Managing Influenza At Home

For the majority of people, H1N1 Influenza is a mild illness and they will be able to recover at home. After seeking medical advice or assessment, stay home, rest, drink plenty of fluids and take medicines as prescribed. Most persons will get better with rest and paracetamol only, but some persons may be prescribed the antiviral drug, Tamiflu. The illness usually lasts around seven days.

The following tips should help you and your family recover as comfortably as possible.

1. Stay hydrated

Drink lots of fluids (water, citrus juice).

2. Stay comfortable

Most people with H1N1 Influenza experience a fever. Persons may also experience aches and pains in the body and joints. If you have these symptoms, take paracetamol as prescribed. Panadol, Calpol and Aaramol are all brand names for paracetamol. Do not use aspirin.
You can feel more comfortable by bathing in `luke-warm' water. Each bath should last for 15 to 20 minutes. These measures help reduce the fever. It is not advisable to try and `sweat out' the illness, by covering yourself with extra bedding or blankets.

3. Infection Control Measures to be taken in the Home:

• Sick persons should always cover their mouth with tissue when they cough.

. This tissue should be thrown into a plastic bag, which should be tied and
placed in a covered bin.

• All persons in the home should wash their hands often. Hands should be
washed with soap and running water. If persons do not have water, alcohol
based hand sanitizers can be used.

• If possible, keep the infected person at least 3 to 6 feet away from other
persons in the home.

• Infected persons will be given face masks to use at home.

• Utensils such as cups, spoons, plates etc should be properly washed before
being used by other persons in the home.

• Persons should never share tooth brushes and sick persons should change
their tooth brush after the flu.

• Ensure that the ill individual is cared for in a properly aired, or a well
ventilated room.

• If possible, sick persons should use a separate bathroom. Clean bathrooms
daily with household disinfectant.

• The sick person should be kept at home.

• The sick person and should not go to the supermarket, church, work, school,
or other places where close contact with other persons can occur.

• The infected person should remain at home for at least a week, or until all
flu like symptoms disappear.

NOTE: children may spread the virus even after they appear well, so it may be advisable for children to remain at home for not less than 7 days.

If the sick person worsens at any point, please take the person to hospital. If possible, call the health facility before taking the individual there. (Please see numbers below.)

What are antivirals?

Antivirals are not a cure for H1N1 Influenza but they will relieve some of the symptoms, reduce the length of time patients are ill by around one day and reduce the potential for serious complications, such as pneumonia.

For more information on H1N1 Influenza, please call: Ministry of Health at 4685300, 4685317, 4685324, and 4685309; Victoria Hospital: 4522421, 4568200;
Tapion Hospital: 4592000

You can also visit this website for more information on managing H1N1 Influenza at home: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm or this website for monitoring Saint Lucia's work: http://stlucia.gov.lc/flu/
this website for flu and mass crowd events: http://stlucia.gov.lc/mce

A message from the Ministry of Health, Wellness, Family Affairs, National Mobilization, Human Services and Gender Relations, Saint Lucia - 29 September, 2009