you know we ROCK.

title:
date: Tuesday, May 5, 2009
time:8:22 PM

Heyy there , Fadzly here ! I'm here to tell you about the seriousness of the Swine Flu .
Read along !

Latest information

Current Alert Status:Orange
ALERT ORANGE: Virus becoming increasingly better adapted to humans but may not yet be fully transmissible, requiring close contact with an index case. Larger clusters appear in one or two places outside Singapore but a pandemic has not yet been declared.

Current WHO Pandemic Status*: 5
Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus into at least two countries in one WHO region. While most countries will not be affected at this stage, the declaration of Phase 5 is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.

Affected Areas**:
--> Mexico
--> USA@
--> Canada: Province of Nova Scotia
** The definition of ‘affected areas’: areaswith evidence of local human to humantransmission of Influenza A(H1N1-2009)
@ States of New York, California and Texas

Note: * As of 30 April 09, WHO( World Health Organisation) will refer to the new influenza virus as Influenza A(H1N1).

Situation in Singapore
As of 5 May 09, there are no human cases of Influenza A (H1N1-2009) in Singapore. Our Disease Outbreak Response System Alert status remains at ORANGE and precautionary measures are in place to forestall the spread of the virus to Singapore for as long as possible.
In Singapore, we had two additional cases for investigations today. Of the 29 cases investigated thus far, 24 cases have tested negative for Influenza A, 4 tested positive for the usual circulating seasonal strains of Influenza A, and 1 is pending laboratory investigations.

Measures Implemented:

Singaporeans who stayed at Metropark Hotel Wanchai in Hong Kong on 30 April 09:
--> Seven Singaporeans who have stayed at the same Metropark Hotel as Hong Kong’s index case are currently under quarantine in Hong Kong. They are doing well.

Home Quarantine Order
--> The Home Quarantine Order came into effect on 4 May. As of 1700 hrs on 5 May, a total of 8 HQOs have been issued. Travellers entering Singapore with a travel history to Mexico over the past seven days will be quarantined for seven days when they enter Singapore from when they were last in Mexico. To date, 2 were issued to foreign residents and 6 were issued to Singaporeans.

Healthcare Institutions
Temperature screening and screening for flu like symptoms for visitors to clinical care areas would be implemented
Hospital staff are required to don PPE in all areas with patient contact
The number of visitors would also be restricted to one visitor per patient. This will help facilitate contact tracing and will reduce potential exposure of the Influenza A (H1N1-2009) virus.

Here are some advise from the WHO ;

How to Protect Yourself

1. For personal protection, the following is essential:
2. Clean hands with soap and water frequently
3. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough
4. Do not touch your mouth, nose and eyes
5. Stay home and avoid crowded places (including trains, buses) when you are unwell
6. Put on a surgical mask and see a doctor if you have flu symptoms

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