The World Health Organization recently pushed the alert status on the H1N1 flu virus to Phase 5. To help you understand what that means, and to answer other questions you might have we gathered up the lingering questions the staff at Youth Radio had. Here are the answers:

What the heck is H1N1?

H1N1 influenza A is the technical name for the type of flu that is going around. To confuse matters more there are different types of H1N1 viruses, and there are different types of "swine flu" [H1N2, etc]. The "H" stands for hemagglutinin and the "N" stands for neuraminidase. All flus have H & N, the numbers stand for the strain of H or N. Read more CDC Key Facts and Influenza A virus subtype H1N1]

Why did the WHO stop calling it Swine Flu?

There's been a misconception that you can get this flu just from eating pork. This particular virus most likely jumped from pigs to humans who work with pigs before spreading from person to person. You can't get sick from eating bacon. Not everyone understands this, and that confusion can lead to economic ruin for pig farmers across the globe. (via SFGate)

Why is it so deadly?

We don't know yet. There is some chance that this strain may new, and thus not one that people have an immunity to. 

When flu viruses mix genes with one another, they can take on new forms. New flu viruses are harder for the human immune system to defend against. With little or no opposition from the immune resistance, the virus can grow quickly and invade many tissues and organs. They may also set off a harmful immune overreaction in the body, called a “cytokine storm,” that may be lethal in itself. -- via Bloomberg's excellent F.A.Q.

I heard that 14 year olds are most at risk for the flu!

Not quite true. In most flu outbreaks the pattern of deaths we see are clustered around the very young and the very old- those who either haven't had time to develop immunity or whose immune systems are too weak to fight off the virus.

The problem with the new flu viruses is the "cytokine storm" effect- see the last answer if you skipped it- where the body overreacts to the virus. That's what leads to a change in the pattern of deaths. If anything a sudden uptick in deaths among young, otherwise healthy people would mean that we are dealing with a flu virus with pandemic potential... but there's not enough evidence to confirm that this is what's happening. (via ABC News)

How do I protect myself/my kids?

We asked Dr. Lisa Winton of SF General Hospital this yesterday. Here's what she told us:

Teenagers should do the same thing that adults do to try to prevent getting the flu. I think sometimes for kids and teenagers, it's not on there radar screen. Things like: cleaning your hands using the bottles of alcohol sanitizers that you can get at the drug store works very well; making sure you try to stay a few feet away if somebody who is sick; and then making sure that if you cough or sneeze, that you're covering that. We’re trying to teach people rather coughing into their hands, to do it into your shoulder or your arm, so you're not contaminating your hands all the time.- Dr. Lisa Winton

You can save yourself right, I mean if you get swine flu will going to the doctor help?

The type of flu we're dealing with appears to be sensitive to two of the antiviral drugs developed for fighting flu... so science has your back. (CDC Antiviral Drugs and Swine Influenza page.)

If it was found in the 1970s why isn't there a vaccine now?

Mutation. Like Wolverine and the rest of the X-Men, flu viruses are muties. H1N1 is a class of viruses, not just a single example. So while science might know how to shut down one particular version of H1N1, another version pops up to take its place. A lot of the herds are vaccinated against swine flu, and H1N1 has actually been tracked since the 1930's.

How is it transmitted?

Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. -CDC

What are the symptoms?

The same as regular flu. Coughing, sneezing, head and body aches, fevers, chills, sometimes vomitting and diarrhea. You will also lose your taste for bacon.

Okay, not the last one... trying to keep a sense of humor here, people.

If I have those symptoms who should I call?

Your doctor.

What if I don't have health insurance?

Call your U.S. Representative and the White House. If ever there was an argument for universal health care, this is it.