I know this person at work who claims to have been sick with H1N1. I asked if they had been tested for it because from what I understand that is the only way to tell the difference between the strains. This person said no that they were not tested. The NP only presumed that I have H1N1. Not that it matters since treatment and symptoms are identical anyway. But is it really possible to tell the difference without being tested? I don’t think it is.
Tags: Being, Between, Difference, H1N1, Possible, Seasonal, Tell, Tested, Without
Actually, flu season began in October.
There are two H1N1 viruses. One is seasonal H1N1 and the other is novel H1N1. There’s no swine flu, it’s no longer called swine flu and referring to a virus as “H1N1″ isn’t enough anymore. Your co-worker may very well have had novel H1N1 flu is he had the nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea that often comes with it. But not every adult presents with these symptoms and when they don’t, novel H1N1 flu & seasonal H1N1 flu look the same. And they should, novel H1N1 is genetically similar to seasonal H1N1 and is thought to be a variant of that virus. The symptoms are the same with the exception of the nausea, vomiting & diarrhea. These symptoms occur in young children whether they have one of the seasonal flus (H1N1, H3N2, type B) or the novel flu. But because these symptoms usually don’t occur in adults with a seasonal flu, the presumptive diagnosis is novel H1N1 flu and testing isn’t needed. I don’t think that testing is really necessary as the management of any flu is the same, as you already said, flu strains aren’t routinely tested for and the value of testing is best suited for statistical purposes.
the likely hood of it being H1N1 is high as that is the predominant ‘flu’ that is out there this year however unless he has a swab done and sent away for testing it is just an assumption..not fact. you are right in the fact that symptoms are pretty much the same anyway only with H1N1 they come on a lot quicker and intensify quicker. What you really have to watch for is for anything to change with your breathing… for example.. chest heaviness, dizzyness, obviously shortness of breath… anything that is new to you with respect to your lungs. If you notice any changes, get to your Dr as this virus can affect your lungs very quickly(like a day or 2) and without air…. so dont wait at home. otherwise you just keep at home and Dr yourself like you would with the ‘regular’ flu.
keep your system strong by getting your rest, take your vitamins, eat healthy and wash wash wash your hands and listerine your mouth….
Yes, It is different in some ways. My doctor told me that 80 to 90 percent of all flu cases are h1n1 so she is probably telling the truth. With the H1N1 virus, there can be vomiting and diarrhea, which usually does not accompany the seasonal flu.
swine flu is identical in symptoms to the regular flu, meaning “swine flu” is an arbitrary term, it’s just the regular flu. The hype is meant to sell vaccines.
no it is not possible. The seasonal flu and H1N1 flu are nearly exactly the same. The only difference really is that our bodies are not familiar with H1N1. They include the same symptoms and treatment.
I was told by 2 medical professionals that H1N1 is this years seasonal flu.
Ya here’s one the seasonal flu has not started yet.
90% of people tested have come back positive for H1N1. is that enough proof?
In a word: NO. (That’s the short answer.)
The not-so-short answer: No, it is not possible to distinguish between strains without being tested, but the test is expensive and STILL has a margin of error. Furthermore, vomiting and diarrhea are symptoms that can occur with the seasonal flu as well, not just with the H1N1 strain, and if H1N1 were the only strain circulating this season, then it would be a waste of resources to encourage everyone to get vaccinated against both using separate shots. (This would only serve to cut the number of patients who can be vaccinated in half.)
As a parenthetical note: Despite the fact that some under-informed individuals are calling it “swine flu,” you cannot get it from eating pork (so Muslims and Jewish folk are no more immune from it than you or I). You cannot contract it from being around pigs, hogs or sows; although they can get it from us. The only documented case of transmission between a human and a pig was a pig that contracted the virus from a human.