Swine flu has been declared a public health emergency in two countries and has been laboratory confirmed in eight more, causing the World Health Organization to raise their pandemic threat level to 4. It’s pretty much impossible to avoid this story, since it’s all over the news. But there are a few things you should be aware of given that you’re managing a chronic health condition in the midst of a possible pandemic.

First, if you’ve ever had the flu, you know that it’s not the same as a bad cold — even with a relatively mild case you may find yourself pretty miserable, spending a lot of time lying down, or taking care of other family members who have caught the flu (the flu is contagious before it’s symptomatic, so it can pass through families easily). That’s why it’s useful to stock up on about two weeks of allergy-safe food and household supplies, including any prescription medications, oral rehydration solution (in case of diarrhea or vomiting), and acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Make sure you get at least some foods that are easy to prepare; this protects you from having to expose others to the flu while you’re sick and from having to be up and about cooking while you’re sick. It’s a prudent “just in case” measure year-round — two weeks of food doesn’t take up too much space, and once you’ve gotten a stockpile it’s not too tough to maintain it.

Second, influenza is generally a riskier disease for the very old and the very young. So far, that’s not been the case for the strain of swine flu circulating in the Northern Hemisphere; most of the deaths have been young adults. That said, if you have asthma along with your allergies, you should be especially aware of the possibility of pneumonia, which is one of the potential complications of the flu. Given the current situation and the fact that several antiviral medications seem to be effective against swine flu (especially if taken within the first forty-eight hours of illness), it’s worth a call to your doctor if you develop flu symptoms, especially after travel to an area with known swine flu or after contact with someone who’s been in such an area.