Transmission Of H1N1 (Swine Flu) Virus In The Home: Children Are Most At Risk

Health authorities recommend that people with H1N1 (previously known as Swine Flu) virus stay at home, until they haven’t had any fever for at least 24 hours. This practice is thought to prevent further spread of the disease to other people outside of the house, such as at work, school, or other settings. However, while these patients are at home, they can put other members of their household at risk, as the virus is known to spread very easily from person to person.

For example, the virus can spread through coughs and sneezes and can also survive for a few hours on surfaces such as doorknobs, phones, and cups. If other members of the household touch these surfaces and then touch their eyes, mouth, or nose before washing their hands, they are at risk of getting the virus.

A new study published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine found that 13% of all household members that came in contact with infected people in their house did get the virus themselves. This is referred to as the “secondary attack rate.”

Among 216 households in which one person originally had the virus, illness developed in one contact in 46 households (21%) and illness developed in more than one contact in 14 households (6%). While these rates are reason for concern, it is important to note that they are lower than the transmissibility seen for season flu.

The most alarming finding from the study is that household contacts that are 18 years of age or younger (i.e. children) were twice as susceptible to get the disease as those 19 to 50 years of age.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend keeping the person with flu in a separate sick room to prevent others in the family from getting the flu. If there is more than one sick person, they can share the sick room if needed. Moreover, if more than one bathroom is available, the sick people should use one bathroom and well people use the other one. Also, each sick person should be given their own drinking glass, washcloth, and towel. And of course, hand washing is always highly recommended.

Permalink | Add new comment

Email this | Subscribe | Delicious | Digg | StumbleUpon | Facebook | Technorati

About Amer Kaissi

I teach courses and do research in healthcare management Amer Kaissi's profile Amer Kaissi's blog