Swineflu awareness
Dear All,
Swine flu awareness
is needed, but there is no need to be panicky and join the publicity propaganda
carried out by media and others which acts as a vehicle to spread misconception
than to spread scientific information.
These are few facts about swine flu when discussed with the leading
epidemiologists.
1) Swine flu, that is H1N1 flu is not new, first detected in 1987
2) Infective stage of flue is 5 days, 1 day before and 4 days after onset of
symptoms
3) The best way to prevent it spreading is asking patient having symptoms of
flu like fever cough and running nose to take rest at home for 4 days so he
does not transmit it
4) Masks are of limited value if any, in this disease, it can spread through
droplets on your skin, through contact etc, and I have seen that the masks in
Pune are worn as fashion statement, while walking on road today morning I saw
people wearing masks coming out for a morning walk with their dogs!, many
wearing masks around their necks, and so on, infect these masks shall act as
the vehicles to carry the virus, instead, avoiding crowded places or cinema
halls or malls where air conditioners are on, is advisable, because you get
recirculated air, where the virus density multiplies
5) Death after H1N1 flu is not common, infect infections like measles is
taking toll of thousands more every year, and we are oblivious of the facts.
Swine flu is being blown out of proportion by media trying to create hysteria
among lay people.
6) Fever accompanied by respiratory distress, should be immediately notified
which is likely to be a complication of H1N1 flu
7)The mortality is less than .01 percent of those affected, that means may
be one in 10,000 affected is likely to suffer the life loss.
If you remember, 2 years ago SARS was blown
out of proportion, what happened? Humans develop immunity to the virus, the
same is going to happen, we develop immunity in due course of time, the virus
is in the air, you can not stop it, our body is already developing the immunity
so nothing to panic.
We need to take care of children and elderly who have less immunity and do
not let them go to crowded places that are all.
WE MUST START THIS CAMPAIGN OF NOT TO BE AFRAID OF THIS FLU AND LET YOUR
DAILY WORK CONTINUE AS NORMAL, NO MASKS FOR ORDINARY CITIZENS, HE
I am amazed to hear that people are selling masks of RS 20 each which are
available to less than Rupee 1 in the market.
See who is getting benefited?
Please spread the scientific info, do not join the band wagon and stick to
science, that should be the order of the day.
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