H1N1 – What You Need To Know as a Member of the WLS Community

Join the forum discussion on this post

It’s here, it’s there, it’s everywhere – Now!

Seems like the Fall strain of H1N1 isn’t going to wait until we receive supplies of Flu vaccine which latest suppliers for Canada predict will not be available until late Nov, early Dec. In the mean time, H1N1 has already started running amok through communities across BC and Canada. Already H1N1 has hit parts of Southern and Central Vancouver Island with a vengeance.

Everyone can take advantage of the information in the next few paragraphs, but it is particularly crucial for the WLS Surgery Community and people with compromised immune systems. Most of us, whether Pre-op or Post-op have compromising medical conditions. This makes us HIGH risk for H1N1. The largest risk factors are for:

• people age 65 years or older
• children younger than 5 years old
• pregnant women
• people of any age with conditions like asthma, diabetes, obesity, heart disease, HIV/AIDS or other conditions that weaken the immune system

Flu Facts

• You cannot catch the flu from eating pork
• Incubation of the flu is 2 to 5 days. This means if you’re exposed on Monday, You’ll feel sick at the latest on the following Friday. You are contagious during the incubation period, even though you don’t feel sick
• The flu virus remains alive on hard surfaces from 2 to 8 hours after a person with the flu has touched or coughed/sneezed on something.
• If you think you’re sick or have a temperature, stay home until your temperature has remained normal for 24 hours.
• The flu is not an airborne, disease (Thank God) – but body fluids, especially sneeze droplets are completely saturated with the virus.

Flu Myths

FALSE – 1. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine or Hydrogen Peroxide if you don’t trust salt).  Not true – If you’re exposed after your 1st gargle of the day and before your 2nd gargle, you’ll still get the flu

FALSE- 2. Similar to 1 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water, or hydrogen peroxide. Nice try – same as 1 above. Get exposed between nostril “clean out” and you’ll still get the flu

FALSE – 3. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption. False – no study has proven any significant link between Vitamins and resistance to flu. Won’t hurt you though, so if it makes you feel “Super Hero” like by taking vitamin, then go for it, but don’t think for a minute it will protect you.

FALSE – 4. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm. False – Plenty of fluids is generally good for you, but “washing viruses down into your stomach??” Nope – this won’t work

In the last several weeks the items above that have been marked “FALSE” have been going around the Internet. Supposedly started in a SPAM mail coming out of India. Medical authorities across the US and Canada have declared all the of the items marked as  ”FALSE” to me medically unsound.

To get the real facts goto these websites:

www.fightflu.ca

www.gov.bc.ca/h1n1/

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

Increase Your Chances of Not Catching The Bug!

There are lots that each of us can do to help others not catch the flu and to protect ourselves. Let’s take a look at the most important ones:

• Get informed. Reading this and other resources is a great start!
• Pass it on – Send this article to the people you love, friends and anyone else that is important in your life. Remember, -> co-workers and neighbours are all around you. If they don’t know about the flu and how to handle it, they could inadvertently expose you.
• Wash your hands when ever you think of it.
• If your immune system is compromise or you have pre-existing medical challenges as describe above, check with your doctor and have her/him prescribe an anti virus medication like Tamiflu. Keep it on hand. As soon as you feel flu like symptoms, start the anti-virus medication. To work at all, these drugs have to be started within 24 hours of the appearance of flu symptoms.
• Learn to cough and sneeze the “New” way. Yeap ,there is a new way of coughing and sneezing and we all need to change our ways! No more covering your face with your hands, unless you use a disposable tissue and get rid of it immediately. My Grandmother use to tuck those used tissues up the sleeve on her arm. I think she reused those tissues for days! – One Sneeze, one tissue – then dispose
• All of us were told to cover our face with our hands if we didn’t have a tissue. NO MORE!. The new safer flu friendly way is to sneeze or cough into your arm pit. Keep the body fluids off your hands!
• Wash your hands when ever you think of it. (I know I said that already …but THIS is they most important action you can do.)
• Go here to learn how to wash your hand properly: http://www.ccohs.ca/pandemic/pdf/handwashing.pdf. Print it off and post it where ever people wash up.
• If you suspect you or others have the flu, wear a mask or ask them to wear one.
• Have Purell hand sanitizer at your front door and through your house. Carry a small bottle in your pocket or purse. Try and get your kids to take it and use it at school. Grade 1 through 5 kids are usually compliment enough to actually use it. Your greatest challenge will be middle and high school kids who believe it’s NOT cool or don’t think it can happen to them.
• Get your flu shot as soon as it’s available. (We’ve all heard the BS about getting the flu if you get the shot … It’s a 1 in a billion chance, if that!)  Basically an urban legend. There is absolutely no excuse not to get the flu shot unless you have an allergy to eggs or you’ve had an actual adverse reaction in the past to a flu shot.

How Do I Know If I Have H1N1?

Very good question! H1N1 isn’t the only flu going around at this moment. There are also several other flu’s expected, so being able to distinguish between the expected flu’s this Fall season is pretty important. Here’s what to look for:

• fever
• coughing
• headaches
• muscle or joint pain
• sore throat
• chills
• fatigue
• runny nose
• diarrhea and vomiting (in some cases)

According to the U.S. Centres for Disease Control (CDC), more than 70% of hospitalizations in the U.S. have been people with such underlying conditions.

However, there is some evidence that H1N1, like previous strains of pandemic influenza, can also cause serious illness in some otherwise healthy children and young adults.

Symptoms that may require medical attention

Certain symptoms may require emergency medical attention.

In children:

• signs of respiratory distress
• blue lips and skin
• dehydration
• rapid breathing
• excessive sleeping, extreme irritability and unwillingness to be held
• persistent vomiting
• the return of flu-like symptoms that include a fever and cough

In adults:

• shortness of breath
• pain in the chest or abdomen
• sudden dizziness or confusion
• persistent vomiting
• the return of flu-like symptoms that include a fever and cough

If you’re not sure about your symptoms, have a look at this decision chart produced by Quebec’s Ministry of Health.

What To Do If You or Your Family Get The Flu:

• If it looks like the flu, treat it like the flu
• Make sure you have at least 1 month’s worth of medications or prescriptions on hand through the flu season. The last thing you want to be doing  is going out to get prescriptions if you come down with the flu.
• Stay warm, take plenty of fluids. Hydrations is absolutely critical especially if you experience diarrhea. Stay in bed and rest.
• Use fever reducing medications like acetaminophen. It will make  reduce overall discomfort.
• Wear a mask so you do not expose others.
• Use a good disinfectant spray or disinfectant whips on hard surfaces at least twice a day throughout the course of the flu. (wear gloves and dispose of them after use) This includes door knobs, bathroom counters and other surfaces that flu patients may have touched.
• Wash all dishes in a dishwasher at the highest temperature or sanitized settings.
• Dispose of tissues in plastic bags not less than daily.
• Monitor the flu patient’s temperature often. Typically H1N1 flu temperatures are often high – 102 degrees F. or more  (38.8C). If fever goes above 103 degrees F (39.5C), start thinking about calling your doctor, ER or the HealthLink BC – just dial 8-1-1 to speak to a nurse 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
• If there are ANY breathing difficulties, call your doctor, ER or the HealthLink BC – just dial 8-1-1 IMMEDIATELY!
• Don’t go back out into the world until you’ve maintained a normal temperature (98.6 degrees F or 37 C) for a min of 24 hours. You’re contagious until you’ve maintained your normal temp for 24 hours!
• Last but NOT LEAST! – Live your lives. Don’t let H1N1 paralyse or panic you. Be smart and control H1N1! … not the other way around

The print function of this article is sponsored by BLAZE Website Designs

Do you want to sponsor future articles? Contact WLS Support

Author
Ron Merk

 Print This Post

Related posts:

1. CDC Says Lung Disease Linked To Obesity – Risk Factor For Swine Flu TORONTO — The U.S. Centres for Disease Control says chronic...