Why Dr. Suzanna Roye died from Influenza A (H1N1) as Ministry of Health stocks up on Tamiflu

 Since the first report of the death of a doctor from Influenza A (H1N1) aka swine flu as reported in my blog article entitled “How Jamaican Female Doctor Dead from Swine flu and Why H1N1 spreading through Jamaica” many Jamaican have become fearful.

New details are now slowly emerging since Saturday February 20^th 2016, starting with the identity of the doctor. Her name is Dr. Suzanna Roye, a 50 year old doctor as reported in the article “Doctor first to die from swine flu-related issues, illness now on high alert list”, Published Saturday February 20, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner. 

She was one of two (2) doctors airlifted via helicopter from the Mandeville Hospital to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) at the UHWI (University Hospital of the West Indies). According to my sources, the other doctor is alive but she died, leaving many Jamaicans, (and doctors no doubt!) a little on edge.

 After all, if it can kill a doctor, who most likely was treating or in contact with the 10 month old child and the adult who were the first reported cases back in Thursday February 11th 2016, what defence have we regular Jamaicans against this disease?

So far there has been nine (9) confirmed cases of Influenza A (H1N1), which is testament to its rapid spread and potential killing power.

However, none of these patients have died as yet. So how come a doctor died, Jamaicans ask?

H1N1 kills Dr. Suzanna Roye - Jamaica stocking up on Tamiflu

Turns out that the devil is truly in the details.

Most likely, it may have simply been a case of poor hygiene as note by acting CMO (chief medical officer), Dr Winston De La Haye in the article “Follow proper hygienic practices to avoid H1N1 virus, CMO urges”, published Sunday, February 21, 2016, The Jamaica Observer.

The Influenza A (H1N1) isn't airborne.

Rather, it spread via your aerosolized body fluids, specifically saliva or sputum that is ejected from the mouth or nose of the infected patient. This aerosolized saliva or sputum then land on surfaces such as tables, chairs or doorknobs which other people touch, spreading Influenza A (H1N1) viral particles.

98% of persons infected with Influenza A (H1N1) rarely show symptoms as noted in the article “Leicester Royal Infirmary closes wards over swine flu”, published 18 February 2016, BBC.

However, the 2% that get ill tend to have the following symptoms:

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 with Doctors prescribing the following drugs for the above symptoms:

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.

According to acting CMO (chief medical officer), Dr Winston De La Haye, the Ministry of Health is stocking up on Tamiflu, the main drug used against Influenza A (H1N1) as noted in the article “Health ministry prepares for more swine flu as victim succumbs”, published Monday, February 22, 2016, The Jamaica Observer.

He also claims that they already have an adequate supply of Tamiflu to treat those patients that have developed severe symptoms of Influenza A (H1N1) as pointed out in the article “No shortage of H1N1 medication - De La Haye”, Published Monday February 22, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.

So why did the Dr. Suzanna Roye die?

Why Dr. Suzanna Roye died from H1N1 - Weakened immune system due to diet lacking in fruits and vegetables

The answer is quite simple really; Tamiflu only treats the symptoms of Influenza A (H1N1).

It does NOT kill the Influenza A (H1N1) or prevent you from getting infected.

The only thing that can do that is an Influenza A (H1N1) vaccine, which would have to be administered to all vulnerable Jamaicans with weak immune system:

1.      Elderly

2.      Infants

3.      Persons with chronic medical conditions, such as heart, lung, kidney disease, and diabetes and Asthma

4.      Pregnant women

5.      Young children

Dr. Suzanna Roye, at 50 year old, was most likely someone with a much weakened immune system, as she died within the space of 2 weeks. The fact that she succumbed so readily indicate that she may have really died from underlying co-morbid medical conditions.

Given her advanced age and the fact that she’s a female, this may most likely have been heart disease, kidney disease and asthma, a common ailment in Jamaica as noted in my MICO Wars blog article entitled “How to use Alternative Treatments for Asthma and Bronchitis”.

So even if Dr. Suzanna Roye was given Tamiflu, her immune system was already so weak, she easily succumbed to her illness.

Doctors, Health care workers and regular Jamaicans can reduce the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) virus by doing the following:

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

Developing the habit of taking multivitamins, particularly Vitamin C and B12 Complex can also help as noted 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”. 

A change of diet will also do you a world of good, as many of the necessary Vitamins and mineral that can boost the immune system are found in fresh vegetables.

There is no cure for H1N1, so boosting your immune system by changing your diet to one that is rich in fruits and vegetables as well as taking Vitamin C and B12 Complex will go a long way in helping you stave off the Influenza A (H1N1) virus.

RIP Dr. Suzanna Roye!

How Jamaican Female Doctor Dead from Swine flu and Why H1N1 spreading through Jamaica

Well folks, for those of you in the loop, the H1N1 Virus is in Jamaica as reported Thursday February 11^th 2016.

So a quick recap is in order in case you were living under a rock since the start of February 2016 in fear of the Zika Virus as noted in my blog article entitled “How Jamaica's February 2016 Sports Calendar will help spread the Zika Virus”.

The first case of Influenza A (H1N1), also known as Swine Flu, is actually two patients, a 10 month old child and an adult as reported in the article “10-Month-Old Child, Adult Admitted To UHWI With Swine Flu”, published Thursday February 11, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.

Both had been transferred to the UHWI (University Hospital of the West Indies) from Mandeville. Since that first case, some nine (9) more have been confirmed Thursday, February 18, 2016 by Acting Chief Medical Officer at the Ministry of Health, Dr Winston De La Haye as reported in the article “9 cases of H1N1 virus confirmed – Chief Medical Officer”, published Thursday, February 18, 2016, The Jamaica Observer. 

All of who are being treated at the UHWI.

Clearly, the Influenza A (H1N1) is spreading rapidly in Jamaica and most likely may have come via Jamaican travelling from Trinidad and Tobago where the virus has already killed three (3) persons as reported in my blog article entitled “29 infected 3 dead from H1N1 in Trinidad - How the Influenza A (H1N1) virus can come to Jamaica”. 

So do we have to be fearful of the Influenza A (H1N1) aka Swine Flu?

H1N1 kills a Jamaican - How the H1N1 Virus is now more important than Zika

Now for the bad news; one of the patients has died as reported on Saturday February 20th 2016, albeit no one is sure if it from H1N1 as noted in the article “Patient being treated for H1N1 dies”, published Saturday, February 20, 2016, The Jamaica Observer.

Strangely, the victim isn't the original 10 month old child and an adult or any of the nine originally reported on Thursday, February 18, 2016. Rather, the victim is a doctor who was treating the patients infected with H1N1 as noted in the article “Doctor First To Die From Swine Flu-Related Issues, Illness Now On High Alert List”, published Saturday February 20, 2016, The Jamaica Gleaner.

The female doctor who died is one of two (2) female doctors transferred via helicopter to the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) at the UHWI from Mandeville. The other female doctor is responding well to treatment and is recovering slowly.

Ok, so now that the H1N1 Virus is a confirmed killer, what can we do to avoid getting sick?

H1N1 Virus – Avoid physical contact and stock up on Vitamin C and Vitamin B12 complex

Since then, the H1N1 Virus has been upgraded from a Category II to a Category I illness.

This means that as soon as an infected patient is diagnosed with the illness, the hospital has to report it to the Ministry of Health within 24 hours instead of 1 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 with Doctors prescribing the following drugs for the above symptoms:

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.

Alternatively, you can use highly concentrated Garlic and Pineapple juice direct from the pineapple to treat the cough as noted in my blog article entitled “Why JP Tropical Foods Pineapples will be a hit in Jamaica this Christmas”. 

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 as this virus is transmitted through contact with the fluids of the infected persons. 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:

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

Bulking up on Vitamin C and B12 Complex can also help, as fruit and vegetables cannot supply enough to ward off these infections as noted 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'm making plans to buy some more Vitamin B12 complex, as my stash is running out………..

How to Vote and Who to Vote for in Jamaica's General Election 2016

Jamaica is now in General Election mode come Thursday February 25th 2016 as noted in the article “VIDEO: Election Day Is February 25”, published January 31 2016 The Jamaica Gleaner.

And as you may have heard, there are no debates being planned between the PNP (People's National Party) and the JLP (Jamaica Labour Party) as reported in the article “PNP still says no to debate”, published February 17^th 2016 Go-Jamaica, making this one of the strangest General Elections on record.

#JaVotes2016 How To Vote https://t.co/kzA2ADQ3hs pic.twitter.com/xWVCkEO4n3

— diGJamaica (@diGJamaica) February 19, 2016

So how will the younger Voters know who to vote for and how to vote?

General Election 2016 - How to Vote and who to Vote for

First, for all of my younger readers, here’s a hand primer on how to vote in a General Election in Jamaica.

The General Election has some interesting Stats worth taking note of the complete list of candidates for General Election 2016:

1.      152 nominated candidates 

2.      63 candidates fielded by the JLP

3.      63 candidates fielded by the PNP

4.      8 Candidates fielded by the NDM (National Democratic Movement)  

5.      6 Candidates fielded by MGPPP (Marcus Garvey People’s Political Party)

6.      2 Candidates fielded by PPP (People’s Progressive Party)

7.      1 Candidate fielded by HOPE (Hope for Portland Eastern)

Still, the JLP and the PNP, who are the major political parties in Jamaica, have been tech-savvy enough, at one point even engaging in pranking each other by rerouting traffic from each other websites as noted in my blog article entitled “JLP and PNP Domain Name Routing as General Election approaches – How Apps and Crowdfunding will win over smartphone Voters”. 

However, it's in the release of their respective party Manifesto that they have shown some more tech savvy, opting to release them to the general public via the use of shortened customized URL codes from bitly.com as shown below:

Manifesto links here: PNP https://t.co/5nazH68Ukp ... JLP https://t.co/4Y7xi1k3t8 #JaVotes2016 pic.twitter.com/KOudyC7YRm

— Jamaica Gleaner (@JamaicaGleaner) February 19, 2016

Now had they advertised on social Media and combined the use of shortened customized URL codes with a Crowdfunding Campaign via Social Media as described in my MICO Wars blog article entitled “How Jamaicans can use Crowdfunding for their Projects in 30 Days”, they could have raised enough capital to fund their respective campaigns.

That folks, would have made the General Elections a lot more interesting to the younger Generation and thus more of them would be voting. The lack of any Debates means that these manifestos will be heavily scrutinized.

Here's the link:

The Complete List Of Candidates Up For Election On February 25 (with Excel File Download)

How Apple Watch will have 80% of Smartwatch Market in 2016, beating Tag Heuer, Swatch and Movado

“The Swiss watch industry has been very slow to react to the development of smartwatches. The Swiss watch industry has been sticking its head in the sand and hoping smartwatches will go away”

Executive Director at Strategy Analytics, Neil Mawston, commenting on the trend of smartwatches beating the Swiss Watchmakers

Smartwatches are finally living up to their full potential to kill the Swiss watchmakers as noted in the article “Smartwatches push ahead of Swiss watches in popularity stakes, data shows”, published February 19, 2016 by Trevor Mogg, Digitaltrends.

 

People reading this, queue the song I Against I by Mos Def.

According to analyst Strategy Analytics, Smartwatch sales are outpacing the sales of Swiss watchmakers as noted in the article “Smartwatches now more popular than Swiss watches”, published February 18, 2016 by Steven Musil, CNET News. 

The Fourth Quarter of 2015 saw shipments of smartwatches rise dramatically:

1.      316% increase for smartwatches

2.      5% decline for Swiss Watches

This means that the trend of US Watch makers being beaten by the Apple Watch back in August 2015 as recorded in my blog article entitled “U.S. wristwatch sales in June 2015 dip due to Apple Watch - Why Apple Watch heralds Armageddon for U.S. and Swiss Watchmakers” is now affecting the Swiss watchmakers.

So what are the Swiss Watchmakers doing in response?

Swiss Watch Makers blissfully ignorant - Demise of Mechanical Watches rapidly approaching

So far the Swiss Watch maker such as Tag Heuer, has barely responded to the smartwatch threat.

They’ve launched only the a single smartwatch, the US$1500 TAG Heuer Connected Watch against the coming armada of smartwatches in November 2015 as noted in my MICO Wars blog article entitled “US$1500 TAG Heuer Connected Watch is worth its weight in precious Metals”. 

According to another analyst Gartner, their problems are set to multiply.

2015 sales of smartwatches segment of the wearables market points to a booming smartwatch market in 2016 and 2017 as noted in “Gartner Says Worldwide Wearable Devices Sales to Grow 18.4 Percent in 2016”, published February 2, 2016, Gartner. 

Take a look at the table below for wearables.

 

Gartner's projection for smartwatch sales can be read as follows:

1.      30 million in all of 2015

2.      50 million projected in 2016

3.      66.7 million projected in 2017

Leading the fray is the Apple Watch and an armada of Android Wear smartwatches as noted in the article “Smartwatches push ahead of Swiss watches in popularity stakes, data shows”, published February 19, 2016 by Trevor Mogg, Digitaltrends.

To their credit, Mavado has also responded to the Apple Watch threat with their high- Movado Motion and Bold Motion line of smartwatches made using Android Wear back in November 2015 as noted in “Luxury watchmaker Movado unveils Movado Motion and Bold Motion smartwatches”, published November 16, 2015 By Kyle Wiggers, Digitaltrends.

 

Also, despite Apple is still yet to have Apple Pay integrated into the Apple Watch in China, something that another Swiss Watch maker, Swatch has managed to do.

They had had launch the Swatch Bellamy in November 2015 in China that’s capable of doing VISA contactless payments in China as noted in the article “You can make Visa contactless payments using the new Swatch Bellamy watch”, published November 30, 2015 By Robert Nazarian, DigitalTrends.

In so doing, Swatch fulfilled the prophecy of author Edward Bellamy, who in 1888 wrote about a future where payments would be made with debit-style cards rather than cash.

Still despite these innovations, they’re yet to put out multiple dedicated series of smartwatches to address the coming smartwatch threat. The Swiss Watch makers demise is rapidly approaching and they do not even know it!

Apple Watch is now 40% of smartwatch Market – Apple Watch looking to do well in 2016

The Apple Watch has sold some 5.1 million units in the Fourth Quarter of 2015 as reported in the article “Apple Watch sales hit 5.1M during Q4 2015, pushing smartwatches ahead of Swiss watch for first time”, published February 19 2016 by Chance Miller, 9 to 5 Mac. 

They'd been estimated by FBR & Co. analyst Daniel Ives to have sold some 12 million for all of 2015 as pointer out in my blog article entitled “How 12 million Apple Watch in 2015 needs Hydrogen Fuel Cells to beat Huawei, Fitbit, Xiaomi, Garmin and Tag Heuer”.

That's basically 40% of the total smartwatch market after hands on appointment based start in April 2015 as noted in my blog article entitled “Apple Watch Appointment Fittings coming Friday April 10th 2015 - Why Apple Appointments sets trend for How to sell a Wearable”. 

Apple will almost certain double those sales number in 2016!

Apple and Hydrogen Fuel Cells - Swiss Movement obsolete by 2025

Now almost a year later, this strategy has proven to be the best.

Appointments gave their product that personal touch and ensured the best fit for customers as pointed out in my Geezam blog article entitled “Apple’s Appointment hands-on Approach is why Apple Watch succeeded”.

This time around, there is the possibility that Apple might introduce a hydrogen Fuel cell to make their smartwatch last for months and days instead of 2 days as predicted in my blog article entitled “How 12 million Apple Watch in 2015 needs Hydrogen Fuel Cells to beat Huawei, Fitbit, Xiaomi, Garmin and Tag Heuer”. 

Combined with the ratification of the eSIM which will make smartphones smaller as noted in my blog article entitled “How GSMA's eSIM heralds SIM-Less Smartwatches from Samsung, LG, Microsoft and Huawei”, expect the Apple Watch to expand their dominance of the smartwatch world, killing both Android wear and the Swiss Watch maker in one blow.