How is H1N1 diagnosed?

[Cristiaz]

I don't have the flu...I'm just curious as to how this flu is being diagnosed. Lots of people in these forums have said they have/had it. The CDC lists the systems and they are the same as seasonal flu so how would anyone know if they actually had H1N1? I'd guess the numbers are screwed up...One person told me that H1N1 lasts longer but last Christmas I had the flu for two to three weeks so I don't buy that either. I just don't get it! Am I missing something? Is there a symptom that singles it out as H1N1 or what?

[KMK_Mama]

From what I understand there is a test they can do to determine if it is in fact swine flu. I've been seeing advertisements for a clinic in my area that does "rapid H1N1 flu test." I'm assuming it's similar to the rapid strep test they use to distinguish strep throat, but I could be mistaken.

[katelove]

In Australia it's a throat swab.

[tanyalynn]

Right now, based on their testing, CDC says the majority of the flu circulating in the US is H1N1. So most people who get influenza right now are getting H1N1, and CDC says that it's basically the same intensity as typical seasonal flu. Mostly it's not being verified with a test because a) that doesn't affect the course of treatment, and b) it's somewhat costly, and c) previous testing has already shown that most flu around now is H1N1.

Cool page on CDC about flu stuff....
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

[Cristiaz]

Originally Posted by TanyaLopez

Right now, based on their testing, CDC says the majority of the flu circulating in the US is H1N1. So most people who get influenza right now are getting H1N1, and CDC says that it's basically the same intensity as typical seasonal flu. Mostly it's not being verified with a test because a) that doesn't affect the course of treatment, and b) it's somewhat costly, and c) previous testing has already shown that most flu around now is H1N1.

Cool page on CDC about flu stuff....
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

Then according to this my family already had it but fought it off. My DD had a fever all night the night of Sept. 18 and was fine by morning. The next day I was fighting off whatever it was she had but it felt flu like.

Thanks for the responses!

[jennlyn]

delete

[BellinghamCrunchie]

Our health dept says 98% of the flu circulating right now in our county is H1N1, so if you have flu symptoms, they are assuming its H1N1. No one here is testing.

[countrymom]

Originally Posted by BellinghamCrunchie

Our health dept says 98% of the flu circulating right now in our county is H1N1, so if you have flu symptoms, they are assuming its H1N1. No one here is testing.

WOW!! I had no idea...

[Beppie]

My dd, DH, and I all had suspected H1N1. Our state does not test ANYONE for H1N1 unless that person is hospitalized. But we tested positive for Influenza A, and our doctor said it was H1N1 since "there is no seasonal flu out there yet." or something to that effect.

We also had odd symptoms. DH had bad cough, body aches, and diarrhea. DD had fever, runny nose, lethargy/fatigue, and diarrhea. I had terrible headache, sore throat, runny nose, cough, and fatigue for 4+ days, but never any fever. (Apparently that is more common than I'd known before, see this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/health/13fever.html)

[Beppie]

Originally Posted by jennlyn

I believe the distinguishing hallmark between a cold and the flu is the fever.

see this article, too:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-..._b_304950.html

[BellinghamCrunchie]

Originally Posted by Beppie

My dd, DH, and I all had suspected H1N1. Our state does not test ANYONE for H1N1 unless that person is hospitalized. But we tested positive for Influenza A, and our doctor said it was H1N1 since "there is no seasonal flu out there yet." or something to that effect.

We also had odd symptoms. DH had bad cough, body aches, and diarrhea. DD had fever, runny nose, lethargy/fatigue, and diarrhea. I had terrible headache, sore throat, runny nose, cough, and fatigue for 4+ days, but never any fever. (Apparently that is more common than I'd known before, see this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/13/health/13fever.html)

Wow, that is interesting. I've been telling staff at work that if there's no fever, its not flu. Thanks for the link.

[es1967]

My Ds came down w a fever on Sat night and now has a cough. So after reading this I am now wondering if it could be the swine flu. I'm pretty sure last time he had a cough he had a fever too though.

[BellinghamCrunchie]

Originally Posted by es1967

My Ds came down w a fever on Sat night and now has a cough. So after reading this I am now wondering if it could be the swine flu. I'm pretty sure last time he had a cough he had a fever too though.

Its hard to tell with kids, because they often have fevers with regular colds or whatever, especially the younger ones (under 2).

[Punchy Kaby]

DS is sick right now and I have been wondering if it is 'the Swine'. He has had no fever but has a nasty cough. Of course he shared it with 4 month old DD. I have been fighting something off for a couple of days. I went out and got a bunch of papayas (whole food Vit C is best)

It would be nice if we could actually get the straight story about the symptoms. Anecdotal evidence is not enough. wouldn't it be better to find out if someone already has antibodies to H1N1 rather than have them get a vaccine?

[PapayaMom]

it all leaves me confused. DD 2 started with a cough and runny nose at the beginning of the week, low grade fever under 100 at most times. DD 1 has a cough and very little else I checked her temperature at the same time as dd2 and it was 99.5 my girls tend to run in the very low 98's as a norm. I had similar symptoms. I thought it was the first cold of the season as it was just mildly annoying.

I would never suspect swine flu except that dh came down with the sore throat cough Friday then was in bed all day yesterday with body aches fatigue diarrhea and a temp around 101 really the whole nine yards. Now I am unsure whether he has swine flu whether we all had a mild case or what. I would like to think we were in the clear since I want to get pregnant and it would be nice to not worry so much about the flu. I just wish there was a little more guidance.

The girls and I supplement with d3 and vit c so I am wondering if this took the edge off a little. It is confusing.

[D_McG]

they did a nasal swab on DS and it came back as influenza A. 99% of influenza A right now is H1N1 or so they told us.

[brennasmom]

What I have heard is there are testing for flu and if it comes back + then they assume it is H1N1.

I am not sure the symptoms are all that different between H1N1 and seasonal flu.

[frugalmama]

here they are not testing either - anyone with 2 or more symptoms is presumed to have H1N1

[AllyRae]

Originally Posted by frugalmama

here they are not testing either - anyone with 2 or more symptoms is presumed to have H1N1

Well, that's a great way to pad the CDC's "the swine flu is a huge giant epidemic" thing. You can have multiple symptoms and still not have the flu. Last month, I had the fever, cough, headache, diarrheah, nausea, chills, body aches...tested negative for influenza A and B and it turned out it was just a random virus working it's way through and it was gone in a day. And if you just look at the list of symptoms, you could combine any 2 of them and come up with 20 different illnesses it could be, ranging from mild cold to meningitis to pertussis to flu. Seems like a dangerous assumption for medical providers to make...

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

They do nose swabs here to test for it. Or in ds's case his nose was running so the nurses sucked it up in a syringe to avoid having to do the swab and had dd spit in a cup. Dh nose swab.

An interesting fact is that with this flu the kids ped told me it wasnt showing up easy on the flu tests. One day they will test for it and it is neg. the next day it comes back pos. so just because you get a neg test does not mean you dont have the flu. I believe this is why so many places have stopped testing because it isnt reliable.