The Center for Disease Control has confirmed 10 cases in the South Carolina Midlands. Dr. Michael Schmidt of the Medical University of South Carolina explains how the H1N1 virus is transmitted.
“By droplet secretion. It is a very efficient virus. So, if you in the same closed space with someone, and someone indeed has the swine flu, you have approximately 1 in 5 chance of acquiring it if you are in close proximity,” says Schmidt.
And ways to protect yourself:
“It’s important to do all of those things that your mother told you to do before you went to that first day of kindergarten. Those things are: washing your hands, making certain that when you have to sneeze or cough that you cover you cough and control your sneeze, the best way to do that is by placing your nose inner-side of your elbow. Fresh air and sunshine are not friends of flu, the virus is quickly inactivated in sunlight and socially distancing is one of our best defenses,” says Schmidt.
To date, there has only been one swine flu related death in the United States.