Swine influenza is a new virus infecting people around the world. America, Brazil, India and Argentina seem to be most affected yet. In order to best prepare for the flu, it is important to know if you've been in contact with people infected and when you start to show symptoms if you are.

The incubation period of swine flu seems to be about 48 hours for most people. This means they will asympomatic during infection for 48 hours. Something to note, however, is that they can be contagious up to one day before to show symptoms. If you think you have been in contact with someone who was swine flu, it is better to isolate yourself for a day or two to see if you're sick with the virus.

While the incubation period for influenza is important, you want to know how long you can be contagious after the first symptoms. Studies have shown that many people may be contagious for a week after the symptoms and some even after two weeks. The best thing you can do if you've been infected by the flu is to stay away from others for at least 5 days after the disappearance symptoms, particularly around high-risk groups.

Here are some tips to help you maximize your chances of survival after or in contact with infected swine flu:

• Watch for signs of secondary infection after being infected with swine flu. The best way to know if you have a secondary infection is if you start making a recovery and get the latest patient some days. If this occurs, you should go to hospital immediately. Many people actually die of MRSA, STREP, or pneumonia after caught the flu. They are still deaths related to influenza, but are not really the swine flu. This is because it destroys your immune system and leaves your lungs raw and open to infection.

• Stay hydrated. Influenza has a great ability to dehydrate you while you're infected. In fact, you probably need to run a fever and flu can also lead dysentary and vomiting, which all two lead to dehydration. Dehydration lowers your immune system and make you sicker. So make sure you drink plenty of water!

• Take Tamiflu immediately if you are sick. While the flu is gradually becoming resistant to antiviral drugs, which is always line of defense against this deadly virus. If you can take while the virus is still in its incubation period. Here, take one preventive dose. Some doctors will not give you a prescription for it, though.

• Stay calm and make sure you prepare for the worst. This reserve means enough food for at least 2 weeks and make sure that you will be able to survive if the flu hits your community particularly hard. Some good news is that the flu seems to infect approximately 5% of the population by "vague" in a community, to return later to infect more. If this continues to be a trend, then it might not be as big of an overload community as originally planned.

About the Author:

You can learn more about how to prepare for pandemic flu by checking out this fantastic ebook: Survive Pandemic Flu. It’s a must-have for anyone concerned about the AH1N1 pandemic.

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – What Is The Swine Flu Incubation Period