Prevent Swine Flu

Posts Tagged ‘prevent swine flu’

If you find yourself in the position of having to take care of a family or household member who is sick with the flu there are steps to take to protect yourself and others who are not sick.  This first step is you should keep the sick person away from other people as much as possible especially others who are at high risk for complications from influenza like illnesses.  This includes making people who are sick with any influenza like illness stay home and keep away from others as much as possible. They should avoid traveling for at least 24 hours after fever has abated.

Remind the flu sufferer to cover their coughs, and clean their hands with soap and water often.  If soap and water are not available, they should use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially after coughing and/or sneezing.  You should have everyone in the household clean their hands often, using soap and water or hand sanitizer. Children may need repeated reminders or even help keeping their hands clean.

It is a good idea to ask your health care provider if household contacts of the sick person, should take antiviral medications such as oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) or zanamivir (Relenza®) to prevent getting the flu themselves. This is especially important for those who may be pregnant or have chronic health conditions Persons with the flu should use a separate bathroom. This bathroom should be cleaned on a daily basis with a disinfectant of somekind.

Anyone who falls into a high risk group for complications from influenza should attempt to avoid close contact with household members who are sick with influenza. If close contact with a sick individual cannot be avoided consider wearing a facemask.  Infants should never be cared for by family members or persons with the flu.

Keep in mind that the sick person should not have visitors other than the person caring for them. A phone call is much better than a visit.  If possible, have only one adult in the home take care of the sick person. It is not people at increased risk of severe illness from flu should not be the designated caretaker. Having pregnant women care for the sick person should be avoided because pregnant women are at increased risk of influenza-related complications and immunity can be suppressed during pregnancy.

All persons in the household should clean their hands with soap and water often.  This includes after every contact with the sick person or the person’s room or bathroom where you may pick up germs. Use paper towels for drying hands after hand washing.  Another option is to set aside cloth towels to each person in the household. Using different colored towels for each person makes this easier to keep track of.

Recent government information is focused on informing the consumer that the most effective method to prevent the spread of H1N1 Influenza (known by most as swine flu) is through the use of their hurried rushed to market vaccine.

While this may be true in the grand scheme of things it does very little to reassure the millions of people who have a hard time trusting vaccinations — and for some an even harder time trusting their government. Beyond the deep concerns we decided to examine the language of the recent news and guidance from the CDC and other authority sources on swine flu.

We found the usage of the phrase ‘most effective method to prevent the spread of H1N1 Influenza’ to be a bit concerning because this seems to suggest the governments primary concern is the prevention of the spread of swine flu. You can read that to mean their main intent it is calm the population and stem fears of a wider spread of this pandemic.

So what about the rest of us? What do we use as a yardstick to determine how effective a solution is — beyond just getting vaccinated? You still have to protect yourself, wash your hands frequently and clean your environment. Right?

Well with the recent news of a registered nurse dying of flu like symptoms we now begin to wonder if the message is also focused on reducng the level of alarm in the healthcare professional community. That begs the question:

What do healthcare workers do to prevent swine flu, or rather, What do healthcare workers do to prevent H1N1?

Considering their fate rest daily in their methods of staying clean and virus free we decided to try and locate the products they use to stay safe on the job and to make sure they do not take deadly illnesses home with them.

Fact #1: Clean Your Environment

Depending on how cold it is (ambient room temperature) a virus deposited on a hard surface by a sneeze or contact transmission can remain alive and viable from 2 hours to up to 48 hours. This can make the healthcare environment a hazardous place to sped your day.  So what do healthcare environmental services use to clean hard surfaces? And can the average consumer get their hands on this product?

The answer is yes.

Although not under the same tradename as the formula sold to hospitals, there is a highly concentrated virucide – bacteriacide – and fungicide that is available to consumers. We tracked down one of these products and are advertising it through our website. We choose not to mention it directly in this article because we do not wish to unfairly favor one product over another. Also there may be other products that are proven effective against h1n1 virus on hard surfaces, but we have independantly confirmed this product is safe, affordable and proven effective against h1n1 swine flu on hard surfaces.Also note that 1 gallon of this concentrate make 64 gallons of virucide – more than enough to clean the average home though the winter season.

Visit our website at http://prevent-swine-flu.com for more information and to learn about healthcare products to prevent swine flu.

prevent the spread of swine flu by sanitizing your environment

Pneumonia and Influenza Hospitalization and Death Tracking system was implemented on August 30, 2009, and replaces the weekly report of laboratory confirmed 2009 H1N1-related hospitalizations and deaths that began in April 2009. Jurisdictions can now report to CDC either laboratory confirmed or pneumonia and influenza based counts of hospitalizations and deaths resulting from all types or subtypes of influenza, not just those from 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. To allow jurisdictions to implement the new case definition, counts were reset to zero on August 30, 2009. From August 30 – October 10, 2009, 4,958 laboratory-confirmed influenza associated hospitalizations, 292 laboratory-confirmed influenza associated deaths, 15,696 pneumonia and influenza syndrome-based hospitalizations, and 2,029 pneumonia and influenza syndrome-based deaths, were reported to CDC. CDC will continue to use its traditional surveillance systems to track the progress of the 2009-10 influenza season.

A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza A virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population. As we have seen the virus causes serious illness and spreads easily from person-to-person worldwide. On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that a global pandemic of H1N1 flu is in progress. Nearly 5,000 people have died from swine flu infections since the A(H1N1) virus made its debut in April, the World Health Organization said on Friday. The death toll marked an increase of about 265 over the 4,735 deaths reported to the WHO a week ago.  The majority of the fatal cases which number 3,539 have been recorded in North and South America, the UN health agency said in its latest update on the escalating flu pandemic.

Overseas countries like Iceland, Sudan, and Trinidad and Tobago reported their first fatal cases over the past week.  Mongolia, Rwanda, and Sao Tome and Principe also recorded pandemic influenza cases for the first time, as the virus continued to spread.  Perhaps some good news is the  A(H1N1) influenza was declining in tropical areas of the world.  That is with the exception of Cuba and Colombia.  There was also no significant pandemic related activity over the past week in warmer areas of the southern hemisphere, the WHO said.  At this time respiratory disease activity persists in spreading and growing in intensity in the northern hemisphere, predominately in North America.  Extensive efforts are ongoing to track and monitor the spread of all flu viruses. In the U.S., epidemiologists at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) are working diligently with the states affected to collect, compile and analyze reports of flu outbreaks.  As of September 2009, the current calculations are that about 90,000 deaths will take place in the U.S. from novel H1N1 swine flu. This is the estimate set out by the president’s advisory committee. There has been no revision of these numbers by the advisory committee or the CDC as of October 2009.

The CDC is recommending all healthcare providers receive both the seasonal influenza vaccine every year and the 2009 H1N1 vaccine. Healthy persons including healthcare providers, who are infected with influenza virus, can transmit the virus to persons at higher risk for complications from influenza, like patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease.

Early treatment with oseltamivir or zanamivir should be contemplated for persons with flu-like symptoms, suspected or confirmed, who have an elevated risk for complications including patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease. Patients with inflammatory rheumatic disease within any of the following prioritized groups are recommended to receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine:

• Pregnant women
• People who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
• Persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old
• Persons between the ages of 25 and 64 years old who are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems (including with inflammatory rheumatic disease)

Persons age 65 or older are not included in these specific groups because recent research indicates that the chance of infection among persons age 65 or older is less than the chance for younger age groups. While not expecting a shortage of 2009 H1N1 vaccine, the CDC states that availability and demand can be unpredictable. Once the need for the vaccine among the younger groups has been taken care of, the vaccine should be offered to people age 65 or older, including people with inflammatory arthritis.  Persons with inflammatory rheumatic disease who develop flu-like symptoms need to know the following:

• If you develop flu-like symptoms contact your healthcare provider.
• Avoid contact with others. Seek medical care early. You should stay home and avoid travel, including not going to work or school, until at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or necessities. Your fever should be gone without using fever-reducing medications.
• If you leave the house to seek medical care, wear a facemask, if available and tolerable, and cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue.
• Do not stop taking any medicine you take for your arthritis unless told to do so by your physician.
• Seek medical attention early. Treatment is available for persons with severe disease and those at high risk for complications. Persons with inflammatory rheumatic disease are considered high risk for complications from the flu; therefore, your health care provider may choose to prescribe antiviral medications for you if you get the flu.
• If you are exposed to someone who has flu, consult your health care provider.  They may prescribe medication to help prevent you from getting the flu or watch you closely to see if you develop flu symptoms.

Hot List: What You Can Do to Stay Healthy

According to the latest information the government recommendations to
avoid contracting swine flu include these simple steps. Of course this
is not an all inclusive list and some items on the list are impossible
to do — like getting a vaccination right now but here is the best
list we have:

Get vaccinated. Vaccination is the best protection we have against
flu. Seasonal flu vaccine is available now and initial doses of 2009
H1N1 flu vaccine also are available, with additional doses available
later this year.
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through
coughing or sneezing of infected people.
Take everyday actions to stay healthy.

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.
Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not
available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread that way.
Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work
or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds
and other social distancing measures.
Find healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety.
Stay informed. This website will be updated regularly as information
becomes available.
Call 1-800-CDC-INFO for more information.

Flu activity in the U.S. is reported to now be widespread in 41 states. Across the nation visits to doctors for influenza-like-illness continued to be on the rise and are now about equal to or higher than what is seen at the height of most normal flu seasons. Flu-related hospitalizations and deaths are also continuing to mount and are above expectations for this time of year.

The CDC continues to remind health providers and the public of the need to continue hand and cough hygiene measures for the period of any influenza symptoms, even while taking antiviral medications in order to combat the spread of antiviral resistant virus strains. The influenza activity reported by both state and territorial epidemiologists shows geographic spread of both seasonal influenza and 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses.

Each week CDC evaluates information collected about influenza disease activity in the United States and issues findings of key flu indicators in a report called FluView. A review of the key indictors found that during the week of October 4-10, 2009 influenza activity continued to increase in the United States from the previous week. Below is a summary of the latest significant indicators:

· Visits to doctors for influenza-like illness (ILI) continued to increase in the United States, and overall, are higher than what is expected for this time of the year. ILI activity now is equal to or higher than what is seen at the peak of many regular flu seasons.

· Total influenza hospitalization rates for laboratory-confirmed flu are climbing and are higher than expected for this time of year.

· The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) based on the 122 Cities Report has increased and exceeds what is normally expected at this time of year. In addition, 11 flu-related pediatric deaths were reported this week; 10 of these deaths were confirmed 2009 H1N1, and one was influenza A virus, but unsubtyped. Since April 2009, there have been 86 confirmed pediatric 2009 H1N1 deaths; 39 of these have been reported to CDC since August 30, 2009.

· Forty-one states are reporting widespread influenza activity at this time. They are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. This many reports of widespread activity are unprecedented during seasonal flu.

· Almost all of the influenza viruses identified so far is 2009 H1N1 influenza A viruses. These viruses remain similar to the virus chosen for the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, and remain susceptible to the antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir with rare exception.

Overnight reports filtered in from Louisiana state government officials that confirm 62 cases of suspected N1H1 Swine Flu have been sent to the CDC for strain testing.

We will update this as the virus spreads across Texas and Louisiana.

People around the world are trying to get their hands on more information about the newest crisis headlining the news, swine flu. One source, the Wikipedia site has posted the following information in regard to the swine flu outbreak touching countries around the world:

“The 2009 swine flu outbreak is the spread of a new strain of H1N1 influenza virus that was first detected by public health agencies in March 2009. Localized outbreaks of influenza-like illness were detected in three areas initially in Mexico and soon after in the United States and Canada. Following the discovery of the new strain in the United States, its presence was quickly suspected on most continents, with over 1,800 candidate cases by April 27. Because it is not possible to confirm every one of such cases as being caused by an influenza virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) refers to them collectively as influenza-like illnesses (ILI).

The new strain is derived in part from human influenza virus A (subtype H1N1), and in part from two strains of swine influenza as well as an avian influenza. In April both the WHO and the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) expressed serious concerns about this novel strain, because it apparently transmits from human to human, has had a relatively high mortality rate in Mexico, and because it has the potential to become a flu pandemic.

On April 25, 2009, the WHO determined the situation to be a formal “public health emergency of international concern”, with knowledge lacking in regard to “the clinical features, epidemiology, and virology of reported cases and the appropriate responses”. Government health agencies around the world also expressed concerns over the outbreak and are monitoring the situation closely.”

Normally found in pigs, swine flu is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease.  It spreads through tiny particles in the air or by direct contact.  According to the World Health Organization (WHO) it has a tendency to infect large numbers of the pig population.   Not every animal infected displays symptoms but the flu kills between 1 and 4 percent of those affected.  Humans usually become infected through contact with pigs; though in some cases human-to-human transmission has been reported.

The recent swine flu outbreak appears to have caused fatalities in humans in Mexico as well as nonfatal cases in the United States. WHO has urged countries around the world to be alert for dubious cases of influenza.  Comparisons with the 1918 epidemic are premature, but WHO Chief Margaret Chan says the global body is taking the outbreak very seriously. Serious study and monitoring is needed and preventing the spread of swine flu is key to stopping it from becoming an pandemic.

Since the swine flu outbreaks in Mexico and U.S. were first noted, the risk of a pandemic has grown.  Health officials worry the swine flu might progress into a variety more easily spread among humans.  Experts worry that it is more likely a pandemic strain will emerge the more the virus circulates.  Though there is no way to accurately predict when and if that will happen.

Swine flu is considered widespread in the United States even though in North America pigs are routinely vaccinated for swine flu.  There is no vaccine for humans at this time.  The flu virus evolves quickly, making vaccines obsolete as almost as soon as developed.  There is no implication that the vaccine prepared for seasonal flu will defend against swine flu according to health officials.

Good hygiene is necessary in terms of prevention. Regular hand-washing and staying a safe distance from those infected are advised.  Q-Based Healthcare offers a variety of products to help with disinfecting needs.   PuraCleenRx READY-TO-USE Disinfectant Spray is designed specifically as a general non-acid cleaner and disinfectant for use in homes, hospitals, nursing homes, patient rooms, operating rooms, ICU areas, schools, transportation terminals, office buildings, manufacturing facilities, lodging establishments, retail businesses, veterinary clinics, pet shops, animal life science laboratories and athlete/recreational facilities where housekeeping is of prime importance in controlling the hazard of cross contamination.