Swine Flu Primer What is H1N1? It's a virus which has gene segments from the swine, avian and human flu virus. Scientists have christened it influenza-a (h1n1) virus, commonly known as swine flu. What's A Pandemic? An epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through human populations across a large region. On June 11, the who declared h1n1 a pandemic. Symptoms: Similar to seasonal flu. The patient will have fever, cough, sore throat, body ache, headache, chills, difficulty in breathing and fatigue, diarrhoea and vomiting. Treatment: Tamiflu is the market name for Oseltamivir. It is the only medication currently available. Precautions Do's ? Avoid meeting people for the first week if you have just returned from an affected country ? Report family and friends to a doctor if they have common flu symptoms ? Keep a distance from people who have symptoms of influenza ? Wash your hands frequently and cover your mouth and nose while sneezing or coughing Don