A thousand pardons for the long hiatus in entries to the Healthy Dose of Wellness. I've had so much going on with all of the different programs and activities, I just haven't had the time to work on the Dose. That said, let's get into it.

Obviously, the hot topic around every water cooler in the country is the dreaded swine flu or H1N1 flu virus. And, just this week, reports of the first death of an American citizen with swine flu surfaced.

Judy Trunnell was a 33-year-old teacher from Harlingen, Texas, who spent two weeks in the hospital before passing away. It is a very sad story as Trunnell was pregnant, and had her healthy baby girl delivered by C-section before she died. My thoughts are with her family during this troubling time.

Most of the media outlets have done a great job of getting the proper information out to the public in regards to symptoms and prevention. In case you have been under a rock for the last few weeks, here is a look at the symptoms according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC):
- Seasonal flu symptoms
- Fever
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Body aches
- Headache
- Chills
- Fatigue

So that is what you should watch for if you feel that you might have been exposed to the disease. Obviously, if you feel that you have these symptoms, be sure and contact a doctor to get checked out.

So then, what can you do to avoid getting sick? Essentially, the prevention tips are similar to most other illnesses. According to the CDC, swine flu has no vaccine, but there are steps you can take in your daily life to help prevent contracting the virus. These steps include:
- Use a tissue to cover your nose and mouth when sneezing and coughing
- Wash hands with soap and water. Alcohol based sanitizers also work well.
- Stay away from touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
- Avoid contact with people who show signs of illness or are sick.
- If you are sick, stay home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer.
- Follow advice from public health organizations in regards to school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

Prevention is the best medicine or so the saying goes. Just be smart and use common sense when it comes to making plans. If you are sick, stay home unless it is a medical emergency that you leave. If you aren't sick, practice good personal hygiene. I can't guarantee that doing all this will keep you healthy, but it is a good starting point.

With any luck, the swine flu will go the way of the bird flu: as a footnote. In my own opinion and experience in the media business, instances that are played up to be major events rarely pan out. With the advances in medicine in the modern world, I don't see swine flu turning into the Black Plague of the 21^st century. But, is swine flu a dangerous situation? Of course. Your health should never be taken lightly. But it doesn't need to get blown out of proportion.