Pandemics

A pandemic usually occurs when a new virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity, allowing the virus to easily spread worldwide.

Getting infected is even more likely if you have been in contact with someone who already has it, or have had some other type of exposure such as overseas travel to areas where there has been an outbreak. A pandemic causes many people to get ill and some are hospitalised or die as a result of contracting the virus.

Important things to know about a pandemic respiratory disease such as influenza or coronavirus:

Respiratory viruses spread quickly through coughs and sneezes from infected people
A virus cannot be treated with antibiotics

Pandemic Influenza

To reduce the risk of contracting pandemic influenza, consider having an annual flu vaccination because they:

Reduce the risk of flu infections
Are free for some people
Are suitable for people who work or live with people who are at risk of serious flu complications
Will reduce hospital workloads
Will not give you a dose of flu because they do not contain any live virus.

Contact your doctor for more information about available immunisations.

Language	Pandemic Influenza
English	DoH	What is influenza?
Simplified Chinese 简体中文	DoH	What is Influenza?
Other Languages	DoH	What is influenza?

Influenza symptoms

People who have the flu have:

A high fever (38 degrees Celsius or more)
A dry cough
Body aches, especially in the head, lower back and legs
Usually you will feel extremely weak and tired and won’t want to get out of bed
Other symptoms can be chills, aching behind the eyes, loss of appetite, a sore throat and a runny or stuffy nose.

What you can expect over time:

Days 1 to 3 - Sudden appearance of fever, headache, muscle pain and weakness, dry cough, sore throat and sometimes a stuffy nose.
Day 4 - Fever and muscle aches decrease. Hoarse, dry or sore throat, cough and possible mild chest discomfort become more noticeable. You may feel tired or flat.
Day 8 - Symptoms decrease. Cough and tiredness may last one to two weeks or more.

Treating influenza

If you feel you have influenza, you should:

Rest - You will probably feel very weak and tired until your temperature returns to normal (about three days)
Stay at home - You should stay away from work/school and avoid contact with others as much as possible for at least the first seven days while the infection is contagious
Drink plenty of fluids - Extra fluids are needed to replace those lost through fever sweats

If you are concerned about your health, make an appointment to visit your doctor or ask your doctor to visit you at home.

If your doctor does not make home visits, consider using a home doctor service. A number of services are available in Melbourne and can be easily found using the internet search key words "home doctor service Melbourne".

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Pandemic Influenza

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Pandemic Influenza