What are the main symptoms of swine flu?
At present, swine flu tends to present with an acute onset of some or all of these typical flu like symptoms: * a sudden onset of fever – 38 degrees c or over (but not always present) * cough (can be dry) or shortness of breath * headache * sore throat * sneezing and/or runny nose * aching muscles * loss of appetite * diarrhoea But this picture may change if the virus mutates and new strains emerge. You can do a very helpful symptom check on www.nhs.uk. 8 How can you tell the difference between ME/CFS flu-like symptoms and swine flu? This may not always be easy as some of the symptoms clearly overlap. But swine flu should always be considered where there is a new or sudden onset of flu-like symptoms – especially if this includes sneezing and cold-like symptoms, respiratory symptoms or a cough, and a definite fever. The key advice here is to trust your instinct – if something different with flu-like symptoms is clearly happening seek medical advice as soon as possible. 9 Where else can
