Features

• Pandemic flu symptoms can come on suddenly and develop with severity over the course of days. The most notable examples of these include high fever, headache, fatigue, sore throat, runny nose, aches and possibly diarrhea and vomiting.
  
  

Considerations

• Having symptoms related to these does not necessarily mean that a person has influenza. A number of other conditions, including food poisoning and the common cold, exhibit similar effects.
  
  

Time Frame

• Upon development of symptoms, it is important to seek medical attention. Only a doctor can determine if someone has the flu in a period of two to three days upon onset. Individuals are contagious from one day before and up to five days after symptoms develop.
  
  

Warning

• Complications with influenza are the most dangerous symptoms of the virus. People over 65 years of age, patients with chronic illness, children under 6 and pregnant women are at risk for further problems associated with the flu and its side effects.
  
  

Effects

• Along with these symptoms, even a mild case of pandemic flu can lead to death. The majority of healthy people recover from the virus without major complication, however, high risk factors are associated with the disease. Unlike regular flu viruses, the pandemic strains are usually deadlier.