There are some myths about swine flu that could put your life in danger. Arming yourself with the latest reliable information regarding the virus spread, swine flu vaccination, and all other details of the disease, which has proven to be not just the normal kind of flu, will make you better protected from it. Here are some myths and the real score behind them:

Fever may not be a symptom in all swine flu cases. This means that it is not like regular flu where fever is an indication of the infection. Swine flu can be misleading in this regard. ‘Up to half the people who get swine flu never develop a fever, and some suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms as well as more standard flu symptoms.’

Good health is not a 100 percent guarantee of safety from swine flu. Some think that only the weak and the very sick can contract the disease. Most child deaths from swine flu indicated previous good health. Also, many of the adults who have died from the infection had no previous underlying conditions.

Rumors are killing the vaccine. Because of the growing doubt about the vaccine’s safety, many people opt not to have it. However, the past cases of vaccine failure are far outweighed by the fact that vaccination is the only protection one can have against this certain flu strain. ‘Getting vaccinated is by far the most effective thing you can do to protect yourself and your family from swine flu.’

Swine flu is not similar to mild flu, even if the death rates are much lower than those for normal flu. ‘Swine flu is killing young people rather than the very elderly, and although winter is just starting, more young people have already died of flu than normally die over the entire winter.’

Thus far, swine flu has killed nearly 5,000 people worldwide. Comparatively, on the average, 36,000 are said to die of flu each winter in the US alone. ‘‘By contrast, the deaths attributed to swine flu are those directly caused by respiratory infection with the pandemic virus. Indirect deaths – the majority of the 36,000 figure for regular flu – are not being counted.’

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Via NewScientist