The symptoms and signs are generally the same in people whether young, old, or middle aged. The symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, headache, and muscle soreness. Diahrrea and vomitting is also seen more often in children. There are  also emergency signs to watch for in children. The CDC recommends to seek immediate medical help if your child/kid/baby has any of these symptoms below:

Emergency Signs in Children:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing.
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough

A report by New England Journal of Medicine dated May 7, 2009, stated that 60 percent of the cases occurred in people under 18. However, this does not mean that Swine Flu is most deadly in children. In fact most early deaths from this Swine Flu strain were in people aged 25-50. However, this does not mean that you should let the symptoms in your child or adolescent go un-noticed. Treating your child either by home or viral remedies can be very effective.

Mayo Clinic suggests these home remedy tips:

• Drink plenty of liquids. Water, juice and soup are very important! It is suggested that your child drinks enough that their urine is clear or pale yellow.
• Make sure your child gets plenty of rest and sleep.
• Soup, especially chicken soup is good for breaking up congestion.
• Some medications are recommended for treating fevers in children. These include acetaminophen and ibuprofen, although ibuprofen is not recommended for children under 6 months. Aspirin is effective as well, but is not recommend for children, unless approved by a doctor.

As for Antiviral drugs, oseltamivir (trade name Tamiflu ®) and zanamivir (Relenza ®)  are generally given to treat those who are severely ill.

Remember, Swine Flu cannot spread through Pork and the transmission of Swine Flu through air is still not fully researched. Currently the UK Health Protection Agency suggests that facial masks are unnecessary for the general public. So basically there is currrently minimal research on the risk of airborne transmissions so we cannot say what kind of precautions you should take in public areas. We can however be educated about the different  safety precautions to take. Frequent hand washing, preferably for 15-30 seconds is recommended and prevents germs from spreading on your hands to your face. It is also recommended to tell your children not to touch their eyes, nose, or mouth. The reason why is because this is how infectious disease usually spreads.

If your child has Swine Flu, there is no good reason to panic! There are plenty of treatment options, and deaths by swine flu are rare. The WHO estimates that the Case Fatality Rate is most likely 0.4%. Remember that this is not the rate from America, Mexico had a much higher death rate, so that American death rate is most probably lower.

Important tips to remember for your child:

1. If your child exhibits any of the emergency signs above, make sure to seek emergent help.
2. Swine Flu can be treated easily; make sure that your child drinks plenty of fluids and gets plenty of rest. Medicine can be helpful for fevers, and Anti Virals are generally necessary for severe cases only. Remember Aspirin should not be used for your child! Talk to your doctor for the best options.
3. Make sure your child washes their hands frequently can help prevent Swine Flu altogether. Another obvious, but helpful tip is to keep your children away from people sneezing or coughing, this is generally how influenza’s usually spread!

Overall, there is not much to worry about. Just make sure you follow all of the safety guidelines above and your child should experience a quick and safe recovery!