Can You Have H1N1 Without Fever?
Yes, apparently. After this feature of some swine flu popped up in the comments this week, I went looking for information. This Times article from last spring explains how one-third of patients in two hospitals in Mexico had H1N1 without fevers. Even more surprising: while most of the severe patients later ended up developing fevers, something like half the mild cases didn’t.
As another comment noted, no one’s really reporting on this phenomenon much or, to my knowledge, tracking it. Probably that lack of tracking is a feature of H1N1’s spreading so much since it first hit the radar last spring.
Still, assuming swine flu always involves fever when it doesn’t, always – that’s sort of a recipe for spreading the damn thing, don’t you think?
Hence, the Better Safe Than Sorry Lesson: if it looks like H1N1 and acts like H1N1, you should probably assume it’s H1N1, even without a fever.
Fear and Swine Flu Vaccinations
Have another Times link, this time from Tara Parker-Pope’s Well blog. The post discusses some of the reasons behind nervousness over the H1N1 vaccine, including Bill Maher’s “If u get a swine flu shot ur an idiot” tweet. (Seriously.)
Also, don’t read the comments. The vaccination conspiracy people and the vitamins-will-cure-everything folks might make your brain explode.
The Anti-Flu Suit, and I Am Not Even Kidding
In the *truly bizarre* category, a Japanese company has started selling business suits coated in titanium dioxide, which supposedly kills the H1N1 virus. I’m not entirely sure how this would protect anyone, though, since breathing in the virus makes you sick, and a suit can’t protect against that.
In other news, this research adds to the growing body of evidence that swine flu hits kids harder than other age groups, and the H1N1 spray vaccine is slowly starting to arrive in most regions, with shots to follow in the next couple of weeks.
that anti-flu suit . . . what a creation.
. . . what is the world coming to?
Also, good fact about the fever mystery!
I wonder if the reason they’re ignoring the “no fever” issue is because they’re afraid that hospitals will be bombarded by people with simple colds who are afraid they have the flu.
Also, did you read the small study out of Mexico that found that people who got the seasonal flu shot last year might have some small protection against swine flu? I thought that was interesting and hopeful.
asthma kids can’t get the inhaled vaccine, correct? So they have to get the injected one which sucks since some have mercury.
I have read the debates and listened to the idiots-and I am especially shocked and dismayed by the ped’s out there discouraging parents from getting their kids vaccinated-and my kids will be getting it as will I since I work with babies less then a yr old. I would HATE myself if I chose to not vaccinate and one of my kids ended up-well-you know. Also I have read that even if you have had h1n1 you should STILL get vaccinated. Will you be getting AG vaccinated? What about yourself?
Her Grace–Now that’s an interesting thought & it makes total sense. People flooding ER’s with cold AND flu symptoms? Total nightmare.
I did read that research about last year’s seasonal flu–which is weird b/c there was also the study that suggested THIS year’s seasonal vaccine might make people more susceptible to H1N1….so confusing. I did read something on Twitter today that sounded really hopeful, but I won’t be able to access the article until tomorrow. I’ll be sure to post about it, though.
Ang–Yes, the H1N1 spray has the same recommendations as the seasonal spray–meaning no asthma patients.
From what I’ve read, it’s recommended that people get the H1N1 vaccine even if they’ve been sick b/c most people haven’t been tested and just assumed they had swine flu. Since AG was tested & confirmed, I don’t plan to get her (or me) one.
Can’t wait to read what’s making you hopeful!