Mom’s Guide To Swine Flu: 16 Places To Get Answers
Here’s a wrap up of links and resources to everything moms need to know and do if the worst happens with swine flu, from how to talk about it with your kids to how to track it.
Deep breath first to put it all in context. Swine flu will pass. So did the projectile pooping, the nursing agonies, the leaking boobs … We can and will cope with swine flu. And remember to remind your kids to look both ways when they cross the street and put that cell phone down while driving. After all, you still are much more at risk from these everyday dangers than from swine flu.
How should I talk about it with the kids?
Don’t know about your kids, but my twin boys (nearly seven) talk about germs and bugs (and poop, butts, farts, etc.) all the time. And they can get quite neurotic about germs. Parents should initiate a conversation about the flu with their children, parenting expert Harold Koplewicz, a child psychiatrist and director of the New York University Child Study Center, told USA Today.
Children may be too afraid to say something, “and left to their own devices, they can put a story together that’s far more frightening than reality,” he says. The imagination is more powerful than reality.
How can I prevent it?
Everyone agrees that the best way is frequent handwashing. See our advice from last Sunday for nine ways we get our kids washing their hands, and look at the cute comment about bubbles gloves. I want them! Also see the great slide show at WebMD.
“Wash your hands when you shake hands. Cover your mouth when you cough. I know it sounds trivial, but it makes a huge difference,” President Obama said.
What about work?
Sanitize your phone. This is important for anyone who shares a phone with others. Customer service reps are often the greatest at risk. Try wiping down your phone and keyboard with Lysol or soap and water if nothing else is available, Dr. Brian Currie, MD, MPH, an expert in pandemic preparedness and specialist in infectious disease told the Readers’ Digest.
Where can I get the latest official line?
See the CDC site for the best info, including the latest info on cases on a state by state basis. As of writing, it shows NY is the most affected. Not surprising, given population and its multicultural mix.
Will face masks keep me safe?
CNN answered this question after getting lots of questions about face masks. CNN.com says masks keep you from spreading illness addressed this question. A World Health Organization official said the masks are mainly useful to prevent spreading the virus, “not so much to stop people from catching the virus.”
How to treat swine flu?
WebMD again has all the answers.
What should I do if my family has been exposed?
Contact your doctor and local health authorities, which will probably advise you to stay at home. That’s what Maryland authorties told family members of a World Bank employee suspected of having the virus.
What are the symptoms?
Abrupt onset of fever of 102 degrees or higher, cough, body aches, some shortness of breath, and you can be flat on your back in bed within hours—that’s how debilitating it is, says the Digest’s Dr. Currie.
What about diarrhea or vomiting or nausea?
Congratulations, you’ve got another bug.
What happens if I have the right symptoms?
If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them. If you don’t have paid sick leave, there’s no relief (maybe Obama will do something here!).
Which schools are closing?
Nearly 300 schools have closed already. To check on schools in your area, check your local county school system site.
Is it in my community?
Check out this Google map.
You can also see if people on Twitter, who live in your area, are talking about it with this mashup of tweets about swine flu overlaid on a searchable map of the U.S.
What about my relatives overseas?
Try this global map, which shows alerts by country.
Where can I get the latest?
You can download this little box to put on your blog or site.
Should I travel?
The State Department issued a travel advisory Thursday advising against non essential travel to Mexico. Read more and get the latest on its http://travel.state.gov.
Where can I get the latest news?
If you are really worried, subscribe to an RSS feed from the CDC’s site or set up a Google alert using the keywords to matter to you. For example, you may want to set up an alert includng keywords like your suburb and school.
Who can you follow on Twitter to get updates?
Follow the Centers for Disease Control on
twitter.com/cdcemergency
twitter.com/veratect
Where can I find out more?
Alltop.com’s swine flu collection. Alltop promotes itself as an online magazine rack. All the sites in one spot. Very useful.
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Filed Under: For New Moms • For Stay At Home Moms • Moms Health • Moms To Work • The People Who Love Us • Working Moms Resources
About the Author: Julie Power is a writer and editor with experience in both the United States and Australia. After living in the United States for 16 years, she recently returned to live in Sydney with her husband and twin boys (9 years old).
Follow @juliepower
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Two more links for the post…
PandemicFlu.gov the government pandemic flu portal.
H1N1 (Swine Flu): Information for Child Care Providers
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