Swine Flu (H1N1) Travel Tips
The cold and dreary winter months are when many divers are motivated to pack a bag and jet off to someplace warm and sunny for that much-needed scuba vacation. After all, a little rest and relaxation and several new entries in your dive log might be just what the doctor ordered to chase away the winter blahs. But traveling during flu season can put you at risk for catching more than a glimpse of your favorite tropical fish. Traveling means coming into contact with other travelers, which exposes you to whatever cooties they might have brought from home -- including the new, much-hyped H1N1 flu. This doesn't mean you should cancel your dive travel plans and not get off the couch. It simply means you need to practice a few safety tips that will help you stay healthy and avoid succumbing to illness during flu season.
What is swine flu?
According to the Centers Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the 2009 H1N1 (referred to as "swine flu" early on) is a new influenza virus causing illness in people. This new virus was first detected in people in the United States in April 2009.
This virus was originally referred to as "swine flu" because laboratory testing showed that many of the genes in this new virus were very similar to influenza viruses that normally occur in pigs (swine) in North America. But further study has shown that this new virus is very different from what normally circulates in North American pigs. It has two genes from flu viruses that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia and bird (avian) genes and human genes. Scientists call this a "quadruple reassortant" virus.
Is 2009 H1N1 contagious?
Yes. This virus is spreading from person to person worldwide, probably in much the same way that regular seasonal influenza viruses spread. On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) signaled that a pandemic of 2009 H1N1 flu was under way. A pandemic (derived from the Greek pan "all" and demos "people") is an epidemic of infectious disease that is spreading through human populations across a large region. Most people who have become ill with this new virus have recovered without requiring medical treatment. The CDC routinely works with states to collect, compile and analyze information about influenza, and has done the same for the new H1N1 virus since the beginning of the outbreak. This data is presented in a weekly report, called Flu View, which is available at www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/.
How does the 2009 H1N1 virus spread?
For starters, you can't get it from cooking or eating pork. Eating properly cooked pork products is safe. And tap water that has been treated by conventional disinfection/chlorination processes is also considered safe. Spread of 2009 H1N1 virus is thought to occur in the same way that seasonal flu spreads. Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing by people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something, such as a surface or object, with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. Studies have shown that influenza virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person for two to eight hours after being deposited on the surface. People infected with seasonal and 2009 H1N1 flu shed virus and may be able to infect others from one day before getting sick to five to seven days after. This can be longer in some people, especially children and people with weakened immune systems.
What are the signs and symptoms?
The symptoms of 2009 H1N1 flu virus in people include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. Illness with the new H1N1 virus has ranged from mild to severe. While most people who have been sick have recovered without needing medical treatment, hospitalizations and deaths from infection with this virus have occurred.
Who's at risk?
Technically if you're a human you are at risk for the flu virus, but the good news is most divers do not fall into the "high risk" category. According to CDC data, in seasonal flu, people at "high risk" of serious complications include people 65 years and older, children younger than 5 years old, pregnant women and people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions. About 70 percent of people who have been hospitalized with the 2009 H1N1 virus have had one or more medical conditions previously recognized as placing people at "high risk" of serious seasonal flu-related complications. This includes pregnancy, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and kidney disease.
2009 H1N1. Real risk or hype?
With seasonal flu, seasons vary in timing, duration and severity. Seasonal influenza can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. In the United States each year an estimated 36,000 people die from flu-related complications and more than 200,000 people are hospitalized from flu-related causes. One thing that appears to make H1N1 different from seasonal influenza is that adults older than 64 years do not yet appear to be at increased risk of 2009 HINl-related complications thus far. CDC laboratory studies have shown that no children and very few adults younger than 60 years old have existing antibody to 2009 H1N1 flu virus; however, about one-third of adults older than 60 may have antibodies against this virus, which is good news for seniors.
Travel Health Tips and Advice
Staying healthy while on a vacation starts long before you leave home. First off, consider getting the flu vaccine. Contact your local health care provider for information on vaccine availability in your area.
Whenever possible, plan your travel far enough in advance that you can avoid pretrip stress. By allowing yourself plenty of time to prepare for being away from home and work you won't tax your immune system. This means arranging for housesitting or pet sitting or whatever's on your "at home" to-do list, and also not waiting until the last minute to reconfirm your travel reservations. Leaving home relaxed rather than harried will help your body fight off potential bugs while you're in transit.
Keep in mind that you may encounter travel delays caused by additional health screening of passengers departing the United States for international travel, so allow plenty of time at the airport just in case. The following information was excerpted from the CDC Web site www.cdc.gov regarding health screenings:
If you travel internationally from the United States, you may be asked to:
- Pass through a scanning device that checks your temperature. (The device may look like an airport metal detector, a camera or a handheld device.)
- Have your temperature taken with an oral or ear thermometer.
- Fill out a sheet of questions about your health.
- Review information about the symptoms of HI Nl flu.
- Give your address, phone number and other contact information.
- Be quarantined for a period of time if a passenger on your flight is found to have symptoms of H1N1 flu.
- Contact health authorities in the country you are visiting to let them know if you become ill. If you have a fever or respiratory symptoms or are suspected to have H1N1 flu based on screening, you may be asked to:
- Be isolated from other people until you are well.
- Have a medical examination.
- Take a rapid flu test, which consists of a nasal swab sample.
- Be hospitalized and given medical treatment, if you test positive for H1N1 flu.
Please note that the U.S. State Department usually cannot interfere with the rights of other countries to screen airline passengers entering or exiting their countries, nor can it influence the number of days in quarantine.
Because these outbreak-related delays may affect planned activities and lead to unexpected costs, CDC strongly recommends that travelers consider purchasing travel insurance.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers these five simple tips for staying healthy and avoiding the flu:
- Avoid dose contact Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
- Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school and errands when you are sick.You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
- Cover your mouth and nose. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
- Clean your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth.
- Practice other good health habits. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids and eat nutritious food.