Flu and what to do

Most influenza infections cause aches, stuffy noses, sore throats, upper respiratory infections, coughing, chills and fatigue. About half the people who contract the swine flu will also feel nauseated and may have diarrhea, according to Charlotte Craig, registered nurse and executive director of the Cape Girardeau County Public Health Center.

Here are tips:

* Wash your hands, regardless of whether you are ill. It reduces the spread of any infectious diseases.

* Cover coughs and sneezes to reduce particles from landing on others. Use a tissue, the crook of your arm or your hands; if using hands, wash them immediately.

* Use your judgment about seeing a doctor or going to the emergency room. Two local infection prevention and control coordinators, registered nurses Carol Jordan of Southeast Missouri Hospital and Gayla Tripp of Saint Francis Medical Center, suggest sick children need emergency treatment if they experience fast or troubled breathing, bluish or gray skin color, are not drinking enough fluids or are so irritable they don't want to be held. Adults with breathing difficulty, chest pain or pressure, sudden dizziness or confusion should get emergency treatment. Adults and children with severe or persistent vomiting and flulike symptoms that seem to improve then get suddenly worse with fever and coughing should see a doctor.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends two antiviral drugs for fighting the swine flu: oseltamivir and zanamivir, both of which help reduce the severity of symptoms.