Caring for someone who has contracted the swine H1N1 virus is not especially difficult. Unlike many illnesses in the home, it is important that the caregiver and other people living in the house not catch the disease. That means that the caregiver needs to uses some different strategies.

The person with the swine flu should be kept as isolated from the rest of the household as possible. If the illness is not severe, many patients will feel up to moving about, watching television or eating supper. That is not suggested if you want to keep the illness from spreading.

Keep the patient in their own room. Bring their meals to them. Ideally, the patient should have their own bathroom. Isolation is the desired outcome with this strategy.

If the patient must leave the house, such as for medical treatment, they should wear a face mask. They should do the same if they must move about in the home outside of their isolation space.

The patient should cover coughing and wash with soap and water frequently. Everyone in the household should be washing more frequently because washing is an excellent way to prevent the spread of the swine flu virus. The sick person should have dedicated linen supplies, such as sheets and towels and they should be washed in soap and tumble dried on the hot setting. Frequently disinfect the surfaces near the patient and those they touch with a household disinfecting cleaning product.

There is no cure for pandemic H1N1. There are antiviral medications that, if taken early enough, may reduce the length of the illness and the severity of the symptoms. These same drugs may also be prescribed by a physician as a preventative, for others in the household at risk of contracting the illness.

Symptom relief is an important part of the care giving. There are many over the counter medicines that can reduce the effects of the symptoms and provide some comfort to the patient. Your physician can make suggestions. Cough medicine, pain relievers and decongestants may be among them.

It is important to remember that young people under 18 should never be given aspirin or medications containing aspirin if they have a fever. There is a risk of a serious condition called Reyes Syndrome. Tylenol, Advil and other products that contain acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin) are appropriate in children between the ages of 5 and 18. Your doctor can suggest the safest treatment for fever and body aches.

The Centers for Disease Control offer several pages on their website dedicated to caring for a person who has contracted the swine H1N1 virus.

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