Swine flu, or H1N1 was first identified in Mexico in April 2009. It became known as swine flu because it's similar to flu viruses that affect pigs. It spread rapidly from country to country because it was a new type of flu virus that few young people were immune to. In the event in the UK, a small number of cases led to serious illness or death, mostly in children and young adults with underlying health problems and in pregnant women.

Of course, it’s possible to be vaccinated against flu; many people receive a free flu jab on the NHS. Swine flu is one of the main strains of the virus against which the 2019-20 vaccine protects. However, this process tends to be backward-looking. The influenza virus is adaptive, highly infectious and can mutate rapidly to overwhelm immune systems and become pandemic. Therefore, it’s important to take other steps to prevent the spread of a potentially serious infectious disease.

KEEPING INFECTIONS UNDER CONTROL
Online advice from the NHS about swine flu focuses on self-treatment. It’s worth remembering that antibiotics are not effective in treating flu as it’s caused by a virus not bacteria. It’s also worth noting that anyone who is eligible for a free flu jab, generally people with an underlying health condition, should be encouraged to take it up. Generally, it’s most effective to get the vaccine before the start of the main December-March flu season. But as the disease is most serious in people with underlying health conditions, it’s particularly important to minimise its spread in health and other care settings.

INFECTION CONTROL CLEANING
REACT's Infection Control Service goes beyond superficial cleaning to eradicate the swine flu virus wherever it may linger. We follow strict infection control protocols to ensure complete disinfection. We ensure that all surfaces where the flu virus can survive are cleaned and disinfected. Quite simply, we aim to eliminate the swine flu virus wherever we work – and we protect our workers and our clients as we do so.