Swine Flu Emergency Should Put IT on Alert

Though the H1N1 flu has been declared a national emergency by President Barack Obama, experts say that many companies remain ill-prepared for its potential consequences, which could include employee absentee rates of 40% or more.

While last month's emergency declaration is targeted mostly at helping health care providers and government agencies bypass regulatory requirements to provide critical care, experts say it should also be a red flag for the IT and business communities.

Organizations probably have not allocated enough resources for virtual private networks nor tested VPNs for the fact that 80% of their staff could be working from home," said Al Berman, executive director of DRI International, a training institute that focuses on helping businesses prepare for emergencies. "We ran some tests with companies, and they ran out of TCP/IP addresses in five minutes."

Berman said that many businesses are probably delaying VPN upgrades because of increasing bandwidth costs. For example, he said, DRI recently met with officials of a large insurance provider and found that it would cost the company $1 million to boost bandwidth enough to support 40% of its staff working from home.

The federal government's Flu.gov Web site, managed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, offers guidance to businesses about what to do in the event of a pandemic. Its suggestions range from making sure sick employees stay home to appointing a pandemic coordinator or team to oversee the preparation and implementation of a disaster plan.

Employers should "send a very strong message to employees to stay home if they're sick. No one is that essential," said Kim Elliott, deputy director of Trust for America's Health, a public health advocacy group. "You don't want employees coming in and infecting others to the point where your business shuts down."

The pandemic coordinator or team should monitor employees to ensure that they follow basic rules of hygiene, such as washing their hands, and make sure that face masks are available, according to the Flu.gov Web site.

Elliott said that the planning process should also include an assessment of how the absence of a large number of employees would affect operations, with recommendations on how to keep things running under such circumstances.

"That may mean cross-training employees in some key business functions," Elliott said, citing IT infrastructure maintenance, bookkeeping and accounting duties, and some customer-facing activities.

Businesses should also develop a plan to communicate with municipal agencies, which determine whether bus routes, schools or even businesses need to be shut down, Berman said.
The national emergency declaration came after a weekly U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report called FluView noted that 43 states are now reporting widespread influenza activity and that H1N1 has caused 1,000 deaths in the U.S.

elevating its health emergency alert status to Phase 6 -- its highest level. At that time, the number of influenza cases was close to 30,000 worldwide. The WHO now says there are 414,000 confirmed cases of H1N1 and that there have been nearly 5,000 H1N1-related deaths.

Swine flu vaccine ready, enters Europe

Global pharma major Novartis Friday announced it is ready with a swine flu vaccine and has started first deliveries to governments in Europe, giving hopes to people in many parts of the world.
"Novartis has already started first deliveries of pandemic vaccines under quarantine to governments in Europe, despite the initially low yields with the current production seed strain provided by the World Health Organisation (WHO). A new seed strain could provide higher volumes," the company said in a statement issued in Switzerland.


The company announced that Focetria®, the Novartis Influenza A(H1N1) 2009 monovalent vaccine, Friday received a positive opinion from the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMEA).


The company has started first deliveries of pandemic vaccines under quarantine to European countries, which means the vaccine is now ready with the governments but only after getting the formal approval the governments can start vaccination.


"The positive opinion clears the way for European Union approval in all 27 member states as well as in Iceland and Norway. Today's announcement marks a significant milestone in bringing a pandemic vaccine to market in Europe," the company added.


"Only three months after the declaration of the pandemic by the WHO, Novartis was able to ship the first batches of our pandemic vaccine under quarantine to governments in Europe pending EU approval," said Andrin Oswald, CEO of Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics.


This CHMP positive opinion paves the way for EU approval, which will allow governments to begin their vaccination campaigns with the goal of reaching more patients before the rapidly spreading virus reaches them, Oswald added.


The pharma major, however, did not give details of the number of doses it has despatched or the countries which have received the first deliveries.


More than 150 countries have been affected by the new millennium's first pandemic. It has taken hundreds of lives across the globe.


In India, the virus has killed 286 people and infected more than 9,200 people till Sep 25.

Real SWIN FLU Guide for India in Emergency get it handy

Hi all watchers from Swin Flu infected area in India if required please let us know . How we can help you more .

What are the symptoms?

Swine flu symptoms are similar to the symptoms of regular flu and include fever of over 100.4°F, fatigue, lack of appetite, and cold. Some people with swine flu have also reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea. Nearly everyone with flu has at least two of these symptoms.

So, how do you know if you have flu or just cold?
There is one clue: when you have the flu, you feel flu symptoms sooner than you would cold symptoms, and they come on with much greater intensity. With the flu, you may feel very weak and fatigued for up to 2 or 3 weeks. You'll have muscle aches and periods of chills and sweats as fever comes and goes. You may also have a stuffy or runny nose, headache, and sore throat.

Can I compare flu symptoms with cold symptoms?
Yes. The following chart can help you compare flu symptoms with cold symptoms. Use it to lean the differences and similarities between flu and cold symptoms. Then, if you get flu symptoms, call your doctor and ask about an antiviral drug.


Symptoms : a)Fever,b) Headache ,c)General Aches ,Pains, d)Fatigue,Weakness, e) Extreme Exhaustion, f) Stuffy Nose , g) Chest discomfort ,Cough

Cold : a) Rare, b) Rare, c) Slight , d) Quite mild, e) Never, f) Common ,g) Mild to moderate ,hacking cough

Flu : a) Characteristic, high 100-102 degrees F); lasts 3-4 days, b) Prominent, c) Usual; often severe,d) Can last up to 2-3 weeks, e) Early and prominent, f) Sometimes, g) Common; can become severe

You cannot confirm if you have swine flu just based on your symptoms. Like seasonal flu, pandemic swine flu can cause neurologic symptoms in children. These events are rare, but, as cases associated with seasonal flu have shown, they can be very severe and often fatal.

Doctors may offer a rapid flu test, but what you need to understand is a negative result doesn't necessarily mean you don't have the flu. Only lab tests can definitively show whether you've got swine flu. State health departments can do these tests.


What should you do immediately?

Those of you who have travelled from the affected countries in the past ten days and show symptoms swine flu like fever, cough, sore throat and difficulty in breathing should immediately contact the telephone number given below or visit the nearby Government Hospital.

Important contact numbers:
Outbreak Monitoring Cell (Control Room, NICD): 011-23921401

Websites: www.mohfw.nic.in and www.nicd.nic.in
You can also contact a toll free number 2392 1401 at the National Institute of Communicable Disease

Contact number for each cities:
Bangalore
BIAL Swine Flu Center - 91-80-22001490

SDS TUBERCULOSIS & RAJIV GANDHI INSTITUTE OF CHEST DISEASES(Govt. of Karnataka), Hosur Road, Bangalore - 560029
Helpline No: 91-80-26631923

Chennai
Communicable Disease Hospital, 87, T.H. Road, Tondiarpet, Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Hyderabad
Govt. General and Chest Diseases Hospital, Erragadda , Hyderabad
Hospital Helpline Number - 040-23814939

Kolkata
Beliaghata Infectious Diseases Hospital, 57, Beliaghata Main Road, Kolkata

Mumbai
Kasturba Hospital, Arthur Road, Sane Guruji Marg, Mumbai 400011
Ph: 022- 23083901 / 23092458 / 23000889

New Delhi
Yellow Fever Quarantine Centre, Near AAI Residential Colony, New Delhi
Ph: 91-11-25652129

Influenza Ward, Ward no 5, Second Floor, New Building, RML Hospital, Delhi-1
RML- 91-11-24525211,23404328,23365525- Ext 4328


What is the treatment?

Antiviral drugs can be used to treat swine flu or to prevent infection with swine flu viruses. The anti-viral medicines oseltamivir (Tamiflu) and zanamivir (Relenza) are being used to treat people with swine flu. Antiviral drugs work by preventing the flu virus from reproducing. To be effective you need to take them within 48 hours of the symptoms beginning. These flu drugs can decrease the duration of the flu by 1 to 2 days if used within this early time period. These antivirals are usually given for a period of about 5-7 days. It's unclear whether these drugs can prevent complications of the flu. Tamiflu is approved for prevention and treatment in people 1 year old and older. Relenza is approved for treatment of people 7 years old and older and for prevention in people 5 years old and older. These medications must be prescribed by a health care professional.

Side effects: Side effects of antiviral drugs may include nervousness, poor concentration, nausea, and vomiting. Relenza is not recommended for people with a history of breathing problems, such as asthma, because it may cause a worsening of breathing problems. Discuss side effects with your doctor.

Self medication: Antibiotics are a no-no. Chances are that antibiotics will not help your flu symptoms. That's because flu, colds, and most sore throats and bronchitis are caused by viruses. In addition, taking antibiotics when you have a virus may do more harm than good. Taking antibiotics when they are not needed increases your risk of getting an infection later that resists antibiotic treatment. Antibiotics only cure certain infections due to bacteria -- and if taken carelessly, you may get more serious health problems than you bargained for.

Is there a vaccine to treat swine flu virus? No, there isn’t a vaccine yet. But vaccines are being made in large quantities. Clinical tests will begin in August 2009. Depending on how long federal officials wait for the results of these tests, tens of millions of doses of swine flu vaccine could be ready as soon as September 2009, with more vaccine becoming available each month thereafter. The first doses of vaccine likely will go to pregnant women and young children ages 6 months to 4 years, with older school kids to follow.

Who is at risk?

Those who are more at risk from becoming seriously ill with swine flu are people with:

chronic (long-term) lung disease, including people who have had drug treatment for their asthma within the past three years,
chronic heart disease,
chronic kidney disease,
chronic liver disease,
chronic neurological disease (neurological disorders include motor neurone disease, Parkinson's disease and multiple sclerosis),
suppressed immune systems (whether caused by disease or treatment),
diabetes,
pregnant women,
people aged 65 or older, and
young children under five.

How does it spread?

The new swine flu virus is highly contagious, that is it spreads from person to person. The virus is spread through the droplets that come out of the nose or mouth when someone coughs or sneezes. If someone coughs or sneezes and they do not cover it, those droplets can spread about one metre (3ft). If you are very nearby you might breathe them in.

Or, if someone coughs or sneezes into their hand, those droplets and the virus within them are easily transferred to surfaces that the person touches, such as door handles, hand rails, telephones and keyboards. If you touch these surfaces and touch your face, the virus can enter your system, and you can become infected.

Can it be prevented?

Influenza antiviral drugs also can be used to prevent influenza when they are given to a person who is not ill, but who has been or may be near a person with swine influenza. When used to prevent the flu, antiviral drugs are about 70% to 90% effective. When used for prevention, the number of days that they should be used will vary depending on a person’s particular situation.

Follow this general procedure to reduce the risk of catching or spreading the virus, you should:

Cover your mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, using a tissue
Throw the tissue away quickly and carefully
Wash your hands regularly with soap and water
Clean hard surfaces (like door handles and remote controls) frequently with a normal cleaning product
Keep away from others as much as possible. This is to keep from making others sick. Do not go to work or school while ill
Stay home for at least 24 hours after fever is gone, except to seek medical care or for other necessities. (Fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
Drink clear fluids (such as water, broth, sports drinks, electrolyte beverages for infants) to keep from being dehydrated
Wear a facemask – if available and tolerable – when sharing common spaces with other household members to help prevent spreading the virus to others.

Will it help to wear a mask?

Information on the effectiveness of facemasks and respirators for decreasing the risk of influenza infection in community settings is extremely limited. So, it is difficult to assess their potential effectiveness in decreasing the risk of Swine Flu virus transmission in these settings. However, a well-fitted, FDA-approved mask together with other preventive measures MAY reduce the risk of contracting the flu. Those who are sick or caring for someone who is ill should consider using a mask or respirator if leaving the house becomes necessary.

What precautions should one take at home?

Two things - soap and water can reduce the chance of infection by 30 per cent. All you need to do is keep washing your hand with soap and water frequently. Wash hands frequently with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand cleaner when soap and water are not available. Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth

Eat healthy: Proteins are essential to help your body maintain and build strength. Lean meat, poultry, fish, legumes, dairy, eggs, and nuts and seeds are good sources of protein.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends that adults eat 50 grams of protein per day. Pregnant and nursing women need more. By eating foods high in protein, we also get the benefit of other healing nutrients such as vitamins B6 and B12, both of which contribute to a healthy immune system.

Vitamin B6 is widely available in foods, including protein foods such as turkey and beans as well as potatoes, spinach, and enriched cereal grains. Proteins such as meats, milk, and fish also contain vitamin B12, a powerful immune booster.

Minerals such as selenium and zinc work to keep the immune system strong. These minerals are found in protein rich foods such as beans, nuts, meat, and poultry.

Exercise: Regular exercise may help prevent the flu. According to recent findings, when moderate exercise is repeated on a near daily basis, there is a cumulative immune-enhancing effect. That is, your strong immune system can fight flu better. When you exercise, your white blood cells -- the blood cells that fight infections in the body -- travel through your body more quickly, fighting bacteria and viruses (such as flu) more efficiently. To maintain good health, experts recommend at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity such as walking, swimming, biking, or running each day.
What precautions should one take at schools?


Avoid close contact with people who are sick
People who are sick with an influenza-like illness should stay home and keep away from others as much as possible, including avoiding travel, for at least 24 hours after fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities. (Fever should be gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine). Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing
Wash your hands often
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth

Is it safe to travel?

Avoid travelling unnecessarily. However, if you must travel, check how the country you're going to handles swine flu. Although, the WHO doesn't recommend travel restrictions, many countries have set up their own H1N1 policies, and some travellers have been screened or quarantined in other countries because of swine flu concerns.

Important information about swine flu

Swine flu is the common name that has been given to a new strain of influenza. It is called swine flu because it is thought to have originated in pigs, but this is not known for certain.

The most common symptoms are fever, sore throat, diarrhoea, headache, feeling generally unwell and a dry cough – in other words, symptoms very similar to seasonal influenza. Most people recover within a week, even without special treatment.

Pandemic
The virus was first identified in Mexico in April and has since become a pandemic, which means it has spread around the globe. It has spread quickly because it is a new type of influenza virus that few, if any, people have full resistance to.

Flu pandemics are a natural event that occur from time to time. Last century, there were flu pandemics in 1918, 1957 and 1968, when millions of people died across the world.

So far the new virus is known to have infected 77,000 people in over 100 countries around the world. However, this figure is almost certainly a large underestimate because it reflects only those cases which have been confirmed by laboratory tests.

In the majority of cases the virus has proved relatively mild. However, more than 300 people have died globally and its 'risk profile' is still not fully understood. For this reason, and because all viruses can mutate to become more potent, scientists are advising caution.

The situation in the UK
There have been nearly 10,000 cases confirmed in the UK since the outbreak started here on 27 April. Of these, over 100 have involved hospitalisation, and 15 people have died.

The UK formally moved from a 'containment' to a 'treatment' phase for swine flu on 2 July. This meant that intensive efforts to contain swine flu, via automatic school closures, for example, ended in order to free up capacity to treat the increasing numbers of people who are contracting swine flu daily.

As in other countries, the majority of cases reported so far in the UK have been mild. Only a small number have led to serious illness, and these have frequently been where patients have had underlying health problems.

There has been an argument put forward that government should restrict antivirals to those groups who are most at risk of developing serious complications from swine flu. In other words, if people are otherwise healthy, then the NHS should let the virus run its course, treating it with paracetamol and bed rest as you would normal flu.

However, the government's Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (SAGE) believes that there is still some doubt about the risk profile of the virus. For instance, there are reports of some cases in Argentina where young, healthy adults have apparently become extremely ill from swine flu.

While there is still this doubt, the government has decided to continue offering the antiviral medicines Tamiflu or Relenza to everyone with swine flu at their doctor’s discretion.

High-risk groups
Some people are more at risk of serious illness if they catch swine flu, and will need to start taking antivirals as soon as they are confirmed with the illness. On occasion, doctors may advise some high-risk patients to take antivirals before they have symptoms if someone close to them has swine flu.

The risk profile of the virus is still being studied but it is already known that the following people are particularly vulnerable:

people with:
- chronic lung disease,
- chronic heart disease,
- chronic kidney disease,
- chronic liver disease,
- chronic neurological disease,
- immunosuppression (whether caused
by disease or treatment), and
- diabetes mellitus,
patients who have had drug treatment for asthma in the past three years,
pregnant women,
people aged 65 years and older, and
children under five years old.
Swine flu vaccine
A vaccine to protect against swine flu is being developed but it is not available yet.

The first batches of vaccine are expected to arrive in late August, and 30 million double doses – enough for half the population – are expected to be available by the end of the year.

The government has ordered enough vaccine for the whole population and, when it becomes available, will focus on those at the greatest risk first.

Catch it, bin it, kill it
Although the UK has moved to a treatment phase for swine flu, it is important that people continue to do everything they can to stop the virus from spreading.

The key is to practise good respiratory and hand hygiene. In other words, remember to Catch it, Bin It, Kill It. Catch your sneeze in a tissue, place it quickly in a bin and wash your hands and surfaces regularly to kill the virus.

US swine flu deaths hit double-digits

SALT LAKE CITY – Swine flu forced Christina Huitron to make a choice no mother should ever have to make.

On Wednesday she told doctors to take her 21-year-old son off life support, making Marcos Sanchez the nation's 10th fatality associated with the newly discovered virus that continues to spread across the globe.

"I knew he was suffering," Christina Huitron told KSL-TV. "I don't know how he was feeling, but I just knew I had to do it because he was passing away slowly anyways, and I didn't want him to suffer anymore."

Sanchez checked into a suburban hospital Saturday, vomiting blood and burning with fever, Huitron told The Salt Lake Tribune. By Tuesday he was suffering from multiple organ failure.

Dr. David Sundwall, executive director of the Utah Department of Health, said Marcos, the state's first swine flu fatality, was overweight and had chronic medical conditions, including respiratory problems, that put him at risk.

"This is not a person who was overall genuinely healthy," Sundwall said.

Sanchez had not traveled recently. Dagmar Vitek, medical director for the Salt Lake Valley Health Department, said an investigation to determine how he contracted the virus was under way. Utah has 122 confirmed cases of the virus.

In neighboring Arizona, health officials said Wednesday a 13-year-old boy from Tucson also has died with swine flu. The teenager died Friday of complications from the flu. He had been hospitalized May 10.

Pima County Health Department spokeswoman Patti Woodcock said an older sibling of the teen is hospitalized with the virus, while other family members have recovered.

Swine flu has sickened more than 11,000 people in 41 countries and killed 85, according to the World Health Organization, whose figures often trail those of individual countries. Mexico has reported 75 deaths, the U.S. 10, and one in both Canada and Costa Rica.

In New York City, officials, colleagues, friends and family gathered Wednesday at a funeral home to remember Mitchell Wiener, an 55-year-old assistant principal who died of swine flu Sunday.

"Whenever I needed help, I used to always go to him," student Jeffery Grey told reporters outside the funeral home. "I really don't know who to go to now when I need help."

Two more New York City public schools closed because of swine flu, bringing the number of city public and private schools shuttered within the last week to 23. One school closed Thursday across the Hudson River in Fort Lee, N.J., another closed in Reno, Nev., and four schools closed in Lodi, Wis., after students were sickened.

Judy Davis, a spokeswoman for the Washoe County District Health Department in Nevada, said state, county and school officials agreed that closing Mendive Middle School in Sparks was "best course of action" to prevent further spread of the flu after five students were sickened and one was hospitalized.

But experts said closing schools once students were already ill would do little to halt the virus' seemingly inexorable spread.

"As a disease containment measure, it is not likely to be effective," said Dr. Paul Biddinger, associate director of the Center for Public Health Preparedness at the Harvard School of Public Health.

(This version CORRECTS that Patti Woodcock is a spokeswoman for the Pima County (Ariz.) Health Department, not the Arizona Department of Health Services.)