“A new strain of swine flu has this metropolis of 20 million people increasingly fearful as suspected flu deaths grow, and world health officials warn that Mexico City could be at the epicenter of a global epidemic,” the Associated Press and Agence France Press reported.
WHO Director General Margaret Chan said the outbreak of the never-before-seen virus has “pandemic potential.” But she said it is still too early to tell if it would become a pandemic.
WHO guidance calls for isolating the sick and blanketing everyone around them with antiviral drugs, such as Tamiflu. Too many patients have been identified in Mexico’s teeming capital for such a solution now. But some pandemic flu experts say it’s also too late to contain the disease to Mexico and the United States.
It may only be a matter of time until the virus reaches Philippine shores. But the government has reassured the public that it has taken and is taking steps to counter contagion in the country.
The United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) offers basic guidelines to protect the public from this deadly virus.
There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Know more about the swine flu (H1N1) at the CDC website.
With reports from Inquirer.net. Image from johnfenzel.typepad.com.
