Swine flu is sweeping the world and the outbreak has now officially been declared a pandemic. Here in Birmingham, schools have been closed as dozens of people have been laid low by the illness. But how dangerous is swine flu? Alan Taman, Communications Officer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, answ ers the questions that worried parents are asking.

What are the symptoms?

Roughly the same as any other flu infection, so it’s impossible to tell just from the symptoms if it is swine flu. That needs a lab test.

Symptoms can be more severe in swine flu, but in this country it has proven mild.

Sudden fever and a cough are the initial symptoms. Then headache, tiredness, aching muscles and joints, chills, and a runny nose. Diarrhoea and vomiting might occur and loss of appetite is common.

People can spread the infection from the day before they start to feel ill and for up to five days later, or seven for children.

Symptoms appear two to four days after catching the infection. People will generally feel better after about a week but general tiredness can last two or three weeks and depression affects some.

Both with ordinary flu and swine flu, there can be complications which are more serious: secondary chest infections and pneumonia are the most common, and in a few cases a sudden high fever, more serious pneumonia or encephalitis (inflammation of the brain) can present a very grave risk or even prove fatal.

So far, this has remained rare for Swine flu world wide.

How dangerous is it?

When swine flu, which is normally found in pigs, starts infecting people, it can be dangerous.

Most virus strains can be more dangerous when they first start being passed from person to person, because they haven’t had a chance to adapt fully to the new host – people.

But with this strain, most cases so far have been mild. There have been deaths, including one in Scotland. When rating ‘danger’ for a flu strain, it’s important to remember that ordinary flu kills many people each year, and even healthy people catching it are usually laid low in bed for days before recovering fully.

People can become seriously ill very rapidly with any flu strain because it triggers their immune system to overreact and this overwhelms the body with complications like pneumonia. But that is very rare.

There is a risk that this strain of swine flu will mutate to become more serious, as past pandemics have, but at the moment it hasn’t. The greatest enemies we face are needless public panic and short-sighted complacency. Preparations have been made for the worst – but this isn’t that yet.

What should we do?

Simple measures are a powerful way of slowing down the spread of any infectious disease and this is no exception.

Washing your hands regularly with soap or detergent, covering your mouth with a tissue when you sneeze and disposing of the tissue, not going to work and keeping out of public places if you do develop symptoms: all these will prevent many infections.

If you or your family start to show symptoms, or you think you have been in close contact with someone who definitely has swine flu, call the Swine Flu Information Line on 0800 1 513 513 to hear the latest advice.

Or ask your GP or NHS Direct (0845 4647).

The WORST thing you can do if you think you or your children might have swine flu is to go into your GP surgery, or to a hospital. Please don’t! All you will do is put risk spreading it to others if you do have flu. You won’t get better treatment.

Follow your GP’s advice, and get a friend to pick up any prescriptions.