Swine Flu...

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That's all we've been hearing in the news lately. With school starting the past couple of weeks [and in the weeks to come], the talk about swine flu has just escalated to whole new level. I personally don't know anybody afflicted by this epidemic [pandemic?] so I only rely on whatever is being reported in the news.

The reports are saying that there is a great chance that the swine flu situation will even get worse during the fall season. But how much do we really know about this much-feared form of flu? Here are a couple of 10 Things You Need to Know about swine flu which I copied and pasted from Yahoo.com News.

1. No cause for panic.

So far, swine flu isn't much more threatening than regular seasonal flu.

During the few months of this new flu's existence, hospitalizations and deaths from it seem to be lower than the average seen for seasonal flu, and the virus hasn't dramatically mutated. That's what health officials have observed in the Southern Hemisphere where flu season is now winding down.

Still, more people are susceptible to swine flu and U.S. health officials are worried because it hung in so firmly here during the summer — a time of year the flu usually goes away.

2. Virus tougher on some.

Swine flu is more of a threat to certain groups — children under 2, pregnant women, people with health problems like asthma, diabetes and heart disease. Teens and young adults are also more vulnerable to swine flu.

Ordinary, seasonal flu hits older people the hardest, but not swine flu. Scientists think older people may have some immunity from exposure years earlier to viruses similar to swine flu.

3. Wash your hands often and long.

Like seasonal flu, swine flu spreads through the coughs and sneezes of people who are sick. Emphasize to children that they should wash with soap and water long enough to finish singing the alphabet song, "Now I know my ABC's..." Also use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.

To read the rest, please visit Yahoo News.