Swine flu: How could it affect you?

Average rating:

Thousands of people in the UK now have swine flu and a small number have even died from it. We are officially in a pandemic. So what is it? And are you at risk? Here we've got all the facts on the illness.

What is swine flu?

Swine flu is a respiratory disease that usually affects pigs. It doesn't normally spread to humans but has been known to spread to people who have close contact with pigs.

In the past swine flu hasn't spread from person-to-person, but the recent outbreak has spread this way.

What are the symptoms of swine flu?

The symptoms are similar to those of normal flu, including fever, headaches and muscle aches. Diarrhoea has also been common with swine flu.

Find out more about the symptoms of swine flu and what to do if you think you've got it

What is a flu pandemic?

A pandemic is when a new flu virus appears that we don't have immunity to and it spreads quickly from person-to-person.

It doesn't mean that everyone who catches the flu is likely to die - sufferers of swine flu can usually expect to recover within a week.

Experts say we're likely to have a flu pandemic at some point, but they can't predict when. It's likely that it would come from an animal virus mixing with a human virus.

The government has had plans on how to deal with a pandemic in place for the last 5 years.

The last flu pandemic was Hong Kong flu in 1968 and before that was Asian flu in 1957. It's estimated that these caused between 1 - 4 million deaths worldwide.

Should we be worried?

Medical experts are urging people not to panic, describing the illness as 'relatively mild in the majority of cases.'

Dr Maureen Baker, Honorary Secretary of the Royal College of General Practitioners, says we are 'as well prepared as we can be' to handle this situation: 'Patients should not panic as planning for emergencies such as a flu pandemic is a priority for GPs and surgeries.'

How can we protect ourselves?

The best way to stop or slow the spread of a disease like this is to prevent the spread of germs - by washing your hands and covering your mouth if you cough or sneeze.

More information on protecting yourself from infections and viruses