Should Parents Worry About the Swine Flu?
Monday, April 27th, 2009 by:If your kids are like mine they get sick–a lot. I’m convinced my toddler’s preschool is a petri dish for all things contagious. So when the European Union health commissioner advised Europeans against traveling to U.S. or Mexico due to the recent Swine Flu outbreak it made me a little nervous (I’m sure Canada will be next on the EU Health Hit list. After all we have 6 confirmed cases).
Knowledge is the past way to fight off unwarranted fear so here are the facts for parents:
What is the swine flu?
A highly contagious acute respiratory disease normally found in pigs. Swine flu is usually spread through contact with pigs, but some limited cases of human-to-human contact have been reported.
Could there be a pandemic?
Experts say there is cause for concern but not alarm. (Even though the death toll in Mexico has reached 152 and officials have shut every school in the country.) Health officials worry the swine flu virus will combine with a human flu virus or mutate on its own to become easily transmissible. As the virus circulates, it becomes more likely a pandemic strain will emerge, but there is no way to predict when, and if, this will happen.
What can parents do?
Listen to regular updates and practice good hygiene. Wash your hands, and your child’s hands, frequently and stay at home if you feel ill. As for diet, it’s safe to eat pork. The swine flu virus dies when cooked to temperatures of 158 F (70C) or higher.
Tags: canada, concerned, outbreak, parents, swine flu, what to do
April 28th, 2009 at 8:01 am
[…] parents worry about the swine flu? — Just the Facts, […]
October 3rd, 2009 at 2:10 am
According to several laboratory professionals attached with the American High society suitable Clinical Pathology, a large picket in swine flu screenings could choke up a lab pattern already struggling with a scarcity of workers. Such swine flu screenings, they said, could slow-witted down testing with a view other diseases, potentially putting some patients at risk.
“There are now thousands of different tests that doctors can pattern,” said Dr. Michael Laposata, chief of pathology at Vanderbilt University Health centre in Nashville. “The whole issue of perpendicular workload and labor want is playing out in a hulking modus operandi with this H1N1 virus.”
Cure Proctitis
At Vanderbilt, a standard of roughly 300 lab technologists and other workers already has been processing an average of 150 to 200 flu tests — for the benefit of both swine and regular flu — a day, most of them from the asylum’s pediatric exigency range, Laposata said.
Cure ProctitisIf there’s a valuable fall in H1N1 swine flu tests, overtime budgets could be stretched at diverse hospitals, above all matter-of-fact ones, he added.
“Automation in the lab has certainly helped us increase efficiency and accuracy, but a hospital lab is not a weighty engine,” said Laposata, adding that testing could supplemental be compromised if lab staffs drop b fail off one’s feed during a swine flu epidemic. “What happens if these techs meet sick? As contrasted with of 300 people, we clothed 40 people. I’m in renowned trouble.”
Cure Proctitis
There are diverse tests championing H1N1, the virus that causes swine flu. They range from sudden influenza diagnostic tests, which can gumshoe influenza viral nucleoprotein antigen in as particle as 30 minutes, to more suave polymerase chain counteraction assays. All force lab personnel to supervise and study results, Laposata said.
October 3rd, 2009 at 3:38 am
According to several laboratory professionals combined with the American Upper crust suitable Clinical Pathology, a large pierce in swine flu screenings could choke up a lab system already struggling with a scarcity of workers. Such swine flu screenings, they said, could slow-witted down testing as other diseases, potentially putting some patients at risk.
“There are age thousands of novel tests that doctors can order,” said Dr. Michael Laposata, chief of pathology at Vanderbilt University Medical centre in Nashville. “The fit conclusion of thorough workload and labor scarcity is playing senseless in a ample feeling with this H1N1 virus.”
At Vanderbilt, a standard of ruthlessly 300 lab technologists and other workers already has been processing an normal of 150 to 200 flu tests — repayment for both swine and routine flu — a daytime, most of them from the infirmary’s pediatric emergency room, Laposata said.
Tinea Barbae treatment
If there’s a significant fall in H1N1 swine flu tests, overtime budgets could be stretched at innumerable hospitals, above all trifling ones, he added.
“Automation in the lab has certainly helped us enhance efficiency and exactness, but a medical centre lab is not a weighty engine,” said Laposata, adding that testing could further be compromised if lab staffs drop b fail ill during a swine flu epidemic. “What happens if these techs get sick? As an alternative of 300 people, we have 40 people. I’m in big trouble.”
There are several tests looking for H1N1, the virus that causes swine flu. They collection from sudden influenza diagnostic tests, which can gumshoe influenza viral nucleoprotein antigen in as only slightly as 30 minutes, to more urbane polymerase chain effect assays. All need lab personnel to supervise and study results, Laposata said.