PREVENT N1H1 - 80% global population can contract H1N1; Simple Steps to prevent "Swine Flu"!

The A/H1N1 flu epidemic may not end until 80 percent of global population are infected by the disease, predicted a source from WHO.

“People’s daily” wrote on Thursday that this autumn has been longer and warmer than previous years, prompting doctors to warn that it could lead to a rapid spread of flu infections.

Unfortunately, the A/H1N1flu and seasonal flu have too many similar symptoms, which threatens the public because people hardly distinguish them.

Like the seasonal flu viruses, the A/H1N1 virus also infects the airway and nasal tract, but in some individuals, it continues to move down and infect the lungs or cause gastrointestinal problems.

It's “very unusual” for seasonal flu viruses to infect lungs, said Dr. Brown, a virologist at the University of Ottawa. The A/H1N1 virus causes lung infection much more often and “more completely,” he said which is why some people have ended up in intensive care units or even dying from complications of the virus.

However, there is also an optimistic voice. A report from Toronto Star on Oct, 28 believed the panic caused by A/H1N1 was unnecessary. The global death toll of the disease is less than 5000, while normally the seasonal flu claims 250,000 to 500,000 people each year.

In Australia, about 3000 people die of seasonal flu every year.However, only 185 have died because of the A/H1N1 virus so far the daily concluded.

Simple Steps to Prevent "Swine Flu":
As stated above, the only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it is almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions.

While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps can be practiced:

1-Gargle twice a day with warm salt water or Listerine (If you don't trust salt); H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat / nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation.In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Do not underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.

2-Frequent hand washing. (Well highlighted in all official communications).

3-"Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).

4-Similar to (1) clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils
with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.

5-Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (citrus fruits).If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.

6-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.

Stay Informed

The situation with H1N1 flu can change daily. Gather information on a regular basis from reliable sources, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and your local or state health department. You can visit the CDC Web site at www.cdc.gov/H1N1Flu/ for more information.

Stay informed, but do not constantly watch broadcast news or continually check online news sources. Excessive attention to news coverage can be unnecessarily stressful, especially for children.

Seek information on public services that may close, so that you can plan ahead.
You can find additional information on planning and preparing for pandemic flu at RedCross.org and Flu.gov.
Stay connected
Stay in touch with others by telephone, e-mail and other means should you be unable to get around due to movement restriction measures.

Increase Your Psychological Resilience
Psychological resilience is your ability to “bounce back” from difficult events. Certain strategies can increase your resilience and bring about new emotional strengths. The following tips can help you deal with life’s difficulties, including a pandemic.
Identify how you cope with a crisis
Identify your coping strengths. What other crises have occurred in your life? How did they affect you? How did you cope? Did your coping style work? Are there other ways you might cope?
Foster healthy attitudes and beliefs
Crises and difficult circumstances are stressful but can be overcome. Focus on finding solutions and ways to improve your situation.
Choose nurturing and healthy behaviors
Identify your goals and move toward them, even though progress may seem slow at times. Take decisive action in protecting and preparing yourself and your loved ones, rather than letting the pandemic situation make your choices for you.
Professional Help
Seek professional mental health care for yourself or your loved
ones if you or they experience—

Loss of sleep, frequent nightmares or disruptive and intrusive thoughts.

Feelings of depression or feelings that lead to an inability to engage in usual activities.

Disorientation, extreme memory difficulties or losing awareness of time, date and place.

Hallucinations or delusions, such as hearing or seeing things that are not here, extremely unrealistic thinking or excessive preoccupation with an idea or thought.

A previously identified mental health condition recurs or becomes worse.
If these circumstances occur, contact your personal physician or mental health provider. If you are currently working with a mental health provider, ask how services will be provided during a pandemic, and consider or discuss how you might get needed support or assistance from family and friends. You can also seek local mental health resources by contacting the U.S. National Mental Health Information Center at mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/databases or 1-800-789-2647.