Swine Flu

Swine Influenza, commonly called Swine Flu is a respiratory disease caused by Type A Influenza Virus. This disease is found in pigs. When the human, swine (pigs), and avian (bird) flu strains get mixed in pigs and spread to humans, it causes the H1N1 virus in humans. It is the evolved version of the Swine Flu virus found in pigs. The disease affects the respiratory system and may lead to pneumonia, worsening pre-existing asthma or diabetes in humans

Swine Flu has been one of the deadliest communicable diseases known in history that continues to exist. The Swine Flu pandemic was first reported in April 2009 when found in two children in California. Soon in June 2009, Who declared it a pandemic but the situation ended by August 2010. Swine Flu deaths reported were approximately 5.7 Lakhs worldwide. Even the Spanish Flu of 1918 is considered to be an H1N1 virus. However, now the situation is better due to the availability of the Swine Flu vaccine all across the globe.

There are a number of Swine Flu causes that lead to the transmission of this disease. One essential point to note is eating pork does not cause Swine Flu disease. It spreads from human to human.

Let's understand what all causes this disease to spread-

• When an infected person coughs/sneezes and the droplets are contacted by another human.
• When an infected surface is touched by humans and then if they touch their nose or eyes, they get infected.
• An infected person is capable of spreading the virus from the day of early signs till the 7th day. However, children may spread it for 10 days.

Swine Flu symptoms might appear like common cold and flu. However, you must be careful if the symptoms get severe and see your doctor as soon as possible to avoid any further severity. In pigs, Humans generally experience mild symptoms that may include-

• Fever
• Chills
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Body aches
• Joint aches
• Headache
• Lack of appetite
• Problems in breathing
• Runny nose and watery eyes
• Fatigue
• Abdominal pain
• Some may also have diarrhoea or vomiting

When these Swine Flu symptoms become severe, it may lead to pneumonia, kidney failure, dehydration, or neurological issues.

Swine flu in India began in 2009 with an outbreak in Hyderabad. Swine Flu Treatment is now possible due to successful vaccines and antiviral drugs. There are swine flu vaccines even for the new strain of swine flu found in 2009. People with low to mild symptoms and healthy bodies may recover on their own without any medication. However, the ones with serious symptoms may need oral drugs like Zanamivir and oseltamivir or hospitalisation

Swine Flu disease now hopefully has a number of ways to stop its spread and transmission in humans and pigs as well. Due to the availability of the Swine Flu vaccine, this task of controlling the flu has become further possible. Other ways to prevent the spread of this disease-

• Taking the complete dose of the vaccine is essential to avoid the chances of being infected.
• On the farm, the farmers must use disinfectant and have a controlled temperature so that the disease does not spread further. The affected animals must be isolated and quarantined until they are fit to be a part of the herd
• Farmers and all those having direct contact with infected pigs must follow preventive measures like sanitising hands, wearing masks, PPE and other essentials before touching them
• One must keep washing hands on a frequent basis either with a sanitiser or soap water
• Avoid touching your nose and mouth uselessly and try to sanitise your hands before you do so
• In case someone you met had been infected, it is better to isolate yourself and get tested
• When there is flu season, it is best to avoid unnecessary gatherings and crowd visits

Here are some of the swine flu health plans that provide coverage for this disease. In times of medical care, all you need is financial support to help you focus only on your recovery and not the bills.

Health insurance provides a lot of benefits to the insured individual. Some of the features may differ from plan to plan. However, the ones that are sure to avail include-

• Comprehensive medical expenses are covered

  A health insurance plan provides a wide range of coverage ranging from hospitalisation expenses to day-care, medical check-ups, consultation, and many more

• Cashless benefits

  Almost all the leading health insurance companies have a number of network hospitals. Here, you can get cashless treatment without any hassle

• Tax Benefits

  Most health insurance plans also offer tax benefits under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act on the health insurance premium that is paid

• Financial support

  During the time of medical emergencies, financial support plays a major role. This is what a health plan primarily provides

There is a wide range of coverage provided under health plans for Swine Flu disease. Let's have a look at them-

• Pre and post hospitalisation expenses required due to Swine Flu and other listed diseases are included
• Day-care treatment
• Emergency road ambulance for patients
• Organ donor expenses is covered
• One can save tax under Section 80D of Income Tax
• Some plan offers lifetime renewals of the health plan
• Some of the companies also offer modern treatment covers like oral chemotherapy
• No claim bonus can also be availed as a benefit of making no claims

Providing all sorts of coverage under one plan is not practically possible. Hence, all the health plans have some exclusions. In the case of Swine Flu as well, not everything is covered. Exclusions are-

• Some health plans do not cover pre-existing diseases
• Illness caused due to intoxicants like drugs and alcohol is not included
• Cosmetic treatments are mostly not covered
• Injuries and illness occurred due to suicide attempt is excluded.