The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : ‘Simple precautions prevent swine flu’

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Tuesday, Jun 30, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

‘Simple precautions prevent swine flu’

Staff Reporter

Community awareness programme held at Madina Degree College

HYDERABAD: With the swine flu phobia ringing high on most people’s minds, washing hands with soap at regular intervals, covering nose/mouth with tissue papers while sneezing/coughing and disposing them off immediately, avoiding crowded public places and contact with those sick and to sneeze/cough into one’s elbow (thereby lessening direct contact during physical contact like handshakes) are some simple precautions to be taken to curb its spread.

Any person with suspected symptoms should stay in isolation and report immediately to a doctor, said Dr. M.A. Mujeeb Ather, Assistant Director of Veterinary Biological and Research Institute (VBRI) and Dr. Ramesh Kumar, chest physician, A.P Chest Hospital.

They were taking part in a community awareness programme on H1N1 virus and swine flu organised by the Department of Microbiology, Madina Degree College here on Monday.

Being a respiratory disease, the risk of the symptoms of swine flu being mistaken for ordinary flu is high, said Dr. Mujeeb.

Symptoms like coughing, sneezing, headaches, body aches; sore throat, fever, shivering, nausea and diarrhoea could seem harmless but could well be wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Spread

“The virus spreads easily through air transmission, droplets of infected body fluids or physical contact. Therefore necessary precautions should be taken to avoid contacting the disease,” he said.

“The virus is virulent in people with morbid illness, malnutrition, diabetes, asthma and chronic bronchitis,” Dr. Kumar said.

Oral drugs like Tami flu or Relenza are used during treatment and also to prevent infection. Antiviral drugs work best if started within two days of the symptoms being detected, he stated.

Contrary to rumours, swine flu does not spread by eating pork, said Safia Shareef, head of Microbiology Department.

An exhibition on the pandemic was also organised at the venue. Students explained how the disease spreads, how it affects the body’s system, its symptoms, precautionary measures and drugs to be taken, vaccine availability, among other issues to the visitors.

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