The flu season is upon us and most people who get the seasonal flu or H1N1 virus will have a mild illness and will not necessarily need medical care or antiviral drugs, and will typically recover in less than two weeks.
However, this is not applicable to those people with cancer or those who are undergoing cancer treatment. For them, any flu virus is dangerous as their immune system is weak, and will be less able to fight any germs.
The CDC and Cancer Society have categorized all cancer patients as high risk. They stress that any flu shots taken in the past, including the swine flu vaccine used in 1976, will not protect cancer patients from the new H1N1 virus. It is highly advisable for cancer patients to consult their doctors to see if additional medication is required to prevent the flu and if the current vaccinations are recommended for them.
The CDC reports nearly all of the flu viruses identified so far are 2009 H1N1 influenza A viruses. These viruses remain similar to the virus chosen for the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, and remain susceptible to the antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir with rare exception.
The H1N1 virus spreads the same way as the seasonal flu virus – by person-to-person contact. The other way is by touching something with the virus on (as it can live on surfaces for up to 8 hours) and then touching the nose, mouth or eyes.
Those patients with cancer or undergoing chemotherapy may want to consider some extra precautions (above and beyond the necessary ones):
- Stay home whenever possible. Ask your support team to get groceries, walk your dog, bring work home from the office, or whatever else you can delegate.
- If you develop a fever of 100.5 F or higher, call your doctor right away (day or night) and start drinking plenty of fluids. Stay well hydrated and get a diagnosis and treatment for whatever is causing your fever.
- If you cough or sneeze, cover your nose and mouth with a tissue and then immediately trash it. No tissues handy? Turn your face into the crook of your elbow, to keep germs from flying away.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water or alcohol sanitizer - this will kill most germs.
- Avoid people who have a fever, cough, or sneezing, or complain of any flu-like symptoms.
- If you feel that you are developing flu like symptoms, call your doctor immediately.