Swine Flu Cases

Preventing Spread: Facemask and Respirators

Facemask and Respirators are being used to control the spread of viruses and bacteria among people. It is one of the ways to control infection which should be accompanied by frequent hand wash and maintaining certain distance from the people.

Respirators and Facemask should not be shared, since it would be contaminated with virus it will spread to other peoples easily. Facemask and respirator should not be reused and must be disposed immediately after use. It should be disposed in such a way that it does not have any contact with others. If it is a reusable respirator or facemask it should be sterilized often. After removing the facemask or respirator one should wash their hands with alcohol based sanitizer.

Facemasks are generally not tight and disposable. It acts as a barrier between the nose, mouth and the infected environment. If facemasks are used properly it would prevent the wearer from getting infected with large sprays which might contain virus. It also prevents others getting infected from the wearer. Facemask can safeguard a person from only large sprays and it cannot prevent one from small droplets transmitted through cough etc. It is due to the loose fitting of the facemask. It is always a good practice to dispose the used facemask by plastic bags.  

Respirators are also known as N95 Respirators. The name N95 is being used for respirators since it blocks 95% of small particles. When the respirators are properly used; the filtration is more powerful than the facemasks. Respirators are being used mainly to prevent small particles from entering through the nose or mouth, which cause infection. Respirators provide a tight and closed fit. A respirator is designed in such a way that wearers do not inhale small particles from the air. Respirators should be fitted in such a way that that it is easy to breath by adjusting the straps. For further instructions to know how to use the respirator one can refer to the user manual provided by manufacturer. Persons with respiratory problems should consult a doctor before the use of a respirator, due to the fact that it would affect their breathing patterns. Almost all N95 respirators are sealed with a single use only sign. Respirator should be disposed carefully such that it does not infect others using a plastic bag.

Facemasks and respirators are cheap in price and protect people from getting infected from harmful virus. These prove to be the best way for people to safeguard themselves from spreading disease.

BASIC INFORMATION ON SWINE FLU

Swine flu is a type A influenza. The name swine flu was given to the flu, because it is believed to be originated from pigs. The CDC has credited this information. There are various symptoms which can be associated with the flu, but the most common ones include, fever, diarrhea, sore threat, vomiting, body aches and dry coughing. You may now have noticed that the symptoms are very closely related to those of a regular flu. Due to this fact, many people will just believe it is regular flu, but do not let it sit there. Get it to a doctor’s attention immediately. Waiting will only make it too late in the end.

The pandemic is believed to be started from Mexico in early April for 2009. From there on, the flu just has spread all over the world. The strength in the tourism industry has very much helped in the spread of the flu, to go worldwide. It has had done some major damage to the greater parts of Asia. This is not the only pandemic we have experienced. There has been many in the past, like the ones from the 1950s and 1960s. The most recent one was the 2003 outbreak of SARS. The SARS outbreak was much more horrendous and deadly. When SARS was spreading, we did not know what it exactly was. In our present case, we knew what the swine flu virus was. Like so, in the past centuries, pandemics have killed people in the millions. In Canada, the most recent statistics show that there were 81 casualties and 12038 cases overall. However, the over number of cases have increased in the past few weeks. On the week of November 1, 2009, vaccinations were available through out Canada, and the strength of the medication is not known yet.

Many people do not seem to know the difference between swine flu and regular flu. Swine flu just arose, which means people are not built to handle it. Their immune system does not know what it is, and will not know how to fight it off. If it were a regular flu, it would know how to control it. Regular flu has an affecting rate of five to twenty percent of the population, and it is known to kill about thirty-six thousands individuals per year.

Experts Debate Swine flu Worldwide

The Department of Health has confirmed. 2 swine flu-related deaths have been reported in Northern Ireland in the last week, the Department of Health has confirmed.

One was a 9year old girl who had underlying health problems. The other, a sixty five65-year-old woman, was described as having serious health complications.

Health authorities in the Republic have confirmed another four deaths in the past week bringing the total deaths over the border from swine flu to 14.

Twelve people from Northern Ireland have died after contracting the virus.

Ten of those deaths occurred in Northern Ireland, while one person died in England and another in Spain.

The latest Northern Ireland figures show that there were 215 new cases of laboratory confirmed swine flu during the past week, bringing the total number since the beginning of the outbreak to 1,093.

The number of people hospitalised has increased by 12% in the last week, but the number of people contacting GPs with flu symptoms is down 21%.

The actual number of cases is likely to be much higher as doctors no longer routinely test for the virus.

The total number of people hospitalised with swine flu now stands at 495.

There were nine more admissions in the last week compared to the week before.

However, there has been a substantial decrease in a key indicator of how the virus is spreading.

Details of swine flu-related deaths are now only released once a week.

Earlier this week, the chair of the NI Assembly’s health committee criticised the Department of Health’s new policy.

A swine-flu vaccination programme has begun with priority given to people most at risk of developing complications, including children in special needs schools, pregnant women and patients with underlying health problems.

Dr McBride said the vaccine uptake among pregnant women was particularly encouraging.

“Somewhere in the region of 5,000 pregnant women have had the vaccine in the first week of the programme – that’s one-third of all women booked into the antenatal programme,” he said.

AIDS/HIV:

– 33 million people Are estimated worldwide who are living with HIV, an immunity-destroying disease which spreads  through sexual contact, also blood transfusions, needle-sharing. Mostl live in developing countries.

– Each year approx 2.5 million individuals are newly-infected and 2 million casualties from AIDS related causes. Drugs, taken on a continual basis, have extended the lifespan of people with this awful disease.

– AIDS/ HIV  has killed more than 25,000,000 people worldwide so far, and is the leading cause of death in sub-Saharan Africa and the 4^th leading cause of deaths globally.

TUBERCULOSIS:

– 1/3rd of the world’s population – approx two billion individuals — are infected with the bacterium causing tuberculosis, a disease affecting the lungs.

– approx Nine Million people get the disease each year when their immune system weakens, normally from illness or pregnancy. In 2007 there were 1,300,000 tuberculosis deaths among people without AIDS, and 456,000 deaths among people infected with both tuberculosis and AIDS.

– Tuberculosis can be treated with antibiotics, but drug-resistant forms of the disease have made it increasingly hard, and costly, to treat.

* MALARIA

– Almost 50 percent of the world’s population, 3.3 billion people, are at risk from malaria, a tropical disease that is transmitted from human to human by mosquitoes.

– Each year nearly 1,000,000 people die from malaria, mostly children under the age of 5, and 189,000,000  to 327,000,000 are diagnosed with the disease that can be prevented with drugs.

– The highest at risk include children, pregnant women, travelers, refugees, and migrant workers in endemic areas.

* INFLUENZA:

– Between 3,000,000 and 5,000,000 people experience severe illness due to regular, seasonal flu around the world each year, and between 250,000 and 500,000 die as a result

Vaccine Clinics

Wait times to receive the H1N1 vaccine are very long. Peel Public Health urges people who are healthy to attend clinics starting Nov. 2 out of consideration for people with chronic medical conditions.

Early clinics are for people who live or work in Peel under 65 years of age with chronic medical conditions (asthma, diabetes, heart, lung or kidney disease or those receiving treatments for cancer or other illnesses that might affect the immune system) and their caregivers.

Mississauga

Peel Public Health H1N1 Vaccine Clinics

• The H1N1 vaccine is FREE and available at Peel Public Health clinics for everyone 1 year of age and older who lives or works in Peel (including those 65 years of age and older).
• Pregnant women and children 6 months to 1 year of age must see a doctor to get the H1N1 vaccine.
• If you think you might have the flu, wait until you are better to get vaccinated.
• Children 6 months to 9 years of age will require 2 vaccinations. There must be at least 21 days between the first and second vaccine.
• For quicker registration, bring your health card and/or driver’s license.
• Bring an interpreter if needed.
• Children under 14 years of age need consent from their parent/legal guardian to get the vaccine.

Brampton H1N1 Flu Clinics – November 2 to December 11, 2009

Caledon H1N1 Flu Clinics – November 4 to November 28, 2009

Mississauga H1N1 Flu Clinics – November 2 to December 11, 2009

Thursday, October 29

12-7

• North York Civic Centre, (Members Lounge) – 5100 Yonge Street

• East York Civic Centre (Lower Level) -850 Coxwell Avenue

Friday, October 30

10 – 4

• Metro Hall (Room 310) – 55 John Street

12-7

• Scarborough Civic Centre (Rotunda) -150 Borough Drive

Sat. Oct. 31

10-4

• Timothy Eaton Business and Technical Institute (Cafeteria) – 1251 Bridletowne Circle
• Melody Public School (Gym) – 24 Strathburn Blvd.
• East York Civic Centre (LowerLevel) – 850 Coxwell Avenue
• Etobicoke Civic Centre (Meeting Rooms 1, 2, 3) – 399 The West Mall

Here’s a list of the locations, slated to open Nov. 2.:

H1N1 Flu shot clinics in Toronto:

• Metro Hall – Rotunda (55 John Street)
• North York Civic Centre – Members Lounge (5100 Yonge Street)
• Scarborough Civic Centre – Rotunda (150 Borough Drive)
• East York Civic Centre – Lower Level (850 Coxwell Avenue)
• Etobicoke Civic Centre – Committee rooms 1, 2, 3 (399 The West Mall)
• Timothy Eaton Business and Tech. Institute – Cafeteria (1251 Bridletowne Circle)
• Melody P.S. – Gym (24 Strathburn Boulveard)
• North Kipling Community Recreational Centre (2 Roundtree Rd.)
• North Toronto Memorial Community Recreational Centre (200 Eglinton Ave. W.)
• Masaryk-Cowan Community Recreational Centre (220 Cowan Ave.)