Swine flu update
A school in Sharjah is closed for a week, and Oman has postponed the school year to curb the spread of the virus.
September 3, 2009 1:40 by kippreport
Oman, on the other hand, has postponed the start date of public schools from August 29 to September 26 in a bid to slow the spread of the virus. The nation announced its tenth swine flu-related fatality this week. The country currently has around 763 H1N1 confirmed cases.
The director general of the World Health Organization (WHO) Margaret Chan said the flu spreads four times faster than other viruses: “This virus travels at an unbelievable, almost unheard of speed,” she told France’s Le Monde in an interview last Saturday. “In six weeks it travels the same distance that other viruses take six months to cover.”
“Sixty percent of the deaths cover those who have underlying health problems,” Chan said. “This means that 40 percent of the fatalities concern young adults – in good health – who die of a viral fever in five to seven days.
“This is the most worrying fact,” she said, adding “up to 30 percent of people in densely populated countries risked getting infected.”
Chan’s statement came a day after the WHO said the virus had become the most prevalent flu strain in the world.
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1 Comment
YES your report got it right when it stated ‘SHOWED SYMPTOMS’ which can be having a slightly raised temperature, feeling hot or cold, coughing, sneezing, etc. When the Ministry states that the population are NOT to be tested in mass for Swine Flu then it has done its research well. Treat each case as an individual situation and monitor the person’s progress towards sickness or wellness. By all means act fast if the doctor or nurse are of the opinion it is necessary but for goodness sake DO NOT PANIC. These symptoms are the same normal ones for a person not feeling well for a day or two. Whilst they can escalate fast they can also disappear in a day or two. When they are at a stage that Swine Flu testing is necessary and the results are positiive then it is a totally different matter.