Get clued up on flu

LAB results for Namibia’s first suspected case of the H1N1 influenza strain, commonly known as ‘swine flu’, have returned negative.

The swabs were taken from a 40-year-old woman who recently travelled to Hong Kong, and went to the Roman Catholic Hospital shortly after arriving back in the country last Monday. The samples were sent to the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) in South Africa for testing, and returned on Friday with a negative test result. But while we can all breathe a sigh of relief, the reality is that the highly contagious H1N1 flu virus, which by yesterday had killed 115 and infected 17 410 people across 62 countries, remains a serious global health threat.Several measures to prepare the country for a potential outbreak of flu are ongoing, but the question remains: How clued up are you on this flu?Using information from the completed preparedness and response plan on H1N1 for Namibia, as well as from public information flyers now at the airport and in the mailboxes of many Windhoek residents, The Namibian has compiled a brief overview.H1N1In short, according to the response plan, ‘Influenza A (H1N1) is a contagious and currently a relatively mild acute respiratory disease caused by an Influenza-A (H1N1) virus. It is a new form of flu causing illness in people. However, it can evolve into a severe disease and cause deaths’, and has shown itself to have pandemic characteristics.WARNING SIGNSSymptoms for H1N1 are much like those of seasonal flu, and given its roots in Mexico and its spread from there, a recent travel history or contact with someone that has just travelled are also taken into consideration by health personnel. The symptoms of the flu include fever (higher than 38 degrees Celsius), coughing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Urgent medical attention should be sought if you experience trouble breathing, persistent vomiting, excessive irritability, pain or pressure in the chest, sudden dizziness, confusion, or flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with fever and worse coughing.PROTECTyourselfCurrently, there is no vaccine for H1N1 flu, but companies have started work on one, with clinical trials set to start in coming months. But even so, such a vaccine may only be ready for distribution in October, and many wealthy countries have already placed large orders for the vaccines that will be produced.In the meantime, you can protect yourself by washing your hands often with soap and water, ‘covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, and throwing the tissue in the trash after you use it’, ‘avoiding close contact with people sick from the virus’ and avoiding contact with people if you have been diagnosed with the flu.The World Health Organisation (WHO) also makes it clear ‘that there is no risk of infection from this virus from consumption of well-cooked pork and pork products’.AND IF YOU GET sICK…The Ministry of Health advises that one seek medical attention should you get sick, and that depending on your symptoms, a healthcare provider will be able to determine whether or not flu testing or treatment is required.Through the work of the National Health Emergency Management Committee (NHEMC), the Ministry has already ordered swabs for the testing of H1N1, 20 000 units of the antiviral drug Tamiflu and extra stocks of surgical masks for those in contact with infected people.STAY CLUED UPThe number of people infected and dying from the H1N1 flu virus is changing on a daily basis, with reported confirmed cases of flu shooting up from 367 cases in 13 countries on May 1, to 17 410 cases in 62 countries by June 1.While there have been no confirmed cases on the African continent yet, with the increased movement of people across countries and continents, it is important that you keep up to date with the progression of the virus. ‘Our advice is to the public is not to panic but to take necessary preventive measures such as hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette in households, the community, healthcare facilities as well as in other settings where people gather,’ is the message of the WHO.nangula@namibian.com.na