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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
 Posted - 08/13/2009 : 10:15:26
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PM expresses concern over swine flu; toll rises to 21
Bangalore/Pune (PTI): A 26-year-old teacher became the first swine flu fatality in Bangalore while an infant and two women died in worst-hit Pune on Thursday, taking the nationwide death toll to 21 even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said panic should not be created and the government is doing its best.
The rise in flu cases in the country was discussed threadbare at the meeting of the Union Cabinet in Delhi, during which Dr. Singh asked Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to work towards restoring confidence of the people and ensuring that panic is not created.
Sources said Mr. Azad made a presentation on the flu situation before the Cabinet following which the issue was discussed in great detail.
Expressing concern over the swine flu situation, Dr. Singh is understood to have said that this was a major problem before the country and the Government is doing its best.
Mr. Azad told reporters after the meeting that "the Central and the State governments are taking all possible measures".
For the past one week, we have been reserving places in government and some private hospitals. We are also looking for some private laboratories since they are now needed."
The Bangalore teacher, identified as Roopa, who worked in a private school, had tested positive for the virus and was also undergoing treatment at St. Philomena hospital for respiratory disorders, health authorities said. She died on Wednesday.
An 11-month-old boy Rutwik Kamle, a 37-year-old woman Archana Kolhe and a 75-year-old Bharti Goyal died in Pune, where the toll mounted to 13.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/13/2009 : 20:04:24
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Update on Influenza A(H1N1) as on 13th August 2009
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20:16 IST
As on 6th August 2009 World Health Organization has reported 1,77,457 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 and 1462 deaths.
Health screening of passengers coming from affected countries is continuing in 22 International airports. 39,241 passengers have been screened on 12.8.2009 of which 31,879 passengers were from affected countries. 225 doctors and 151 paramedics are manning 83 counters at these airports. A cumulative total of 46, 85,793 passengers have been screened.
Ninety positive cases have been reported today: Pune (43), Mumbai (18), Kolhapur (2), Delhi (16), Bangalore (9), Mangalore (1), and Gurgaon (1)
All the 43 cases reported from Pune are indigenous cases. In Mumbai 17 indigenous cases are reported during the day. The Eighteenth case from Mumbai reported today is a 3 year old female with a travel history from UK. Two indigenous cases [27/F and 16/F] with no foreign travel history are reported in Kolhapur (Maharashtra). Sixteen cases have been reported today from Delhi, of which 13 are indigenous cases. The fourteenth case is a 14 year old male with a travel history from UK. The fifteenth case is a 19 year old male who has travelled from China to Delhi. The Sixteenth case is a 17 year old male who has travelled from US to Delhi.
In Bangalore, all of the 9 cases [20/M, 17/M, 36/M, 55/F, 55/F, 23/M, 26/F, 14/F, and 18/M] are indigenous cases with no foreign travel history. The lone case in Mangalore [20/F] is an indigenous case with no overseas travel history
Gurgaon has reported one indigenous case [12/M] with no foreign travel history.
20 persons have died till today: Pune (12), Mumbai (2), Ahmedabad (1), Chennai (1), Vadodara (1), Nashik (1), Trivandrum (1) and Bangalore (1) 694 cases are at various stages of recovery.
6249 persons have been tested so far out of which 1283 are positive for Influenza A H1N1 [Swine]. 680 out of the 6249 persons have been identified through entry screening, 1107 through contact tracing and the rest were self reported. Of the 1283 positive cases, 589 have been discharged.
A central team is stationed in Maharashtra to assist the State Government in instituting appropriate public health measures.
DS/HZ/AS
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/15/2009 : 07:06:13
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The guidelines, which place patients in three categories depending on the severity of the infection, were finalised after a five-hour long meeting chaired by the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister.
The Union Health Ministry late on Friday night issued revised guidelines for treatment of the A (H1N1) influenza patients in the wake of a large number of people turning up at the hospitals for testing.
In order to prevent and contain outbreak of Influenza-A H1N1 virus for screening, testing and isolation all individuals seeking consultations for flu like symptoms will be screened at healthcare facilities both Government and private or examined by a doctor and categorised as patients with mild fever plus cough and sore throat with or without body ache, headache, diarrhoea and vomiting as category-A. They do not require Oseltamivir and will be treated for the symptoms shown. The patients will, however, be monitored for their progress and reassessed at 24 to 48 hours by the doctor. No testing is required in such cases.
Patients requiring home isolation and treatment
The second category of patients in addition to all the signs and symptoms of the normal influenza has high grade fever and severe sore throat, may require home isolation and Oseltamivir; Children less than 5 years old; pregnant women; people aged 65 years or older; patients with lung diseases, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, blood disorders, diabetes, neurological disorders, cancer and HIV/AIDS; and those on long term cortisone therapy will be included in the second category. No tests are required for such people but they should confine themselves to home and avoid socialising.
Patients requiring hospitalisation
More serious cases have been put under the third category and will include those who have all the above symptoms and complain of breathlessness, chest pain, drowsiness, fall in blood pressure, sputum mixed with blood, bluish discolouration of nails; irritability among small children, refusal to accept feed; and worsening of underlying chronic conditions. Such people require testing, immediate hospitalisation and treatment.
The guidelines were finalised after a five-hour long meeting chaired by the Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. These guidelines will be reviewed and revised from time to time as per need and on the basis of spread of the disease. The meeting was attended by the officials of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Directorate General of Health Services, and representatives and experts of private and public hospitals. During the meeting various guidelines and protocols developed by the World Health Organization Geneva, Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Atlanta, U.S.,and the National Health Service, U.K., were also discussed.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/15/2009 : 20:46:55
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In India swine flu panic spreads faster than virus
NEW DELHI, India — The streets of the western city of Pune were half-empty, schools in Mumbai were ordered closed, and people suffering aches flooded hospitals across the country as India confronted dueling outbreaks of swine flu and swine flu panic.
Twenty one people have died from the flu here, the government said Friday, and 1,390 have been confirmed infected in this nation of 1.2 billion people. But fear of the flu has outpaced the virus itself.
"The amount of frenzy or hysteria is totally disproportionate to the overall reality of the disease," Dr. Jai Narain, the head of the regional communicable disease office for the World Health Organization, said Friday.
Breathless reports of swine flu have dominated India's 24-hour news channels desperate for stories amid the August doldrums. That in turn has helped whip the public into a frenzy, even in cities with relatively few cases of flu.
In New Delhi, where no deaths have been reported, people have begun wearing surgical masks in the street. In Lucknow, parents demanded their children be tested.
"Over 1,000 people lined up at different hospitals. ... Eleven of them tested positive," Dr. R.R. Bharati, a top health official in the northern city of Lucknow said earlier this week.
In Mumbai, the country's financial capital, the government closed all schools and movie theaters, hammering the Bollywood film industry over the long Independence Day holiday weekend. The government also asked malls in Mumbai to tone down their traditional holiday sales to keep away crowds.
The nearby city of Pune is India's worst affected, with 13 of the country's 21 deaths.
There, the streets were half-empty, the usual crowds shunned the shopping malls and many workers stopped showing up at offices. With schools closed, worried parents kept their children shut inside.
Many who did venture out wore surgical masks, despite a shortage that sent the price of a single mask skyrocketing from 5 rupees (10 cents) to 150 rupees ($3).
"The situation in Pune is alarming considering the number of ... positive cases and deaths. We are augmenting the resources in the city to handle the situation. However, we appeal to people not to panic," said Chandrakant Dalvi, a city official.
In response to the outbreak, India's government has set up testing centers around the country and plans to increase its stock of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu to 30 million doses, the government said. But officials have also asked people to stop wearing surgical masks in the street unless they or a family member are infected.
"I cannot see anything to panic about," said Dr. Jayaprakash Muliyil, a professor of epidemiology at Christian Medical College in Vellore. "These kinds of rumors are not good for the health of the nation."
The fatality rate from the virus is relatively low, though scientists worry it could eventually mutate into a more deadly strain, he said.
Yet the flu has garnered far more attention than India's raft of other health problems, including tuberculosis, which kills nearly 1,000 Indians every day, according to World Health Organization figures.
In Pune, more than 11,000 people lined up to be tested for the swine flu virus Thursday and 73 tested positive, Mahesh Zagade, a city official, told reporters.
"I think we are suffering a psychological disorder. We keep asking each other if we feel sick, cold, have a body ache, fever or breathlessness," said a 25-year-old man waiting to be tested in Pune who identified himself as Aditya. "I called up my doctor this morning and told him that I felt like I was suffocating."
The entire staff at one pharmacy donned gloves and masks after hearing a pharmacist was among those killed by the virus.
"We were planning to shut down, but we know we can't do that because people here need medicine," said Anand Agarwal, the 42-year-old pharmacist.
According to the World Health Organization, there were 177,457 cases of swine flu and 1,462 deaths across the world as of August 12.
After more than a week of feverish coverage of India's outbreak, some news organizations are now counseling calm.
"Stop the panic," urged the Hindustan Times.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 00:45:59
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Internet, first source of credible information about A(H1N1) virus
Ramya Kannan
Shyam Ranganathan
Share this Article · print The internet evolved as de facto information system around the world and in India. Dedicated users put out hourly updates
There was no missing it. Anywhere you turned these past few weeks, the pig was all over the place. At least the virus, once born of swine, now mutated into the A(H1N1) influenza was painting the towns a feverish red.
There was information, and misinformation, about the virus via the TV, newspapers and internet. For much of the community in the cities, at least, the net-enabled community, the www has been a huge source of information. While it cannot be denied that it has contributed to some of the panic that has defined this epidemic or near-epidemic, it has oftentimes also been the first source of credible, scientific information on how to prevent an A(H1N1) infection and to handle it.
“The internet has now evolved as the de facto information system for a significant and growing population around the world and in India,” says Nishant Shah, Director of research, Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore.
He says that in the last two decades internet technologies have played an important role, both in creating safety havens for people to come, discuss, voice their fears and get responses to their queries, as well as in initiating rumour mills which sometimes create great panic attacks.
Melissa Davies wrote in Nielsen Online (http://blog.nielsen.com) in May 2009 “.. the buzz volume about swine flu in the blogosphere was still on its meteoric climb, far surpassing discussion levels for the peanut butter/salmonella scare that happened earlier this year…”
She adds that a measure of the “extent of Internet engagement regarding swine flu is Wikipedia. The site’s page on swine influenza has been updated hundreds of times this week. Wikipedia created a separate page focused on the 2009 swine flu outbreak for current information — that page has been updated 119 times as of early on May 1.”
Not to leave the social networking sites out of the picture, she mentions that there were more than 500 Facebook groups dedicated to Swine Flu as early as May 1. On Twitter, Swine Flu mentions topped out at a rate of more than 10,000 tweets per hour earlier in the week. Dedicated users such as @Swine_Flu_Vrus, and @CDCemergency put out nearly hourly updates from across the world.
Social networking
Social networking fora also became a sort of platform for those who were quivering with fear to seek advice. G-chat and Facebook status messages were in the flu vein: “Have cough. Need Mask? ... I have fever and cold. Is it the S.flu?”
Apart from lists of symptoms and helplines, many “What to do if you have the Swine Flu” kind of advisories cropped up online in no time, some culled from information put out by the World Health Organisation and the CDC. This seemed to have assuaged some in a tizzy about the flu.
Keywords: internet, A (H1N1), credible information, swine flu, Centre for Internet and Society
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 00:49:14
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New Guidelines for Screening, Testing, and Isolation for H1N1
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17:52 IST
Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad chaired a meeting late last night in connection with the various actions taken by the Government for containment and mitigation of H1N1 cases in India. The meeting lasted for more than five hours from 4.30 pm to 10.00 pm in Nirman Bhawan. The meeting was attended by various eminent experts from public and private hospitals/ organizations besides the senior officers of Health Ministry Directorate General of Health Services.
During the meeting various guidelines and protocols developed by the World Health Organization Geneva, Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Atlanta, USA and National Health Service, United Kingdom were also discussed threadbare.
After long discussion with the experts the following guidelines for India were finalized.
In order to prevent and contain outbreak of Influenza-A H1N1 virus for screening, testing and isolation following guidelines are to be followed:
At first all individuals seeking consultations for flu like symptoms should be screened at healthcare facilities both Government and private or examined by a doctor and these will be categorized as under:
Category- A
Patients with mild fever plus cough / sore throat with or without body ache, headache, diarrhoea and vomiting will be categorised as Category-A. They do not require Oseltamivir and should be treated for the symptoms mentioned above. The patients should be monitored for their progress and reassessed at 24 to 48 hours by the doctor.
No testing of the patient for H1N1 is required.
Patients should confine themselves at home and avoid mixing up with public and high risk members in the family.
Category-B
(i) In addition to all the signs and symptoms mentioned under Category-A, if the patient has high grade fever and severe sore throat, may require home isolation and Oseltamivir;
(ii) In addition to all the signs and symptoms mentioned under Category-A, individuals having one or more of the following high risk conditions shall be treated with Oseltamivir:
· Children less than 5 years old;
· Pregnant women;
· Persons aged 65 years or older;
· Patients with lung diseases, heart disease, liver disease, kidney disease, blood disorders, diabetes, neurological disorders, cancer and HIV/AIDS;
· Patients on long term cortisone therapy.
· No tests for H1N1 is required for Category-B (i) and (ii).
· All patients of Category-B (i) and (ii) should confine themselves at home and avoid mixing with public and high risk members in the family.
Category-C
In addition to the above signs and symptoms of Category-A and B, if the patient has one or more of the following:
· Breathlessness, chest pain, drowsiness, fall in blood pressure, sputum mixed with blood, bluish discolouration of nails;
· Irritability among small children, refusal to accept feed;
· Worsening of underlying chronic conditions.
All these patients mentioned above in Category-C require testing, immediate hospitalization and treatment.
These guidelines will be reviewed and revised from time to time as per need and on the basis of spread of the disease.
The meeting was attended by the following official, experts and doctors.
Government officials of the Health Ministry and Directorate General of Health Services
1. Mrs. S. Jaleja, Secretary (HFW), MoHFW
2. Dr VM Katoch Secretary (DHR)
3. Dr. R.K. Srivastava, Director General of Health Services
4. Dr. Shiv Lal, Special DGHS & Director NCDC
Technical Experts from government and private hospitals
5. Dr.A.K.Dutta, Proffessor paediatrics, LHMC, New Delhi
6. Dr. J. C. Suri, Respiratory Physician, Safdarjung Hospital
7. Dr. A. K. Rai, ENT Surgeon, Safdarjung Hospital
8. Dr. Harish Chellani, Pediatrician, Safdarjung Hospital
9. Dr.Mrs. Sudha Salhan, Gynecologist Safdarjung Hospital
10. Dr. A. K .Gadpayle, Physician RML Hospital
11. Dr. T. S. Siddhu, ENT Surgeon, RML Hospital
12. Dr. Mridula Pawar, Anesthetist Dr.RML. Hospital
13. Dr. Randeep Guleria, Professor Internal Medicine AIIMS
14. Dr. Bir Singh, Professor, Community Medicine, AIIMS
15. Dr. Alok Thakar, ENT Surgeon, AIIMS
16. Dr.Avdhesh Bansal, Consultant Respiratory Medicine, Apollo Hospital
17. Dr Sandeep Budhiraja, Internal Medicine, Max Healthcare
18. Dr. Rommel Tickoo, Consultant Internal Medicine, Max Healthcare
19. Dr. Sanjeev Bagai, Respiratory Physician, Rockland Hospital
20. Dr. Manish Kakkar, Public Health Foundation of India
21. Dr. C.M. Gulhati, Editor, MIMS
22. Dr. K.K. Agarwal, Heart Care Foundation of India
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DS
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 00:50:47
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H1N1 update as on 15th August 2009
19:21 IST
As on 6th August 2009 World Health Organization has reported 1, 77,457 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 and 1462 deaths.
Health screening of passengers coming from affected countries is continuing in 26 International airports. 41,938 passengers have been screened on 13.8.2009 of which 34,331 passengers were from affected countries. 225 doctors and 172 paramedics are manning 83 counters at these airports. A cumulative total of 47, 67,483 passengers have been screened.
One Hundred and sixty five positive cases have been reported today: Pune (69),Solapur (6), Nanded (5), Nasik (5), Latur (5), Ratnagiri (2), Osmanabad (1), Nagpur (1), Dhule (1), Kolhapur (1), Yavatmal (1), Delhi (15), Bangalore (8), Mangalore (4), Kolkata (4),Shillong (4), Mizoram (2), Ahmedabad (1),Goa (1) , Hyderabad (1), Patna (1) , Noida (1), Chandigarh (1) , Jaipur (1), Gurgaon (2), Faridabad (1), Ernakulam (3), Calicut (3), Thrissur (2), Mallapuram (Kerala) (1), Trivandrum (4) and Coimbatore (4), Chennai (1) and Pondicherry (3).
Of the 165 cases, 97 are from Maharashtra. None of them have travel history. Similarly all the cases reported from Delhi, Bangalore, Mangalore, Kolkata, Shillong, Mizoram, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Faridabad and Ahmedabad are indigenous cases with no known overseas travel history.
One case [48/M] reported today from Patna has travelled from UK. Another case [23F/] reported from Noida has travelled from Canada. The case [20/F] reported today from Chandigarh has a travel history from Hongkong. One among the three cases reported from Haryana (Gurgaon) is a 32 year old male who has travelled from Germany.
Kerala has tested positive for 13 cases. Three cases are from Ernakulum. The first [4/M] and second [33/F] cases have travelled from Muscat and Saudi Arabia to Ernakulum. The third case is a 35 year old male who has a travel history from Singapore. Trivandrum has reported 4 cases. The first case is a 23 year old male who has travelled from Dubai, UAE. The other three cases are indigenous cases with no known foreign travel history. Calicut has reported 3 cases. The first case is a 2 year old male with a travel history from UK. The second case [32/M] has travelled from Qatar to Calicut. The Third case [36/M] is an indigenous case. Two cases are reported from Thrissur. The first case is a 27 year old female who has travelled from Australia. The second case [39/M] has a travel history from US. The case reported from Mallapuram (Kerala) is a 26 year old male who has travelled from UK via Dubai.
Chennai has reported one case and Coimbatore four cases, all the four cases from Coimbatore are indigenous with no overseas travel history
Three cases reported from Pondicherry for the day; two are indigenous cases with no known foreign travel history. The third case is a 60 year old male with travel history from France.
Two deaths have been reported today from Bangalore.
7752 persons have been tested so far out of which 1555 are positive for Influenza A H1N1 [Swine]. 713 out of the 7752 persons have been identified through entry screening, 1413 through contact tracing and the rest were self reported. Of the 1555 positive cases, 689 have been discharged.
DS
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 00:51:48
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SWINE flu has been jeopardising exam preparation for Year 12 TEE students.
With TEE examinations set to start next month, many have had their study plans interrupted by falling prey to the H1N1 virus.
The number of confirmed cases of the virus in WA is expected to hit 3500 within the next few days. Health professionals say the outbreak has yet to peak.
Association of Independent Schools of WA executive director Valerie Gould said fears about the effect of the virus on exam preparation had been raised at association meetings.
She said schools were reinforcing hygiene messages, such as reminding students to wash their hands and cover their mouths when they cough.
Rob Fry, president of the peak parent group, the WA Council of State School Organisations, said the flu this year was a bigger problem than ever before for Year 12 students. He said parents should ensure that if their children were sick with swine flu their teachers could accommodate any class time they might lose.
Meanwhile, Australian Medical Association state president Gary Geelhoed said Princess Margaret Hospital was seeing a similar attendance levels to two years ago when a cluster of respiratory-related toddler deaths sparked panic among parents.
More swine flu sufferers have to be treated in intensive care than authorities expected, but the sufferers are also recovering better.
Australia's chief medical officer Jim Bishop said up to four times the number of people were going to hospital emergency departments with swine flu than with seasonal flu, and a higher percentage went to intensive care.
``We've modelled it on around 10 per cent and we're closer to the 27 per cent mark in terms of the people who end up being hospitalised who will have to go to intensive care units,'' Professor Bishop said.
At present 449 people across the continent were hospitalised with swine flu, 109 of them being treated in intensive care. There are 40 West Australians in hospital with swine flu, 13 of them in intensive care.
So far there have been 102 swine flu-related deaths in Australia.
In WA, 12 people have died with the H1N1 virus.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 10:31:44
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AP ENTERPRISE: Schools gear up for swine flu shots
By LIBBY QUAID and LAURAN NEERGAARD (AP) – 3 hours ago
WASHINGTON — Hundreds of schools are heeding the government's call to set up flu-shot clinics this fall, preparing for what could be the most widespread school vaccinations since the days of polio.
An Associated Press review of swine flu planning suggests there are nearly 3 million students in districts where officials want to offer the vaccine once federal health officials begin shipping it in mid-October.
Many more may get involved: The National Schools Boards Association told the AP three-quarters of the districts in a recent survey agreed to allow vaccinations in school buildings.
In South Carolina, "there will be a massive attempt to use schools as vaccination centers," said state Superintendent Jim Rex. He plans at least one vaccination clinic in each of the state's 85 school districts.
South Dakota started offering free children's vaccination against regular winter flu in 2007, and this year it plans to offer both kinds in many schools, said state Health Secretary Doneen Hollingsworth.
Now come the difficult details: figuring out all the logistics in giving squirmy youngsters a shot in the arm or a squirt in the nose.
That's in addition to measures being taken to keep the swine flu virus from spreading inside schools and to keep sick kids at home.
Already, Lee County, Miss., schools have reported a few cases of swine flu the first week of school, and a Louisiana high school football team reported 20 players sick or recovering from it.
To make sure students wash their hands, Minneapolis schools have outfitted every restroom with tamperproof soap dispensers, so students don't horse around with soap. And the district has a no-excuses policy to keep them filled.
"It sounds so simple, but it works," district emergency management director Craig Vana said.
Bismarck, N.D., is insisting that parents keep feverish children home. "We're going to have to be a little firmer on that this year than in the past," superintendent Paul Johnson said.
It can be hard to tell if a child has a bad cold or flu — and swine flu and regular flu share the same symptoms. For many schools, a 100-degree temperature automatically means sending a child home.
The goal is to keep schools open; federal officials said last week schools should close only as a last resort. The emergence of the never-before-seen flu strain last spring prompted more than 700 schools to temporarily close, giving students an unexpected vacation as parents scrambled to find child care.
Some big states, like California, Ohio and Massachusetts, are focusing on those steps and not on vaccinations, because they don't know how much vaccine the federal government will send or when it will arrive. Boston has decided against in-school vaccinations because an attempt at regular winter flu inoculations at a middle school last year flopped, and Dallas officials also have decided against school shots.
But hundreds of districts are preparing for vaccinations. At least 700 health and school officials joined an online seminar last week by the National Association of County & City Health Officials on how to run school flu vaccinations.
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The government is awaiting results of vaccine studies that began last week before making a final decision on whether and how to offer swine-flu inoculations. If vaccinations go forward, children are to be among the first in line. They could get vaccine at a variety of places, but federal officials want schools to play a starring role.
"The vaccine over time will be available to every child," Education Secretary Arne Duncan said in an interview with the AP. "And I personally think the best place for them to have access would be at their local school or at a school in their neighborhood."
An AP-GfK poll last month found parents like that convenience: Nearly two-thirds said they were likely to give permission if their child's school offered vaccinations.
The school setting is attractive for many reasons, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Swine flu seems to strike the young most often, and it's particularly easy to spread from child to child. Moreover, school-age children "don't see doctors very often," Schuchat told the AP, after they've accumulated the list of vaccinations required for school entry.
She added that it should be relatively easy for schools to offer flu-shot clinics because the federal government would be buying swine flu vaccine and sending it free to states.
"You won't have to screen for insurance. That's been a big challenge in school-associated regular flu-shot clinics," Schuchat said. "That slows down the process."
There is plenty of experience with vaccinating school kids for regular flu, and there is plenty of evidence it works.
For the fourth year running, Knox County, Tenn., vaccinated 30,000 children for free in schools and daycare centers last year. The county often closed schools because of winter flu outbreaks in the past, but it hasn't since vaccinations began.
And in the last flu pandemic, in 1968, Tecumseh, Mich., vaccinated 85 percent of its school-age children, resulting in two-thirds less illness there than in a neighboring community.
There is an important difference with this year's swine-flu inoculations: Health officials think two separate doses, about three weeks apart, will be needed. Studies are under way now to confirm that. If so, it means any school that offers the first shot must set up for each recipient to get the second dose.
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Different school districts handle vaccinations differently. Some will offer only vaccine against the regular winter flu — also important, as both types are expected to hit this year. In Florida's Pinellas County, which includes St. Petersburg, the health department won an economic stimulus grant to vaccinate every student at all 78 elementary schools against seasonal flu, said Rita Becchetti, supervisor of school health services.
That could be confusing for parents trying to remember which vaccine their child is getting.
Chicago, on the other hand, probably will have swine-flu shot clinics at select high schools, not elementary schools, saying it simply doesn't have the workers to send teams to more than 600 schools.
Berkeley County, W.Va., is considering drive-thru vaccinations at its three high schools, said district official George Michael.
In New York City, swine flu exploded in the spring at Saint Francis Preparatory School, which sent home 102 sick kids in one day. Today, City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley's first choice is for kids to get vaccinated by their own family doctors, but he's looking into clinics at schools or other locations.
"There's an awful lot of children who need to be vaccinated," Farley said.
Once the decision is made to offer flu shots at school, there are still issues to be worked out.
Not only must a parent sign a permission form, but someone needs to make sure it's filled out correctly and matches up with the kid. And there is staffing: Health professionals will need to administer shots and also check kids for reaction to the vaccine.
Schools will also need to decide whether parents should be present, said Brenda Greene, director of school health programs for the National School Boards Association.
"Are you going to do it at a time when the parents can be present, if they want?" Greene said. "I've heard the kids are more panicky when their parents are around than when they're not."
Knox County, Tenn., has always used FluMist, the nasal spray flu vaccine, to eliminate that concern, and will again this year in school vaccinations against regular flu. But most of the swine flu vaccine supply will be in shot form, and program director Jennifer Johnson hasn't decided whether to offer that in schools, too. She said one possibility is to inoculate kids at elementary schools after-hours, so parents could hold scared youngsters and then be vaccinated themselves.
The nasal spray is popular. Last year, FluMist maker MedImmune said it sent about 450,000 doses of the nasal spray vaccine to 140 school vaccination programs. The company expects FluMist vaccinations against regular winter flu to nearly double in schools this year.
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Duncan, the education secretary, understands the more immediate issue for many schools is the start of the new school year. Once kids are back in class, "you want to get parents focused on the vaccine," he said.
In St. Paul, Minn., vaccinations are on the back burner until school gets under way after Labor Day, said Ann Hoxie, assistant director of student health and wellness.
"It's not going to be the first thing on everybody's mind. Reading and writing remain at the top of the list," Hoxie said.
Contributing to this story from the states were Associated Press writers Seanna Adcox, Christine Armario, Donna Blankinship, Terry Chea, Sandra Chereb, Bob Christie, Beth DeFalco, Melinda Deslatte, P.J. Dickerscheid, Jennifer Dobner, Elizabeth Dunbar, Benjamin Greene, Samantha Gross, Amy Beth Hanson, Carla K. Johnson, Dirk Lammers, Sarah Larimer, Matthew Leingang, Jay Lindsay, Deanna Martin, William McCall, Phyllis Mensing, Shaya Mohajer, Jean Ortiz, Dinesh Ramde, Monica Rhor, Barbara Rodriguez, Zinie Chen Sampson, Jamie Stengle, Nafeesa Syeed, Emily Wagster Pettus and Chris Williams.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 10:33:45
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Fourth swine flu death in Karnataka, India's toll mounts to 26
PTI 16 August 2009, 11:55am IST
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BANGALORE: A 27-year-old woman died of swine flu in the city taking the toll in Karnataka to four, an official said on Sunday.
Shamshad Begum died late last night at Baptist Hospital. Begum, who was admitted to the hospital on August 10, had been suffering from breathlessness for past three months and from cough, fever and cold lately, Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Chandy Abraham said.
"When she came in she was diagnosed as patient with cardiovascular problem and signs of early pneumonia," he said.
Her X-ray also showed signs of pneumonia and sputum culture showed bacteria. "She showed signs of a patient with cardiac problems with bacterial pneumonia information, who usually responds with antibiotics if they are young patients," he said.
Though Shamshad initially showed some signs of improvement, in last three days her conditioned worsened, Abraham said, adding she later showed signs of H1N1 and was put on Tamiflu tablets on August 14. She had been in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) since her admission, he said.
Begum's throat swabs which were sent for tests were found positive. Her report came in late last night, a health official said.
He said they were pursuing her case history to find out her other health complications.
Abraham said all staff members who came in contact with her and her relatives have been put on Tamiflu tablets.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 10:36:37
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Swine flu - everything you need to knowThe sections below provide health and travel advice and more information on what swine flu is, what to do if you think you have it and what the government is doing to help combat it.
National Pandemic Flu Service
The National Pandemic Flu Service has been launched in England.
If you are in England and feel like you may have swine flu, visit the new website by following the link below, or call 0800 1 513 100 (Textphone - 0800 1 513 200).
People who have swine flu symptoms will be given a unique access number and told where their nearest antiviral collection point is. They should then ask a flu friend - a friend or relative who doesn't have swine flu - to go and pick up their antivirals from their nearest antiviral collection point. The flu friend must show their own ID as well as that of the patient.
National Pandemic Flu Service Opens new window Check your symptoms
Follow the link below or call 0800 1 513 100 (Textphone - 0800 1 513 200)
National Pandemic Flu Service Opens new window Contact your doctor directly rather than using the National Pandemic Flu Service if:
you have a serious underlying illness
you are pregnant
you have a sick child under one year old
your condition suddenly gets much worse
your condition is still getting worse after seven days (five for a child)
Treatment and prevention Pregnant women and parents Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
If you are in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland the advice is different.
Follow the 'information around the UK' link below.
Information around the UK Latest news
The number of cases of swine in England continued to fall last week (week ending 9 August). The Health Protection Agency (HPA) estimates there were 25,000 new cases of swine flu in England last week, compared with 30,000 the week before and 100,000 the week before that. Cases of swine flu have fallen in all regions and among all ages groups.
The disease is generally mild in most people so far, but is proving severe in a small minority of cases. So far 371 people have been hospitalised in England, while 44 people have died.
Swine flu vaccine
The government has announced that priority for the swine flu vaccine will be given to at-risk groups. These include pregnant women and people with serious underlying health conditions.
Vaccinations for these groups are expected to begin in the Autumn. Steps are being taken to extend the vaccination programme to other people once this stage has been completed.
Swine flu vaccine priority for most at risk Evidence that you are sick
You do not need to provide a doctor’s sick note for the first seven days you are sick.
Your employer may ask you to fill in a self-certificate of their own design or form SC2 which you can get from your GP's surgery, or from the HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) website.
If you are sick for more than seven days, you will need to ask your doctor for a sick note for your employer.
Download Form SC2 'Employee's Statement of Sickness' (PDF, 68K) from the HMRC website Opens new window Statutory Sick Pay - telling your employer you are sick and providing evidence Do you have swine flu (influenza A H1N1)?
Symptoms of swine flu include a fever, cough, headache, weakness and fatigue, aching muscles and joints, sore throat and a runny nose.
Learn how to check if you have swine flu and who is most at risk.
Do you have swine flu? What is swine flu? - NHS Choices Opens new window Symptoms of swine flu - NHS Choices Opens new window Who is at risk from swine flu? - NHS Choices Opens new window Treatment and prevention
If you are in England, you can now get antivirals to treat swine flu from a local collection point without seeing your GP. If you are in Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland, contact your GP or call your specific helpline.
Groups that will be given priority for the swine flu vaccine have been announced. These include pregnant women and people with serious underlying health conditions.
You can also find tips on how to reduce your risk of catching swine flu.
Swine flu - treatment and prevention Common questions about swine flu - NHS Choices Opens new window Pregnant women and parents
While most pregnant women with swine flu will only have mild symptoms like most other people, there is a higher risk of developing complications. Pregnant women will be given priority for the swine flu vaccine when it is available in the Autumn.
Follow these simple tips to keep yourself and your child safe.
Swine flu advice for parents and pregnant women Pregnancy and swine flu - NHS Choices Opens new window Travel advice
If you have swine flu, do not travel until after your symptoms have stopped.
If you need to cancel your holiday, keep all the original documentation you receive, including the label from your medication, as insurers will need it to validate your travel insurance claim.
Swine flu - travel advice FCO travel advice by country Opens new window Travelling to the UK
While there have been cases of swine flu in the UK, travel to the UK is not restricted.
If you get swine flu while in the UK you will be able to access the same advice and treatment as UK residents. However, if you have symptoms of swine flu, you should delay travelling until you are well.
Travelling to the UK Government action
The National Pandemic Flu Service has been launched, with antivirals available at local collection points. If you feel like you may have swine flu, visit the new website by following the link below, or call 0800 1 513 100.
Find out what else the government is doing to help combat swine flu and protect everyone living in the UK.
National Pandemic Flu Service Opens new window Swine flu - what the government is doing Swine flu and businesses
The NHS has issued detailed guidance for employers.
Business Link carries information on business risks and continuity planning and on the Business Advisory Network for Flu.
Swine flu - advice for businesses Opens new window Pandemic Flu - Guidance for businesses (PDF, 530KB) Opens new window Additional linksSwine flu information
Everything you need to know
Do you have swine flu?
Treatment and prevention
Pregnant women and parents
What the government is doing
Travel advice
Travelling to the UK
Get swine flu updates on your mobile
Around the UK
Around the UK
Scotland Opens new window
Wales Opens new window
Northern Ireland Opens new window
Information leaflet
This Department of Health leaflet has been delivered to homes nationwide
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 20:14:04
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‘Spread awareness on swine flu’
Belgaum: District Health and Family Welfare Officer Dilip Kumar has urged social and voluntary organisations to spread awareness about swine flu.
He was speaking at a workshop involving representatives of various social and voluntary organisations in Vadgaon on Saturday. He said containing A(H1N1) virus was a challenging task and it was important for voluntary organisations to work in tandem with the Health Department to spread awareness about the flu. District Surveillance Officer Jagadish Nuchin said A(H1N1) virus would spread quickly among those having low immunity such as children, pregnant women, people having chronic diseases and the aged.
The workshop was organised for non-governmental organisations by the district administration, Belgaum Zilla Panchayat, District Health and Family Welfare Department and the District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit (DAPCU).
V.B. Kulkarni of DAPCU office said the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, an authoritative body in the world on communicable diseases, believed that this virus had the qualities of other seasonal flu viruses.
Vulnerable
People living with HIV were vulnerable to A(H1N1), he said.
Dr. Kulkarni asked pregnant women and children living with HIV to be careful. For more information about A(H1N1), call 9886294708.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/16/2009 : 20:29:27
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H1N1 update as on 16th August 2009
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18:40 IST
As on 6th August 2009 World Health Organization has reported 1, 77,457 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 and 1462 deaths. Health screening of passengers coming from affected countries is continuing in 26 International airports. 42,541 passengers have been screened on 15.8.2009 of which 34,486 passengers were from affected countries. 225 doctors and 172 paramedics are manning 83 counters at these airports. A cumulative total of 48, 10,024 passengers have been screened. One Hundred and fifty two positive cases have been reported today: Mumbai (60),Pune (18),Aurangabad (9),Akola (2), Jalna (2),Ahmadnagar (1),Solapur (1), Latur (1), Nagpur (1), Jalgaon (1), Dhule (1), Delhi (11), Bangalore (10), Mangalore (3), Davangere (2), Belgaum (1), Hubli (1), Hrudyalaya (Karnataka) (1), Dibrugarh (Assam) (1), Ernakulam (3), Coimbatore (10), Chennai (11) and Shimla (1).
Maharashtra has reported a total of ninety seven cases today. Sixty cases have been reported today from Mumbai, of which fifty seven are indigenous with no known foreign travel history. The other three cases [50/M, 21/F, 21/M] from Mumbai have travel history from Jeddah, Taiwan and Hongkong respectively. All the 18 cases reported from Pune are indigenous cases. Nine Indigenous cases are reported today from Aurangabad with no overseas travel history. Akola and Jalna each have reported two indigenous cases. Ahmadnagar, Solapur , Latur, Nagpur, Jalgaon and Dhule each has reported an indigenous case respectively.
Eleven cases have been reported today from Delhi, ten are indigenous cases with no known overseas travel history. The eleventh case is a 14 year old male with a travel history to UK. Karnataka has reported a total of 18 cases today. In Bangalore, all of the 10 cases reported are indigenous cases with no foreign travel history. Three indigenous cases in Mangalore with no overseas travel history are reported today. Two indigenous cases are reported from Davangere and one indigenous case each from Belgaum, Hubli and Hrudyalaya respectively. Three cases have been reported from Ernakulum. The first [36/M] and second [19/M] cases are indigenous cases with no foreign travel history. The third case is a 30 year old male who has travelled from Bahrain to Ernakulum.
All the eleven cases from Chennai are indigenous with no known overseas travel history. Coimbatore has reported ten indigenous cases today. The lone case [50 / F] from shimla is an indigenous case with no foreign travel history. 25 persons have died till today: Pune (13), Mumbai (2), Ahmedabad (1), Chennai (1), Vadodara (1), Nasik (1), Trivandrum (1) and Bangalore (5). 8658 persons have been tested so far out of which 1707 are positive for Influenza A H1N1 [Swine]. 725 out of the 8658 persons have been identified through entry screening, 1567 through contact tracing and the rest were self reported. Of the 1707 positive cases, 694 have been discharged.
A central team is stationed in Maharashtra to assist the State Government in instituting appropriate public health measures.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2009 : 19:56:12
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H1N1 update as on 17th August 2009
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20:19 IST
As on 6th August 2009 World Health Organization has reported 1, 77,457 laboratory confirmed cases of influenza A/H1N1 and 1462 deaths.
Health screening of passengers coming from affected countries is continuing in 22 International airports. 42,024 passengers have been screened on 16.8.2009 of which 30,644 passengers were from affected countries. 225 doctors and 172 paramedics are manning 83 counters at these airports. A cumulative total of 48,52,048 passengers have been screened.
Two hundred and twenty laboratory confirmed cases have been reported today: Maharastra [Mumbai (90), Pune (42), Nashik (5), Ahmadnagar (4), Osmanabad (4), Nagpur (3), Washim (2), Aurangabad (1), Jalna (1)], Chennai (20), Bangalore (11), Belgaum (1), Udupi (3), Ahmedabad (16), Delhi (7), Jammu (4), Raipur (3) and Kolkata (3).
Except for two cases in Mumbai who have foreign travel history (one to UK and another to Thailand), all other cases reported today are indigenous cases with no foreign travel history.
There is no new death reported today. The cumulative deaths reported till now is 25: Pune (13), Mumbai (2), Ahmedabad (1), Chennai (1), Vadodara (1), Nasik (1), Trivandrum (1) and Bangalore (5).
9904 persons have been tested so far out of which 1927 are positive for Influenza A H1N1 [Swine]. 748 out of the 8658 persons have been identified through entry screening, 1587 through contact tracing and the rest were self reported. Of the 1927 positive cases, 703 have been discharged.
A central team is stationed in Maharashtra to assist the State Government in instituting appropriate public health measures.
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S.ravi
Advanced Member
India
4205 Posts |
Posted - 08/17/2009 : 20:20:08
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GENERAL NEWSAUGUST 17, 2009, 8:02 P.M. ET.Swine Flu: the Next Wave
What You Need to Know as the Virus Threatens to Spread With the Start of the School With about 55 million U.S. children heading back to school in the next few weeks, concerns are growing that the H1N1 swine flu will spread even further than it already has. Identified by scientists four months ago, the virus has already turned up in nearly every corner of the world, from Argentina to Iran. It defied public-health officials' predictions of a lull in the warm summer months, proliferating in military units and children's summer camps.
A volunteer receives a shot during trials of an H1N1 swine-flu vaccine last week at the University of Iowa Health Center, one of eight trial sites across the U.S.
.More than two million people are believed to have contracted the new flu in the U.S.; 7,511 had been hospitalized and 477 had died as of Aug. 13, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. World-wide, 177,457 people have been confirmed with the disease, and 1,462 deaths had been reported as of Aug. 12, according to the World Health Organization.
A vaccine against the new flu is under development, but it is unlikely to be widely available before the flu season gets under way. That could leave many people scrambling to protect themselves and their children.
Here is what you need to know:
How dangerous is the H1N1 swine flu?
Public health officials initially feared a deadly scourge, after reports of dozens of deaths in Mexico. Instead, "what we are seeing looks very much like seasonal flu so far," Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said earlier this month. Most people suffer unpleasant but not life-threatening symptoms, such as fever, body aches, sore throat and runny nose. Gastrointestinal problems—vomiting and diarrhea—are normally rare for adults with flu, but have been reported globally in as many as 50% of nonhospitalized patients with the virus.
Many people don't even develop a fever, though they had other symptoms, says Richard Wenzel, chairman of the department of internal medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University's Medical College, who observed such cases on trips to Latin America. One academic hospital in Chile told Dr. Wenzel that only half of its outpatients infected with H1N1 swine flu had fever; some had only a runny nose, sometimes with a headache, he says.
One unusual thing: Young people are getting sick, while the elderly, who normally account for 90% of annual deaths from flu, have largely been spared. Most of those who died—generally of viral pneumonia and other complications—have ranged from 25 through 64 years old, according to a CDC analysis. CDC officials say people 60 and older may have some immunity to the new virus from exposure to H1N1 viruses that circulated between 1918 and 1957.
For more information
CDC's guidance for schools
More H1N1 information from CDC
World Health Organization's situation update
WHO pandemic flu vaccine timeline
Study published in the Lancet on the H1N1 virus during pregnancy
.Public health officials are monitoring the disease closely. Scientists point to a few hopeful signs: The new H1N1 virus lacks gene sequences that made the 1918 flu virus so deadly, and it hasn't mutated into a more-virulent form despite its rapid spread.
Who is most at risk?
Pregnant women and people with asthma, diabetes, heart disease and other chronic diseases. About 70% of those hospitalized and about 80% of those who have died in the U.S. had underlying medical conditions, according to the CDC. In a study published in the Lancet, CDC scientists found pregnant women were more than four times as likely to be hospitalized with the new flu than the general population.
It isn't clear whether obesity itself is a risk factor. Morbidly obese patients have had greater complications, but it may be due to diabetes or other chronic diseases they have, health officials say.
What if I get swine flu?
You can't know for sure if you have the new H1N1 flu unless you get a test. But rapid flu tests haven't proven reliable at pinpointing cases of the new disease; only a lab test can confirm whether you have it.
Treatment is similar to that for seasonal flu. Most people get well by resting, staying hydrated and taking medicines to reduce fever. Stay home and keep your distance from others for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone.
Children under 18 years old shouldn't be given aspirin due to a risk of Reye's Syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening illness. Don't give cold medicines to children under four without first talking with a pediatrician.
You should call the doctor if you have trouble breathing, chest or abdominal pain, dizziness, confusion or persistent vomiting, or if your flu symptoms worsen after improving, the CDC says. Call the pediatrician if your child has those symptoms, isn't drinking enough fluids, or is irritable or sluggish.
Reuters
.Should I take an antiviral such as Tamiflu?
Two antiviral medications, oseltamivir and zanamivir, marketed as Tamiflu and Relenza, respectively, can help shorten the duration and severity of H1N1 swine flu.
The WHO and the CDC don't recommend oseltamivir and zanamivir for people with only mild H1N1 swine flu illness, partly out of concern about the potential emergence of H1N1 swine-flu viruses that are resistant to the drugs. But the drugs should be prescribed for adults and children who have severe H1N1 swine flu or who are at risk for complications from the disease, the agencies say.
Side effects include nausea, vomiting and dizziness for both drugs. The CDC recommends use of the drugs for pregnant women, given their high risks of flu complications, though it notes that studies to assess their safety in pregnant women are lacking.
When will a vaccine be available, and how can I get it?
Public health officials say a vaccine is the best defense against the new flu, but you may have to wait until well into flu season to get one. The first 45 million doses—of a total of 195 million—are expected to be ready by mid-October, with approximately 20 million doses delivered each week thereafter. The shots are set to be recommended first for those at highest risk of complications, as well as health-care workers and close contacts of infants.
Officials expect each person will need two separate doses, so if demand is high for the voluntary shots, many people will have to wait. The priority groups total about 159 million people, or more than half the U.S. population. It's worth getting the vaccine, to boost your immunity, if you believe you had the virus but aren't sure, or if you did have the virus but are considered at high risk of flu complications, says Nancy Cox, the CDC's flu chief.
Shots will probably be offered starting in mid-to-late October in many of the same places where you can get seasonal flu vaccine—doctors' offices, retail outlets and pharmacies. Many schools will also likely offer it.
The H1N1 swine flu shot won't protect you against seasonal flu, and the seasonal flu shot, which many locales will start offering in September, won't protect you against the new H1N1 virus. You will need both shots.
Is the vaccine safe?
The government and vaccine manufacturers are conducting clinical trials to determine whether the vaccine is effective and how large a dose is needed. Initial results are expected in early October. Some experts and advocates have expressed concern that the vaccine may be administered to pregnant women and children before full test results are in. But government officials believe the new vaccine is safe because it resembles seasonal flu vaccines, which normally don't undergo trials.
"It's made by the same companies, using the same processes, with the same materials," says Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is overseeing the trials. Flu vaccines "have been given to tens and tens of millions of people for decades with an excellent safety record, including to pregnant women."
Some are also worried about thimerosal, a preservative that contains mercury and is in multi-dose vials of vaccine. The CDC says thimerosal-free vaccine will be available in the form of both shots and nasal spray.
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'Swine flu more dangerous than bird flu'
