The first suggestion to our readers: Don’t panic. Virulence and mortality rate of swine flu is just about one percent, less than that of common flu. We all should instead focus on preventive measures such as covering mouth and nose with handkerchief while coughing and sneezing, washing hands properly with soap after coughing and sneezing, refraining from taking hands unnecessarily to mouth, nose and eyes and avoiding unnecessary travel and crowded places. We should also watch out for early symptoms: High fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue or tiredness, diarrhea, vomiting , difficulty in respiration and pneumonia in serious cases.
The health establishment should now focus on tracking patients and treating them instead of engaging in futile attempts of screening passengers at the entry points at the borders. They should have heeded the call by Dr Margaret Chan, Director General of the World Health Organization, who had earlier advised the Nepali officials not to waste scarce human sources in the screening process. Such screening processes are generally deemed ineffective since only about 33 percent of the infected patients show symptoms of the virus. We also urge the health officials to pay special attention to the vulnerable groups: Children, pregnant women and patients with other health conditions like respiratory disease, immunosuppression and diabetics.
All said, the most effective weapon in addressing the menace of swine fly is wide-reaching sensitization campaigns that informs and educates the masses about the need to adhere to a few basic health rules such as washing hands with soap. A study carried out by Equity in Health Sector in 2006 had found that only 12 percent people in Nepal wash hands thrice a day using soap. We must ensure that everyone follows such elementary health practises so that diseases like swine flu can be kept at bay.
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