The Swine Flu – Can you catch it? Yes you can, which is why you need to know the signs and symptoms of Swine Flu. The Swine Flu virus spreads in the same way ordinary colds and influenza spreads – through the germs that come out of the nose and mouth when someone coughs or sneezes.

If someone coughs or sneezes into their hand(s) the droplets containing the germs transfer to any surface they touch – think about it – computer keyboards, door handles, phones, etc., and when you touch that surface, voila, you can become contaminated.

Most people are infectious soon after they start to develop symptoms, and they can carry (spread) the virus for up to five days. For this reason, if you feel that you may have the flu (swine flu or otherwise) you should stay home!

Here are some symptoms:

Fever, Chills

Unusual tiredness or exhaustion

Headache

Congestion

Runny Nose

Sore Throat

Cough

Shortness of Breath

Body Aches

Diarrhea

Vomiting

As you can see, the symptoms are similar to the seasonal colds, viruses and influenza often seen after school starts and in the fall and winter months. Treatment for swine flu is basically the same as the “regular flu” even though it is a different strain – bed rest, clear liquids, and pain reliever/fever reducers.

Antiviral drugs like Tamiflu aren’t usually recommended unless the patient falls into a certain high-risk category. The reason for this is because of the potential side effects and the possibility of the flu strain growing resistant.

The Center for Disease Control recommends the new H1N1 swine flu vaccine for at-risk people such as pregnant women, health and emergency workers with direct patient contact, people who care for infants under 6 months old and people 24 to 64 with chronic diseases.

Meningitis is an infection of the fluid of a person’s spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. People sometimes refer to it as spinal meningitis. There are two types of Meningitis – viral and bacterial. Bacterial meningitis is the most severe form of the disease, which must be caught in its early stages and treated with the appropriate antibiotic.

Signs of meningitis include high fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity and sleepiness. The symptoms can develop over several hours, or could take 1 to 2 days. Many times the symptoms can be mistaken for the flu – which has been the case in several cases involving college students. If there is any suspicion however slight, or if the symptoms, especially stiff neck, aches and/or sensitivity to light are present, immediate medical attention should be sought.

Some forms of bacterial meningitis are contagious. The bacteria are spread through respiratory and throat secretions – like coughing or kissing. However, the bacteria that cause meningitis are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been, as with the common cold or flu.

Unfortunately though, sometimes the bacteria that cause meningitis have spread to other people who have had close contact with a person having meningitis. People in the same household, or anyone with direct contact with a patient’s oral secretions (like a boyfriend or girlfriend) would be considered at increased risk of getting meningitis. These people should contact their doctor and get antibiotics to prevent them from getting the disease.

There is a vaccine that is sometimes used to control outbreaks of some types of meningococcal meningitis in the United States. Information about reported cases of meningitis and the availability of an effective vaccine should be available through your state or local health departments. Everyone, especially students entering college, should consult with their regular physician in regard to the availability of a safe and effective vaccine which may decrease their risk.

This would also be a good time to mention that college students should find and visit a doctor close to where they are living while attending college, in case of any illness or emergency.