Not everyone dies from the swine flu, right? Isn't there a cure for it yet?
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M$3 Answers
http://www.who.int/csr/don/2009_07_03/en/index.html
However, the CDC advises against seeking medical care in most cases, and many H1N1 cases go unreported.
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/sick.htm#4
As a result, the real mortality rate for H1N1 is somewhat lower than the official number and the total number of cases is higher.
Like most viral infections, there is no real cure for H1N1 flu. The proper vaccine can provide immunity, and antiviral medications can block infection or make the disease course less severe, but once the infection takes hold there's not much else to do but let the body's immune system go to work.
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/antiviral.htm
Unfortunately, even a vaccine won't stop the flu because the flu is a moving target (which is why a new flu vaccine is needed every year). Different flu strains can exchange genetic material through reassortment, which is how the current H1N1 strain developed. In addition, flu viruses have a very high mutation rate, and spontaneous mutations can have unpredictable effects in terms of the flu's severity and ease of contagion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reassortment
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3016304
Already, two Tamiflu-resistant cases of the current H1N1 flu have been reported. These could be isolated mutations or the result of reassortment with other H1N1 strains, some of which have been developing drug resistance for some time.
http://hygimia69.blogspot.com/2009/07/japan-finds-first-case-of-h1n1_3628.html
http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/general/news/mar0209osel.html
With all of this in its favor, finding a cure for the flu will not be easy.
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However, what worries health professionals is that swine flu spread really quickly, and if it mutates and becomes more deadly, it could be very difficult to stop.
I wouldn't worry about it though - wash your hands often, stay healthy, and you should be fine! :)
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"If a person becomes sick with swine flu, antiviral drugs can make the illness milder and make the patient feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms). Beside antivirals, palliative care, at home or in hospital, focuses on controlling fevers and maintaining fluid balance. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends the use of Tamiflu (oseltamivir) or Relenza (zanamivir) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with swine influenza viruses; however, the majority of people infected with the virus make a full recovery without requiring medical attention or antiviral drugs."
"In the U.S., on April 27, 2009, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Emergency Use Authorizations to make available Relenza and Tamiflu antiviral drugs to treat the swine influenza virus in cases for which they are currently unapproved."
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