There are several things you can do to reduce your risk of becoming ill with swine flu:

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and throw the tissue away. If no tissue is available, cough into the bend of your elbow – not your hands.
  
  
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You may also use alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
  
  
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth – these are places where germs are most likely to enter the body, causing infection.
  
  
• Try to avoid close contact with people who are ill and showing flu-like symptoms, such as a fever, cough and sore throat.
  
  
• Practicing good health habits – such as receiving plenty of sleep, being physically active, managing stress, drinking plenty of fluids and maintaining a healthy diet – can keep your immune system strong and better protect you against infection.

If you do develop symptoms of influenza, it is important that you stay home from work or school and limit your contact with others to prevent them from becoming infected.

The symptoms of swine flu and seasonal flu include:

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Body aches
• Headache
• Chills
• Fatigue
• Possible gastronintestional problems, including vomiting and diarrhea

Before seeking treatment or testing, remember, if you are not experiencing these symptoms, you likely do not have swine flu and do not need to seek testing or medical treatment for swine flu. Further criteria to consider before seeking treatment include:

• A documented fever of at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit and a cough or sore throat in the past five days
  
  
• Close contact with a person who has a confirmed case of swine flu (not seasonal flu) within the past seven days, or
  
  
• Travel in the past seven days to a community either within the United States or internationally where there are one or more confirmed cases of swine flu or

Also be advised that if you do not meet these criteria for possibly being infected with swine flu, you may expose yourself to the virus by unnecessarily going to places where people are likely to gather, including hospital emergency departments, physician practices, clinics, etc.