Every year the flu season leaves America sneezing and the antibiotics reserve at its lowest. Yet this year the season extended itself in timing and severity leaving not only America but the world feeling weak and dizzy from a pandemic called H1N1- yes the infamous Swine Flu.

The Swine flu is a mixed (pig/bird/human) strain of type A influenza virus or H1N1found in pigs. H1N1 spreads as the common flu through sneezing, coughing, or touching anything with the virus on it.

When infected, a person may infect anyone a day prior to symptoms (or any knowledge of being sick), and can continue to be contagious up to seven days or longer after being infected.

The symptoms are extremely similar to the regular flu: fever and chills, sore throat, cough, headache, body aches, and fatigue, also diarrhea and vomiting can be present. It is impossible to know without the proper lab tests if these symptoms belong to the swine flu or not.

This respiratory disease has normally spread from pigs to humans sporadically with only 12 cases documented in a period of four years in the United States.

In the past decades the H1N1 virus has caused deaths as well: In 1918 the Spanish flu killed 100 million people in a global epidemic.

In 1957 the Asian flu killed one million people.

In 1968 the Hong Kong flu killed 700 thousand people.

And in 2004 the rise of the Avian flu left populations worried and vaccinated. Early this year the new influenza A arose abruptly with 44 deaths and 2371 cases world wide leaving the world stunned at its veracity and continuum.

According to ‘The National Post, the frightening epidemic was brought to the attention of the public on April 2, when five year old Edgar Enrique Hernandez was reported as the first confirmed case of swine flu in La Gloria, Mexico. The virus flourished in Mexico causing a shut down of all activities for five days to prevent further spread. However many sources claim that Mexico is not the origin of the virus.

All of North America, Central America, Europe, Korea, China, New Zealand, and Israel rapidly reported cases of H1N1 and the WHO (World Health Organization) raised the level on the pandemic scale to 5 of 6.

Air line companies discouraged passengers to travel to Mexico, Cruise lines cancelled any stop at Mexican coasts and Mexico itself was suffering a backlash due to the deathly nightmare as well as discrimination.

"It’s unjust the discrimination toward Mexicans is happening, because the swine flu didn’t even start there," said senior Nathaly Sanchez a Varela student with family in Mexico. "My family doesn’t know any friends that have the flu because it’s not that widespread yet. It’s only for prevention purposes that the shutdown was implemented but it is not a big issue as they make it seem globally."

The alarming situation only became worse when by April 30, Egypt slaughtered 300,000 pigs after only fearing contamination to humans from pigs and the Indonesian minister of health Siti Supari declared hat the virus was genetically engineered to aid financially pharmaceutical companies, yet a few days later only denied ever saying such a thing.

Apart from the wave of fear which H1N1 arouses, authorities globally are taking a hands-on approach by initiating the production of vaccines and effective treatment known as Tamiflu.

After extensive cleaning, Mexico has declared, as of May 7, that it is lifting the shutdown, yet the city is moving with extreme cautions and limitations on any public place.

In the United States, there have been approximately 896 cases reported and two deaths. In Florida, according to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC) there are three cases confirmed each in Broward and Lee counties.

Two suspected cases exist in Miami-Dade but were yet to be confirmed. As a precaution, both Doral Academy Charter Middle School and High School were closed.

The CDC recommends reducing the spread of influenza in schools by having them "focus on early identification of ill students and staff, staying home when sick, and good cough etiquette and frequent hand washing. Decisions about school closure should be at the discretion of local authorities based on local considerations."

With this health crisis at our noses students and teachers at Felix Varela ask about how to prevent this contagious flu.

Here are a few tips on prevention:

• Wash your hands with soap for about 30 seconds above wrist and under fingernails constantly after touching any surface as a door handle or keyboard.

• The hand sanitizer is not so effective due to its limitations on eliminating all bacteria from your hands, even the good ones.

• Dry hands entirely with paper towels because any virus dies off when washed and dried properly.

• For the staff: clean phones and door handles for further prevention of transition.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth, as germs can more easily gain entrance into your body through those areas.

• Cover your mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.

According to the Health teacher, Ms. Barbara Paulsen, masks are not effective because small particles of the virus can go through the material.

For treatment options, H1N1 can be treated with anti-viral medications such as Tamiflu, but the earlier the better (24 to 48 hours after symptoms first felt).

The most important thing to remember is to "wash your hands," said Ms. Paulsen.