It has been confirmed that three H1N1 flu cases were suspected at the Yangon General Hospital.
For the past few days, the potential outbreak of the H1N1 flu has caught the attention of the Burmese people especially on Facebook as there were many fatalities resulted in 2009 due to this influenza.
Protect your loved ones (that includes yourself!) by preventing the flu from spreading.
How do I know if I have the flu?
The symptoms of the swine flu are similar to that of a normal flu, and usually develop about one to three days after the infection.
According to CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), you may have the flue if you have some or all of these symptoms and the symptoms obstruct you from your daily routines:
- Fever
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Body Aches
- Headache
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Diarrhea and Vomiting
If you find out that you have some of these symptoms, CDC recommends that you stay at home for 24 hours before calling a health care provider and see if the fever goes down with normal flu treatment.
Below are the measures you can take to prevent this flu
- Use a mask
This prevents illness from spreading to you, and vice-versa.
2. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough
Covering your mouth and nose with a tissue or mask will prevent the disease from spreading to others.
- Wash your hands frequently
Wash your hand thoroughly and frequently. If you don’t have a place to wash your hands, keep an alcohol-based hand sanitizer in your disposal.
4.Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Flu germs usually spread due to a person touching contaminated places. Touching your eyes, nose and mouth may allow the flu to spread to you.
- Avoid contact with others.
Avoid the public transportation and crowded places. It is easy to get the flu from an infected person inside buses and trains with no air circulation.
- Stay at home if you’re sick.
This will prevent the spreading of germs to others at school and work. It is also good to not over stress your body and get some rest when you are ill.
- Stay clean.
Disinfect and clean surfaces that are frequently in contact at home, work and school. Let the air circulate at your work place, home and school. This will let the stale air out and fresh air in.
- Watch your diet.
Drink plenty fluid and get a good sleep. Eat healthy and nutritious food such fruits rich in Vitamin C (e.g. Oranges, Kiwi, Lime, Strawberries, etc.)
9. Get influenza vaccine shot
It’s advisable to get influenza vaccine shot yearly to prevent and lessen the chance for contraction of the flu.
Take care, everyone. Protect yourself and everybody around you!
