UPDATE on H1N1 flu
The flu is here, but it's not nearly as bad as was anticipated.
There are now many cases of H1N1 (swine) flu in our communities. The good news is that it isn't any worse than the standard seasonal flu. There are still reasons to be cautious when it comes to children who are increased risk for complications. This includes children with severe asthma, diabetes, heart disease, or age younger than 2 years old. Children with these ongoing medical conditions and flu symptoms should be evaluated by their provider.
In some cases, your doctor may decide to test your child for flu if he or she is particularly ill. There are also some cases in which flu treatment, such as Tamiflu, may be indicated.
Flu symptoms include high fever (temperature 103 or greater), cough, sore throat, body aches and headache. Coughs with runny nose are still the common cold and do not need flu testing or treatment.
