Finnish Student Health Service (FSHS) announcement, dated August 25th 2009:

At the moment influenza A(H1N1)v is not considered to be more serious than a normal seasonal influenza. People who belong to the risk group may get more seriously ill.

How does it spread?

Swine flu is transmitted like other influenza viruses: through coughs, sneezes or by contaminated hands.

Risk groups

• Pregnant women (throughout the pregnancy and 4 weeks after labour) and under 3-year-old.
• People with following chronic diseases:
  heart disease,
  lung disease or diabetes with continuing medication (not people with mild hypertension in blood pressure),
  chronic liver or kidney hypofunction,
  diseases that lower immunity (e.g. leukaemia, lymphoma, HIV-infection),
  diseases that is being treated with immunity lowering medication (e.g. transplantation, cytotoxic drugs, TNF-alpha blocker, corticosteroid),
  chronic neurological disease,
  severe obesity.

Symptoms

Most common symptoms are sudden fewer (38°C or over), sore throat, cough and sneezes. Other possible symptoms are body aches, headache, cold shivers and fatigue. Vomiting and diarrhea are not common influenza symptoms but they may occur. Children may also experience stomach ache.

Visit your doctor if you experience strong symptoms, high fewer lasts over a week, if you have chest pains, weakness or exceptional fatigue.

You can prevent transmission by good hand hygiene and cough hygiene.

• Wash your hands with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand cleansers.
• Do not touch eyes, nose or mouth unless you have just washed your hands.
• Avoid contact with sick people.
• Cover your mouth and nose with disposable tissue when cough or sneeze. If you do not have a tissue, cough or sneeze in your sleeve, not in your hands.
• Stay at home when you are sick so you do not infect other people.

What to do if you suspect infection?

If you suspect you have A(H1N1)v infection, stay at home and contact by phone your nearest health center or your own FSHS health station (See http://www.fshs.fi/turku for contact information and appointment hours). If you have questions about swine flu, call "Ask about influenza" -hotline +35880002277 (open mon-fri 12 noon to 6 pm).

If you are already in the university building and suspect you have A(H1N1)v infection, go back home and try to avoid contact with other people.

Further information about swine flu:

• www.thl.fi
• Home care instructions for influenza and when to seek medical care