flu and seasonal flu, can have complications from it. There are also emergency warning signs about swine flu and the seasonal flu.

The warning signs are:

- difficulty breathing
- pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- dizziness
- sever or persistent vomiting


The CDC is advising people to stay home if they have the flu, unless they are very sick then they should go to a doctor or emergency room. There are treatments such as antiviral drugs that can help speed up recovery and prevent serious complications. Staying away from other people when you are sick is also very important in trying not to spread the flu.

President Obama has declared swine flu a national emergency. The swine flu vaccine is available but some people are hesitant to receive it. In New York City, officials began administering the swine flu vaccine on Wednesday October 29, 2009 to students whose parents have signed. The vaccine was given in two forms: nasal-spray or injection.