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| | Is it possible to control the swine flu virus?
This virus, apparently, has already started to spread across the globe, and the majority of experts believe that controlling its spreading in conditions when people freely travel all over the world is an extremely difficult task.
Representatives of WHO state that restrictions on flying will not yield desirable results. The checking of passengers at airports, in their opinion, is also ineffective, as symptoms are yet to appear in infected passengers.
Can swine flu be medically treated?
American authorities said that two medicines for the flu - Tamiflu and Relenza, apparently are effective during treatment. But it is necessary to start the administration of the drugs at an early stage.
The use of these medicines reduces the probability of transmission of the virus from the infected to other people.
The British government already has a considerable quantity of Tamiflu reserves in case of an occurrence of a pandemic.
It is not clear how effective the flu inoculations will be for controlling this new strain as it genetically differs from other flu versions.
American scientists are developing a new vaccine; however, time is required for developing it and its manufacture in the quantities which can fulfill the huge demand.
The vaccine was administered to protect the people from a variety of swine flu in 1976 in the USA.
However, use of the vaccine had serious side-effects, including Guillain-Barre syndrome (in 500 cases). The reported deaths due to the use of the vaccine were more than the deaths due to the flu.
How to avoid getting infected:
People with the symptoms of flu, which could be infected by the swine flu virus, for example, people living in Mexican regions, where outbreak is registered, should seek medical aid.
But the infected people are advised not to go to a polyclinic so as to reduce the risk of the virus spreading. They should remain at home and take a doctor consultation by phone.
Ever since WHO raised the degree of the threat due to swine flu, the British Ministry for Foreign Affairs has published a recommendation for restraining from traveling to Mexico, if it is possible to manage.
Precautionary measures:
Avoid contact with people who appear to be patients and who have a cough.
Generally accepted behavior of hygiene rules help in reducing the spreading of the infection. So, it is necessary to cover mouth and nose while coughing and sneezing with a single-use tissue, which needs to be thrown out immediately after use.
Also, it is important to wash your hands as often as possible using soap and clean the general-purpose items such as wooden handles and telephone receivers with a moist napkin regularly.
Persons serving the flu infected people should cover their mouth and nose with a mask. British authorities are contemplating buying an additional quantity of protective masks for their medical workers.
But experts say that no scientific data exists which testify that the use of such protective masks as a preventive measure protect anyone from getting infected.
Can people eat pork?
Yes. No evidence is available that a person can get infected with swine flu if he eats the meat of an infected animal.
Nevertheless, it is very important to cook the meat thoroughly. The virus perishes at a temperature of 70 degrees C (158 F).
Where to receive additional information?
Information regarding swine flu and advice in how to safe-guard oneself from infection, can be found on Internet sites of the leading medical and research organizations. |
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Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Wednesday that people should expect "a big influx" of swine flu cases this fall especially due to the start of the school year. Education Secretary Arne Duncan added: "We got a little bit lucky in the last school year, because the H1N1 didn't surface until very near the end of the academic year. We're not going to be so lucky this year." Schools with high number of swine flu cases will be quarantined.
