What to watch out for The symptoms of pandemic influenza tend to be similar to those of ‘ordinary’ influenza although the illness may be more severe and more likely to lead to serious complications.
Symptoms of pandemic influenza tend to come on suddenly, typical symptoms include:
high fever
headache
sore throat
cough, fatigue
weakness
aching muscles and / or joints
runny nose.
The complications may include pneumonia, severe respiratory diseases, and other life-threatening complications. There is more information in the Influenza section.
Pandemic influenza spreads in the same way as seasonal influenza: by coughing and sneezing and by hand contact with contaminated surface. It spreads very rapidly throughout the population as it is a new virus so there is no pre-existing immunity to it. It is anticipated that an outbreak of pandemic influenza would cause more illness and result in more deaths than seasonal influenza.
How can I protect myself, my family and others? It is impossible to predict with any certainty severity of an influenza pandemic. However, understanding the threat of a pandemic, keeping as informed as possible and being prepared for the eventuality may help lower the impact of an influenza pandemic on you, your family and close friends.
Find out about what local information is available Your government or local authority may make information available. Be aware of what these sources may be in advance. As websites are vulnerable to ‘collapse’ in periods of high use, it might be useful to down load or print general information in advance.
A list of good general sources of information in the Useful Links section of this website.
Consider what could be disrupted by an influenza pandemic Start by considering what you might need if you and your family were ill for several days and too unwell to leave the house? What supplies would you need and should you have a stock of these ready?
A pandemic is likely to affect all aspects of daily life. It is possible that services we normally take for granted could be disrupted so it would be wise to plan in advance how you would manage.
Facilities we use on a regular basis such as shops, post offices, banks, and pharmacies could be closed for periods of time or have reduced supplies.
Transport could be disrupted either because of travel restrictions or because of sickness. Consider how you would cope with any disruption to essential services or to travel and transport operations or if telephone services were affected.
Consider food requirements If you catch influenza you will not be able to shop for essentials like food, or feel well enough to cook. Consider keeping a bigger supply of food in your home, including food that does not require much or any cooking.
It might be difficult to get supplies of food and water and other basic supplies so you could store one or two week’s worth of the supplies you are most likely to need.
Consider your health requirements in advance
The health system will be seriously stretched by a pandemic so make sure in advance that you know where you would go in an emergency, not only when you are at home but also when you are travelling.
Also make sure you have any necessary medical supplies for conditions you would normally treat at home. It is particularly important to ensure you always have enough medicines that you might need to treat long term conditions. You may be unwell or unable to go to your doctor or pharmacist to get additional supplies, or supplies of medicines could be disrupted. Do not leave it until the last minute to renew supplies of vital medicines.
It may also be useful to have ready a supply of medicines to reduce temperature and treat influenza symptoms for example ibuprofen and paracetamol (acetaminophen) or the specially marketed brands of influenza treatments which contain these and other medications for example to treat sore throats and a running nose.
Consider hygiene
Influenza viruses are spread by droplets released during coughs and sneezes or when someone touches a contaminated surface and then touches their mouth or nose. There are some basic hygiene measures and actions, such as avoiding crowded places, that you should follow to reduce the spread of pandemic influenza and some of these are outlined below.
You may find that your local or national government has a website which gives you additional helpful information and you should always ensure that you follow advice appropriate for your local area.
Consider making sure that you have ready, in advance, a supply of essential household cleaning and hygiene equipment, for example, masks FPP2, disinfectant and bleach and a supply of paper tissues. During an influenza pandemic basic items like these could be in short supply or if you are unwell, or looking after someone else who is ill, you may not be able to shop for these essential items when you need them.
Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly all over, remembering to clean between your fingers down to the base (especially after having contact with anyone who is ill). You should use soap and clean running water or an alcohol based gel or rub. Dispose of used tissues promptly by putting them in a bag and then placing them in a bin. Wash your hands afterwards.
Children may need to be reminded about the importance of good hygiene practices!
Wash your hands before preparing food, after going to the bathroom, after caring for someone else, after handling garbage or waste and in other situations where transfer of germs might occur.
Wash hard surfaces such as worktops and door handles regularly with normal cleaning products.
Social distancing
To help reduce the spread of infection you should avoid close contact with others. Keep at least a metre apart from others, avoid crowded places and stay at home if you have symptoms.
Avoid shaking hands or other close contact.
If you have influenza you should not go to work or school/ college or any other public gatherings.
Make sure that children follow this advice as well.
Are there any treatments? The availability of modern medicines and vaccines means that humans are better equipped than they have ever been to cope with the threat posed by an influenza pandemic.
Vaccines In the same way that a vaccine is developed each year to protect against ‘seasonal’ influenza, developing a vaccine against pandemic influenza could help prevent people becoming infected and would be an effective way to reduce the effects of the virus.
However, developing a vaccine against the specific pandemic virus can only begin when the strain has emerged and is fully characterised. Vaccine production will then take several months before enough is available for large scale vaccination, so it is unlikely that a vaccine will be available for the first wave of a pandemic.
Major manufacturers like Solvay will be working with WHO and health regulatory bodies around the world to produce effective vaccines as fast as possible.
Antiviral medicines
Antiviral medications such as Tamiflu® (oseltamivir) and Relenza® (zanamivir) can reduce the effects of the influenza virus in people who have already been infected and reduce the risk of symptoms developing in people they have been in contact with. These medicines have to be given within 2 days of the development of symptoms if they are to help limit the severity of influenza symptoms and reduce the likelihood of serious complications.
The current pandemic will be the first in history where these medications have been available. Please note: Antiviral medications are only available via a doctor – you should consider very carefully before purchasing these yourself over the internet, as there is a possibility that there will be some fakes on the market.
Governments and health authorities around the world have been developing stocks of antiviral medications, as part of their plan to prepare for a pandemic.
Other treatments
Simple things you can do at home include resting and taking plenty of fluids. Using simple analgesics (e.g. paracetamol (acetaminophen), ibuprofen) may help to bring your temperature down and relieve symptoms.
If a complication such as bacterial pneumonia develops it may require additional treatment e.g. antibiotics. It is important to note that antibiotics will only work in some of the complications of influenza. Antibiotics only work against types of bacteria, not viruses like influenza.
People who become seriously ill with influenza and its complications may need to be treated in hospital.
General advice Make sure that you know what arrangements are in place where you live for people who develop influenza during a pandemic. There may be special arrangements for notifying medical services or for obtaining antiviral medicines. Some groups of people such as those with chronic illnesses, the very young or older people may be more at risk of developing complications which may need medical treatment or hospitalisation.
Travel During a pandemic it is likely that travel and transport will be disrupted. There may be fuel shortages or reduced numbers of staff to run transport services. It is possible that there could be border closures and disruptions to international travel as well as local difficulties.
Before travelling you should consider any potential problems with your journey, including getting back or what you would do if you fell ill during your trip.
A pandemic could spread very rapidly around the world; border closures and international travel restrictions might prevent people who are travelling returning to their country of origin. Government agencies will advise on travel restrictions and requirements so make sure that you are fully informed before travelling. For long-distance travel you may wish to consider issues such as medical insurance and access to financial services.
What to watch out for
