“People
won’t always know they have it. It would start off like a normal flu and what
they would need to do as with any flu is to drink lots of liquids, rest and
take the appropriate flu medication”
Chief Medical Officer
of Trinidad and Tobago, Dr. Clive Tilluckdharry commenting on Influenza A
(H1N1) virus in Trinidad and Tobago
Zika
Virus, you might have to take a seat, as this next virus is a little more
dangerous.
I'm
of course talking about Influenza A (H1N1) virus or swine Flu, with the
Ministry of Health is worried may soon come to Jamaica as reported in the
article “Jamaica
Heighten's Influenza A Virus Watch”, Published Tuesday December 22, 2015, The Jamaica Gleaner.
 |
So
why is Chief Medical Officer, Dr Marion Bullock DuCasse telling us to be wary
of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus even as Zika Virus is in the Caribbean and may
be headed to Jamaica as noted in my blog article
entitled “739
Zika Virus Cases in Brazil and 2 adult deaths - How Zika Virus is causing birth
defects in unborn Brazilian babies”?
Because
based on India's experience in early February 2015 as noted in my blog article
entitled “Jamaican
Chikungunya Outbreak possible – Why H1N1 Outbreak in Jamaica possible as 1,731
die in India from H1N1 Outbreak”, the Influenza A (H1N1) virus can kill.
Jamaica on high alert
for Influenza A (H1N1) virus - The Swine Flu Killer already in Trinidad and
Tobago
Closer
to home, Trinidad and Tobago is currently battling an outbreak of Influenza A
(H1N1) virus.
Some
twenty nine (29) persons confirmed as having being infected with Influenza A
(H1N1) virus as noted in the article “29
confirmed swine flu cases this year”, published Saturday, December 19,
2015, The Trinidad Guardian..
So
far, of the twenty nine (29) persons confirmed showing symptoms of the
Influenza A (H1N1) virus, twenty five (25) have been treated by doctors and
sent home.
 |
Health
Minister confirms 29 cases of the H1N1/Swine flu in T&T, with 3 deaths
in Trinidad. https://t.co/XtYMJm0lS4
pic.twitter.com/ZDM5cSqbkb
—
C News (@cnewslive) December
18, 2015
She
died at the Eric Williams Sciences Complex in Mt Hope, though it's too early to
tell if she'd actually died from an infection from Influenza A (H1N1) virus or
complications due to her pregnancy. This has Grenadians nervous as the
Influenza A (H1N1) virus can kill as noted in the article “Grenada
on swine flu alert as neighbouring Trinidad records cases and deaths”,
published DECEMBER 21, 2015, CARIBBEAN360.
#Trinidad
Guardian: Mom who had contracted swine flu dies at Mt Hope https://t.co/Y5VjJiOYgj
—
Trinidad News (@NewsOfTrinidad) December
21, 2015
Despite
this, the Trinidadians have the disease under control. This isn't a health
crisis, as Trinidad and Tobago is well prepared according to Health Minister
Terrence Deyalsingh:
1.
20,000 doses of Influenza A (H1N1) virus
vaccine
2.
80% of Influenza A (H1N1) virus vaccine
used
3.
3,500 adult vaccines remaining
4.
4,000 children vaccines remaining
Still,
Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh isn't taking any chances.
The
Ministry of Health has placed an order with PAHO (Pan American Health
Organisation) for some 20,000 additional vaccines even as he assured Trinidadians
that they've got enough to inoculate infected Trinidadians as noted in “Enough H1N1 vaccine in the
country”, published Tuesday, December 22 2015 By MIRANDA La Rose, Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.
This
was probably done on the advice of Chief Medical Officer Clive Tilluckdharry,
who pointed out in a phone interview with the Trinidad Guardian that more
people might be getting sick, quote: “We have about 4,000 cases of the flu
every year. For this year, so far, 29 cases have been lab-confirmed as H1N1”.
Amazingly,
the Trinidadian Health Workers, possibly having no faith in their Minister of
Health, are reluctant to take the vaccine. This even though they are being
given it for free along with training on how to use PPE (Personal Protective
Equiptment).
The
Influenza A (H1N1) virus is a more deadly and contagious variant of the regular
Influenza Virus and can cause death.
So
how easy is it to contract the Influenza A (H1N1) virus?
The Influenza A (H1N1)
virus - Symptoms and treatment
Apparently
Influenza A (H1N1) virus is not as easy to contract as other more deadly
diseases. Here’s a quick history of H1N1, which dates back to 1918!
Contracting
it is difficult and death is unlikely as noted by Chief Medical Officer Clive
Tilluckdharry in the article “Chief
Medical Officer: Low chances of H1N1 deaths”, published Tuesday, December
22, 2015 by Kalifa Clyne, Trinidad
Guardian.
 |
Droplets
of sputum (saliva and mucus from the respiratory tract) are coughed up by the
infected persons and then inhaled by other persons nearby. Alternatively, these
droplets with the Influenza A (H1N1) virus can be passed by shaking your hands
with someone after they've sneezed into their hand as well as touching infected
surfaces i.e. doorknobs, flat surfaces such as desks or countertops.
 |
Once
the victim rubs the soft parts of their bodies that have a thin layer of
epithelial cells i.e. eyes, mouth or nose, they can become infected. The
symptoms begin to be seen within two (2) days after contracting the virus and
lasts for a week.
The symptoms of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus are as
follows:
1. Dry
cough.
2. Headache
3. High
fever
4. Muscle
and joint pains
5. Runny
nose
6. Sore
throat
7. Tiredness
8. Unwell
feeling
Most
people recover after one or two weeks. Doctors usually prescribe the following
drugs for the above symptoms, which at times can be quite unpleasant:
1.
Panadol/Tylenol
2.
DPH
3.
Claritine [loratidine]
4.
Cetirizine
5.
Fexofenadine
Panadol/Tylenol
is an Acetaminophen and is taken to relieve the Muscle and joint pains. DPH,
claritine [loratidine], cetirizine, or fexofenadine with pseudoephedrine is used
to reduce sneezing and the production of mucus and sputum.
The disease becomes a killer when it infects someone
with a weak immune system i.e.:
1. Elderly
2. Infants
3. Persons
with chronic medical conditions, such as heart, lung, kidney disease, diabetes and
Asthma
4. Pregnant
women
5. Young
children
Prevention, not treatment, is best and there are
several things that both the public as well as health care workers can use to
reduce the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) virus follows:
1.
Avoid contact with persons with flu-like
symptoms
2.
Avoid intimate contact including hand
shaking and kissing
3.
Cover your mouth with a tissue when
coughing or sneezing
4.
Health care workers wearing specialized
masks and other PPE
5.
Wash your hands frequently and properly
It’s
still very unlikely that Jamaica will be affected, so long as we all take our
Vitamin C starting now as pointed out in my blog article
entitled “Vitamin
C and the Chikungunya Virus - How to increase your Vitamin C Intake,
Glutathione and Interferon by White Blood Cells”.
As
for me, I plan to buy a bottle of B12 and other Vitamins come January 2016, as
I have no intention of starting 2016 with any illnesses!
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