Tag Archives: Swine Flu

MESSAGE FROM TEXAS

This message comes from Dr. David Lakey, Commissioner of Department of State Health Services and Commissioner of Health for the State of Texas.  His message applies to every person in every state that is affected by the H1N1 influenza strain.  We want to pass along Dr. Lakey’s advice to Texans:
“We wanted to share with you some basic principles you can utilize to protect your health. Obviously, there is a lot of concern out there related to what we hear in the media with this new swine flu, but we want to put that in perspective, and again give you some tools to use to protect your health.  Every year we have seasonal influenza. We’re used to that. We take our shots to help protect us, and seasonal influenza is dying out this part of the year. Unfortunately, there is this new strain, and our hope is like the seasonal influenza it will also go away, but we can’t count on that. So we need to do things to protect our health.
There are very simple tools you can use to protect your health. First, flu is spread when we cough on each other. When we cough on our hand and we touch our mouth and touch our eyes, we can spread the disease. So it’s very important right now that if you are coughing, to cover your mouth and cover your nose.  It’s also very important to wash your hands. We spread diseases by our hands. If you don’t wash your hands, you can pass on germs or pick up germs and then touch your eye or mouth and you can become infected.
It’s also very important that we stay home when we are sick. A lot of us go to work no matter what condition we’re in. This is not the time to do that. If you’re sick you need to stay home. It’s not time to go for your perfect attendance record at school. It’s not time to worry about sick leave. If you are sick, you need to stay home. If you don’t, you could spread this to other individuals.
It’s also very important that you understand that throughout the state of Texas, we’re taking some specific measures to prevent the spread of this disease into your community. In communities where we have identified swine flu, we’re asking the communities to do specific steps. We’re asking them – at certain times when they have the disease in their schools – to close their schools. We’re asking them to implement their Pandemic Influenza Plan so we are ready, and the community is ready, for whatever comes their way. We’re working with health care providers throughout the state so they know what they need to do in order to protect your health.
Again, I appreciate your time. Again, I advise you to do those basic precautions to protect your health, wash your hands, cover mouth when you cough, cover your sneeze, and if you are sick you need to stay home.”
Texas Department of State Health Services

TOO MUCH HYPE?

Your first answer will probably be “yes”, when being asked whether or not there was too much hype from the media, regarding the H1N1 influenza A virus that caused the World Health Organization to raise the pandemic threat alert to a level 5.  The virus resulted in several deaths in Mexico, and two in the United States.  Thanks to modern-day travel, the virus spread to several other countries, because people who were unaware they were sick and had been in Mexico later became ill, and the rest is history.

This H1N1 influenza A virus has caused a major inconvenience to parents, and students, whose schools were closed, school sporting events were cancelled, and graduation ceremonies postponed or cancelled.  But in the big picture, was it over-hyped by the media, or were they doing their job: warning the public of the honest concerns of the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Prevention and Control?

This virus remains a mystery to scientists, as it is still spreading, and they realize there could be potential as a killer virus.  Infectious disease specialists worry that persons will ignore the next warnings of a flu pandemic, since this one seemed milder than they feared it would be.  Dr. Robert Daum, University of Chicago infectious disease expert, thinks authorities acted properly when the news first broke.  He also says that since the United States situation is not dire at this time, authorities should “downshift”.

Some scientists worry that H5N1 (bird flu) and H1N1 (swine flu) could combine into a new bug.  H5N1 has not established in pigs; however, it is endemic in parts of Asia and Africa. H1N1 is now being confirmed in South Korea and Hong Kong.  WHO Director-General Margaret Chan warns health officials in Bankok, “do not drop the ball on monitoring H5N1”.

Persons should continue to pay attention to what is happening with this new virus in the coming months.  Some medical experts fear that it may return in the fall.  Regardless of the hassle it caused those who were not sick, think about how bad it could have been if proper warnings had not been given.

Source: AP

H1N1 INFLUENZA A UPDATE, MAY 5, 2009

The Texas Department of Health Services has reported the first death of a Texas resident from this virus:  a woman from Cameron County.  However, she also suffered from chronic underlying health problems as well.

The CDC has ceased recommending school closings, as the virus has resulted in less serious cases of the influenza as was first feared.  Numbers of confirmed cases have increased daily; however, the treatment of symptoms has been successful.  Problems of daycare and other issues have put a burden on parents of school children.  Local schools will make the final decision in regard to school closings.

Persons are still encouraged to take precautions to avoid catching or spreading this virus by continuing to take the common-sense approach, as is recommended by the experts:

  • Cover your mouth when coughing;
  • Cover your nose when sneezing; use your sleeve if you don’t have a tissue;
  • Stay away from crowds
  • Go to the doctor if you begin to have high fever and other flu-like symptoms;
  • Stay at home if you are sick.  Do not spread the germs at work or school;
  • Don’t use other persons’ phones, computers, or other equipment if they are ill.

FACE MASKS IN HIGH DEMAND

As the World Health Organization has raised the Pandemic Influenza (Swine Flu) threat to Level 5, pharmacies, medical suppliers, and others who sell face masks, respirators, and hand sanitizers are seeing a skyrocketing demand for such products.  There is a shortage of masks in Mexico, so many U.S. areas with large Mexican-American or Mexican populations (parts of Texas, California and the Chicago area) are seeing sales of large quantities, which will be sent to family and friends in Mexico.  Masks that the U.S. government is sending to Mexico are for first responders only – paramedics, police, and firefighters.  Individuals must purchase theirs.

In West Houston, Spring Branch Medical Supply had a run on face masks and hand sanitizers.  According to the Houston Chronicle, one of their normally slow-selling items became their hottest-seller.  People were lined up outside the door waiting to make their purchases.  Home improvement outlets, drug stores, and medical supply stores are almost completely sold out throughout Houston.  The Ft. Worth Star Telegram reports that local pharmacies have indicated supplies of surgical masks are depleted and on back order.  Harris Methodist Southwest Hospital pharmacy director stated that they were out of masks by Tuesday; however, their supplies should be replenished in a few days.  CVS Caremark, the biggest U.S. drugstore chain, said sales of face masks rose drastically on their website.  Walgreen, the U.S.’ second-largest drug chain, also reported an increased number of sales of face masks.

Elsewhere, in New Zealand, a demand for face masks has been ignited by this international scare.  Although there have been no reported confirmed cases in England and France, manufacturers and pharmacies are reporting sharp increases in the demand for face masks.
In Paris, a chemist at Pharmacie des Halles told CNN: “if you see a masks supplier, please send him to me”.  Suppliers are struggling with the demand in order to be prepared to handle an outbreak, should one occur.  In the Singapore airport, Watsons outlet has seen their demand for face masks jump ten times the normal range.

Production of face masks and respirators has been stepped up worldwide.  Respirators shield the user from biological contaminates, and face masks are designed to help prevent the spread of contaminates from the infected person.  They also keep persons from touching their noses and mouths, spreading germs they may have come in contact with from touching contaminated surfaces.

SWINE FLU PROTECTION

One of the key ways to protect oneself from the spread of germs is to wear a facemask or N95 respirator.  Swine Flu Masks are available in many different designs for a comfortable fit.

The symptoms of the Swine Flu are typical of other strains of flu: coughing, fever, sore throat, sneezing, body aches, and some reports of diarrhea and vomiting.  In Mexico, the outbreak has become very serious.  Pharmacies have sold out of facemasks; there have even been reports of persons stockpiling them and asking twenty-five times the price of them.

If the Swine Flu progresses through the United States and other countries, now is a good time to instruct those who are taking care of sick family members on the proper use of facemasks or respirators.  Healthcare givers, such as nursing home attendants, hospital and emergency staffs are already well trained in the use of personal protective equipment.  Here are some safety tips for using respirators or facemasks:

  • If you must have close contact with the sick person (holding a sick child), spend the least amount of time possible in close contact and wear a facemask (for example, surgical mask) or N95 disposable respirator.
  • Breathing through a facemask is easier than an N95 respirator for an extended period of time; however, the respirator filters out germs that can be inhaled around the edges of a facemask.
  • If you help a sick person with respiratory treatments using a nebulizer or inhaler, as directed by their physician, you should wear an N95 respirator.  These treatments should be given in a different room of the house, if possible.
  • After you remove a facemask or N95 respirator, wash your hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.  Hot water and soap is preferred.
  • Used facemasks and N95 respirators should never come in contact with anything else and should be properly disposed of.
  • If a reusable fabric facemask is used, it should be laundered with normal laundry detergent and tumble-dried in a hot dryer. Use this type of protection as a last resort; disposable protection is preferred.

The best way to avoid illness is to stay as healthy as possible and keep away from those you know are sick.  If you think you may have this virus, see your doctor as soon as possible, and get treated.  So far, the cases of Swine Flu in the United States have been mild.