The swine flu virus that entered India about three months ago has now spread into various parts of the country and has begun taking away some lives. It seems to be spreading very easily and very fast among the young and the old. The world Health Organization has raised an Alert of the highest level which is 6, to alert all nations and prevent further spread of this virus and stop this from blowing into an epidemic. Fortunately it is curable if detected and can also be prevented.
As I was about to write another ‘Personal photo blog’ today, I thought, I should instead write a beneficial blog on this virus. I felt that I should propagate the appeal of the Government and the Doctors to benefit the readers of my blogs. Almost everyone is scared of the virus now and might be aware of the precautions and treatment I am about to list, but another friendly caution will certainly help friends and relatives following my blogs and several others who reach my blogs through their ‘key search words’.
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, recently issued the following advertisement in all leading newspapers of Hyderabad. I am reproducing only a part of the advertisement here.
“H1N1 FLU IS TREATABLE.
THE TREATMENT FOR H1N1 FLU IS AVAILABLE AT DESIGNATED HOSPITALS.
A person with H1N1 flu symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, running nose and difficulty in breathing, should go to a designated hospital for a check-up and testing. Only suspected cases with severe conditions will be admitted to the hospital. If the patient is detected with H1N1 flu, but shows mild symptoms, he/she would be given the option of being treated at home. The patient needs to provide complete details of all social and family contacts for preventive treatment.
Patients opting for home care will be given a detailed checklist of safety measures that needs to be strictly followed by the patient, the caretaker and the entire household to ensure that infection doesn’t spread to others in the family.
The advertisement designated the following hospitals in Hyderabad for treatment: AP Government and Chest Hospital-Erragadda, Kondapur Area Hospital-Kondapur, Vanastalipuram Area Hospital and King Koti General Hospital.”
While that is the information I wish to share from the Government advertisement, there is some more I picked up from general conversations:
Everyone should maintain personal Hygiene. Hands should be washed often. One should avoid touching eyes, mouth and nose. Tissue paper should be used when one coughs or sneezes.
One should avoid travelling and going to crowded places especially airports, railway stations, bus terminals, theatres etc. And if it becomes compulsory to travel or go to crowded places then one should use a doctor prescribed nose mask. One extremely cautious person said …. “To escape the virus and as a measure of cost reduction during these times of recession avoid travelling and resort to video conferencing and other Internet facilities to communicate.”
In conclusion, I quote Gautama Buddha: “Every human being is the author of his own health or disease.”
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