By Elisa Stegman

The H1N1 virus, nationally known as the Swine Flu, has Americans worried sick.  The H1N1 virus is very similar to the common flu.  The symptoms are the same:  fever, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, chills, vomiting, and body aches.  The real risk is with children, pregnant woman, the elderly, and people with weaker immune systems (chronic lung or heart problems, diabetes, chemotherapy… etc.).  Since April, according to CNN, 28 pregnant women and 76 children have died from this virus, among a few reports of adult deaths.  The swine flu appears to be more severe in children then the common flu, which claims an average of 68 child deaths in the US over the course of an entire year.

Iowa has had several outbreaks of the virus and is classified as regional, but H1N1 can range from severe to very mild.  Being diagnosed is not a death sentence.  In some (most) cases, the virus may be mild and just like the flu.  To recover, get a lot of sleep, stay at home, drink fluids, and see your doctor.  The 2009 H1N1 vaccination comes out this fall, although the exact date is unknown.

Yes, we need to take precautions and remember to wash our hands and sneeze into tissues, but we shouldn’t worry ourselves to the point of being sick about a virus that is just like the normal flu.  The virus in Iowa is not severe, and if treated at first signs, flu medicine can stop it from taking its toll.  As the winter season approaches, stay home from school if you get sick and be aware of people around you.  Be smart this season but don’t worry about the slim chance of getting the virus.