HALIFAX - Canadians who have travelled to areas with swine flu and come home with coughs, aches and fatigue should isolate themselves and telephone their doctors, public health officials handling cases in Nova Scotia and British Columbia advised Sunday.
Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief public health officer, noted symptoms of four high school students with the flu are mild, and he advised the public to remain calm.
But he also noted the flu is an unknown strain and doctors are anxious that it not spread further.
"If people have had a travel history to an affected area and they're sick, stay at home. I'm emphasizing this, it's very important. Stay at home, phone your doctor," he said during a news conference in Halifax.
He also urged all Canadians to focus on simple prevention techniques, such as washing your hands and coughing in your sleeve.
The flu virus can't normally move through ventilation systems, but droplets from coughing can carry the virus onto hands and office equipment and survive for hours, Strang explained.
He said family doctors and walk-in clinics across the country are being informed of what symptoms of the swine flu are, and are receiving advice on when to order tests.
Dr. Danuta Skowronski, a physician epidemiologist with the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, also urged people with a fever and a cough to "do us a favour" and stay in their residences.
"Take care of yourself. If you are feeling worse, and aren't getting better, go to your doctor. Notify them in advance as a courtesy to the physician ... so they can take proper precautions to protect themselves and their patients," she said.
To date, none of the Canadian cases have been hospitalized, officials said Sunday.
There is no known vaccine, but some tests show the virus shows sensitivity to Tamiflu and Relenza, the two anti-viral drugs that Canada has stockpiled.
However, the cases revealed Sunday in Canada haven't required use of the drugs, according to the public health officials.
"We're not making any recommendation for broad use of antivirals. We will, however, leave that up to physicians," said Strang.
In Nova Scotia, the students are being kept in an isolated area of the Kings Edgehill private school, until at least seven days have passed.
Doctors say that is the normal period when the patient is infectious.
The unusual influenza A H1N1 swine virus was first reported last Tuesday, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced it had found cases with the virus.
Mexico sent samples to the CDC and the National Microbiology Lab in Winnipeg. Both labs found positive tests of the swine flu.
Strang advised that if a Canadian is considering travelling to Mexico in the next few weeks, then health officials recommend that the person get a flu vaccination, regardless of age or health status.
He said there is no "effective" vaccination for swine flu, but he said it's still wise to be vaccinated in order to avoid contracting any other type of flu.
"There's a lot of flu-like illness that could occur, and it's still beneficial for people to get that vaccination," he said.
