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Offline D.H.W

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SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« on: June 05, 2009, 10:03:48 AM »
Just heard we have the first confirmed case of swine flu in trinidad , Health Minister just confirmed it
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Offline STEUPS!!

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2009, 10:17:12 AM »
nuttin cyah pass we straight in sweet t&t nah
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Offline capodetutticapi

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #2 on: June 05, 2009, 01:32:27 PM »
we does feel left out ez ez
soon ah go b ah lean mean bulling machine.

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #3 on: June 05, 2009, 08:53:30 PM »
Ministry mum on H1N1 victim's ID
Aabida Allaham

Saturday, June 6th 2009


system worked: Dr Helmer Hilwig

THIS country's worst fears were confirmed yesterday after a second test done on a Trinidadian woman initially believed to have contracted the H1N1 virus returned positive. However, a veil of secrecy still surrounds her identity and place of residence, as top health officials, including Health Minister Jerry Narace, remained tight-lipped on these details despite confirming her status yesterday.

According to Narace, after running several tests on the woman - who returned from a trip through Europe recently - at the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC), it was confirmed she has Influenza A (H1N1).

"This was confirmed late yesterday evening when the Ministry received a written confirmation of the latest test results of a sample sent to the Caribbean Epidemiology Centre (CAREC)," Narace said at a press conference at the Ministry of Health in Port of Spain.

"Although the patient is doing well, she still remains in isolation (at her home) and is being monitored by Ministry of Health doctors. The Ministry also developed a list of persons with whom this patient has been in contact and has been following up with all of them. So far, there are no indications of illness or symptoms in any of them."

The Minister, who cut short his trip to Jamaica where he was attending the 18th meeting of the Caricom Council for Human and Social Development, said the woman had a mild strain of the virus because she was sleeping next to her sister and nothing was wrong with her (sister) or the relatives she shares a home with.

Chief Medical Officer, Dr Anton Cumberbatch, said when the patient came through Piarco International Airport she showed no signs or symptoms of the virus. And when she first got sick and visited the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex (EWMSC) in Mount Hope, the first screening test returned negative.

However, because they never accept a negative result as the final outcome, they performed a confirmatory test on her swab samples at the Public Health Lab, which came back positive. He said at that point, they contacted her and started treating her for influenza A while they ran another test at CAREC to confirm if it was in fact H1N1.

"We have screening test and confirmatory test ... and the protocol that we have in place is that even though the screening test comes back negative, we do not accept that first negative as negative, so we double check," he added.

Head of the Accident and Emergency at the EWMSC, Dr Helmer Hilwig, who has been treating the woman, said although the event was not welcoming, he was pleased with the outcome because it showed that the screening system the Ministry had in place could in fact work the way it was supposed to.

"I am very pleased with the things that I saw. It's very nice to see that your surveillance is just like other countries ... she travelled extensively through Europe, but their surveillance system was unable to detect it at that time because she had no symptoms. But because of the system here, she was tested," Hilwig said.

Nevertheless, Narace admitted that their work had just started and as a result of the first confirmed index case, they will be heightening surveillance at all the nation's ports of entry.

Narace said additionally, "now, more than ever, our vigilance of screening and respiratory hygiene remains critical. I appeal to all citizens to follow all recommended preventative measures to contain the spread". He said they had received additional supplies of Tamiflu, an additional 450 kits of personal protective equipment, and a promise of US$70,000 from the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) to assist them in their pandemic approach to dealing with the virus.

The Express understands medical staff at the EWMSC were asked, as of yesterday, to report to work in their regular clothes, bathe and then slip into their work uniforms, to ensure there is no spread of the virus, since this is where the woman first went to report her symptoms.

http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161487396
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Offline STEUPS!!

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SWINE FLU
« Reply #4 on: June 09, 2009, 05:26:42 PM »
allyuh, jus heard on d news that a woman in tobago WHO WAS AT D GAME ON SATURDAY is being tested for swine flu after displayin the symptoms for d virus. apparently d lady came back from new york recently.

over d weekend she got a call from her friend who she was stayin with in new york and her friend told her she tested positve for the swine flu.

i jus hope dis lady test negative for d sake of all of us who went d game.

 :praying: :praying: :praying: :praying: :praying: :praying:
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Offline weary1969

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Re: SWINE FLU
« Reply #5 on: June 09, 2009, 05:30:45 PM »
allyuh, jus heard on d news that a woman in tobago WHO WAS AT D GAME ON SATURDAY is being tested for swine flu after displayin the symptoms for d virus. apparently d lady came back from new york recently.

over d weekend she got a call from her friend who she was stayin with in new york and her friend told her she tested positve for the swine flu.

i jus hope dis lady test negative for d sake of all of us who went d game.

 :praying: :praying: :praying: :praying: :praying: :praying:
 :nailbiting: :nailbiting: :nailbiting: :nailbiting: :nailbiting:

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #6 on: June 09, 2009, 10:28:36 PM »
as my doc sed, "best get it now than when it mutates. at least u may possess some immunity towards it."  the common cold is more deadly than swine flu at present btw. however, hopefully it doesnt spread down here. treating it as u would the regular flu is the acceptable "home" treatment but for those living in poor conditions it would be a struggle and u already know how slow the healthcare system is to react. imagine if the number of ppl going in to local hospitals w/ potential cases swine flu increases...

Offline NYtriniwhiteboy..

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #7 on: June 09, 2009, 11:04:12 PM »
this ting is no worse than the normal influenza...more die yearly from the strain of the year than from swine flu.
if yuh freaking out becuz pple dying, then check why they die. Just like any flu it kills those who have compromised immune systems (the old, TB, AIDS, young babies.)
honestly this ting is super exaggerated by the media.
If you are healthy and have gotten the flu before, with no underlying problems, then no real reason to worry.
Most pple who get swine flu just go to the doc and take a couple sick days. No big effin ting!
Back in Trini...

Offline D.H.W

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #8 on: June 12, 2009, 10:04:39 AM »
Student in tobago confirmed to have swine flu
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Offline Mr Fix-it

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #9 on: June 12, 2009, 11:19:06 AM »
Student in tobago confirmed to have swine flu

Take 2 advil and call me in the morning..... :beermug:
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Offline blurpleen3630

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #10 on: June 12, 2009, 12:01:03 PM »
Student in tobago confirmed to have swine flu
is a student from my school bishops high now come off d phone wid d person she say d doctors told her probably get it from sombody else in school n i tink her whole class including my cousin gehin quarantined buh i listenin ou tto d news i hearin talk bout is 12 suspected cases not to sure bout dat part but no school next week n they tellin all BHS people with flu like symtoms to go to the hospital to get swabbed..
« Last Edit: June 12, 2009, 12:08:14 PM by blurpleen3630 »

Offline STEUPS!!

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #11 on: June 12, 2009, 05:46:27 PM »
Student in tobago confirmed to have swine flu
is a student from my school bishops high now come off d phone wid d person she say d doctors told her probably get it from sombody else in school n i tink her whole class including my cousin gehin quarantined buh i listenin ou tto d news i hearin talk bout is 12 suspected cases not to sure bout dat part but no school next week n they tellin all BHS people with flu like symtoms to go to the hospital to get swabbed..

punctuation sweetie  ;)           
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Offline blurpleen3630

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #12 on: June 13, 2009, 06:16:08 AM »
Student in tobago confirmed to have swine flu
is a student from my school bishops high now come off d phone wid d person she say d doctors told her probably get it from sombody else in school n i tink her whole class including my cousin gehin quarantined buh i listenin ou tto d news i hearin talk bout is 12 suspected cases not to sure bout dat part but no school next week n they tellin all BHS people with flu like symtoms to go to the hospital to get swabbed..

punctuation sweetie  ;)           

hehe

Offline D.H.W

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #13 on: June 13, 2009, 05:02:08 PM »
3 CONFIRM IN TOBAGO
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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #14 on: June 16, 2009, 05:03:08 PM »
8 swine flu cases confirmed overall.

Female Police officer confirmed Chaguanas police station
1 more female officer under testing.

national volleyball team confirmed
Central cop catches swine flu
100 police officers to be tested
Richard Charan South Bureau

Wednesday, June 17th 2009



STATION precaution: A police officer wears a protective mask at the Chaguanas Police Station yesterday after an officer attached to the station was diagnosed with influenza/A H1N1 virus. -Photo: DAVE PERSAD
At least 100 police officers working out of the Police Central Division will be tested for the deadly influenza A/H1N1 swine flu virus-after a police officer working out of the Chaguanas Police Station tested positive for the virus that has killed dozens and sickened thousands across the globe.

The news panicked some officers who refused to enter the police buildings to take up duty. The fear only grew after reports that a second female officer working at the station fell ill Monday night and was awaiting the result of tests to determine if she had contracted the illness.

The women are on medical leave, and are being treated at home.

There are at least seven confirmed cases of H1N1 virus in Trinidad and Tobago.

It was likely that the officers contracted the virus from a person who came to the police station charge room last week, the Express was told.

Police officers work four shifts out of the Central Division Headquarters attached to units including Task Force, E-999, Court and Process, Criminal Investigations Department, and charge room.

The senior officers of the division also work from the headquarters.

The Police Second Division Association said it supported the decision of police officers and advised that they follow the guidelines of the Ministry of Health and take all precautions to prevent transmission.

By noon, Acting Police Commissioner James Philbert had acted. A maintenance crew began scrubbing and sanitising the police station. People coming to the station were stopped at the gates and attended to there.

In a media release yesterday, the Police Service advised that the Chaguanas Police Station would not be closed, based on the advice of the County Medical Officer of Health.

"Commissioner Philbert is informing persons who may have concerns about the situation at Chaguanas, to visit and make their reports at the police stations in either Couva, Cunupia, Brasso, Caroni, Freeport, Gran Couva and Longdenville," it said.

He stated all police officers at Chaguanas will be tested. Officers have been advised that they are to refer anyone coming to the station who displays flu-like symptoms to the Chaguanas Health Facility.

Last night a mobile police post was set up in the front yard of the Chaguanas Catholic Church, across the road from the station.



« Last Edit: June 17, 2009, 05:04:03 PM by Die.Hard.Warrior »
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Offline D.H.W

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #15 on: June 17, 2009, 05:02:29 PM »
18 CONFIRMED CASES NOW
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Offline Bourbon

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #16 on: June 17, 2009, 05:23:22 PM »
My friend went Tobago recently....went the 8th...come back the 13th.......have flu symptoms.......headache..fever...everything. She start to wonder..and decide to go and check it out..especially as she heard about the cases in Tobago. Gone Mount Hope...doctors tell she dem only dealing with people who travel to either Mexico or USA.



 :-\
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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #17 on: June 17, 2009, 07:32:03 PM »
u know what i dont get... why the ass ppl complaining how they have no surgical masks???that doesnt stop the virus and also it gives ppl a stupid reason to not give much concern about the virus while among others

Offline Brownsugar

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #18 on: June 19, 2009, 02:44:06 PM »
My friend went Tobago recently....went the 8th...come back the 13th.......have flu symptoms.......headache..fever...everything. She start to wonder..and decide to go and check it out..especially as she heard about the cases in Tobago. Gone Mount Hope...doctors tell she dem only dealing with people who travel to either Mexico or USA.



 :-\

 :rotfl: :rotfl: U serious??!!
My best friend's son caught it.  He attends the Bishop's High School which was closed last week and this week coming up.   From what she is telling me, the health authorities ARE NOT ready to deal with a wide spread epidemic (if one breaks out) across here.  Everybody behaving clueless and moving vyke vie.....sstteeuuppsss!!

"...If yuh clothes tear up
Or yuh shoes burst off,
You could still jump up when music play.
Old lady, young baby, everybody could dingolay...
Dingolay, ay, ay, ay ay,
Dingolay ay, ay, ay..."

RIP Shadow....The legend will live on in music...

Offline D.H.W

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #19 on: June 20, 2009, 05:01:56 PM »
7 more cases confirmed
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Offline Bourbon

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #20 on: June 20, 2009, 05:32:25 PM »
My sister school get it. When i hear i tell she make sure not to bring it in my mudder house. She lucky i wasnt home when she come home else i woulda bathe she down with black disinfect.
The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today are Christians who acknowledge Jesus ;with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.

Offline lefty

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #21 on: June 20, 2009, 05:45:51 PM »
My sister school get it. When i hear i tell she make sure not to bring it in my mudder house. She lucky i wasnt home when she come home else i woulda bathe she down with black disinfect.

naaaahhh u eh easy, dat bad >:(, damn  :rotfl:, but bad >:(
I pity the fool....

Offline weary1969

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #22 on: June 20, 2009, 06:00:12 PM »
My sister school get it. When i hear i tell she make sure not to bring it in my mudder house. She lucky i wasnt home when she come home else i woulda bathe she down with black disinfect.

naaaahhh u eh easy, dat bad >:(, damn  :rotfl:, but bad >:(

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #23 on: June 20, 2009, 07:28:23 PM »
My sister school get it. When i hear i tell she make sure not to bring it in my mudder house. She lucky i wasnt home when she come home else i woulda bathe she down with black disinfect.

 ::)
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Offline NYtriniwhiteboy..

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #24 on: June 20, 2009, 09:00:33 PM »
My friend went Tobago recently....went the 8th...come back the 13th.......have flu symptoms.......headache..fever...everything. She start to wonder..and decide to go and check it out..especially as she heard about the cases in Tobago. Gone Mount Hope...doctors tell she dem only dealing with people who travel to either Mexico or USA.



 :-\

 :rotfl: :rotfl: U serious??!!
My best friend's son caught it.  He attends the Bishop's High School which was closed last week and this week coming up.   From what she is telling me, the health authorities ARE NOT ready to deal with a wide spread epidemic (if one breaks out) across here.  Everybody behaving clueless and moving vyke vie.....sstteeuuppsss!!


brownie ask yuh friend how bad it was...if the son healthy it eh no worse than the normal flu!
allyuh keep feeding into the panic...pple who die from this are usually suffering from secondary infections which drain the immune system.
another point for allyuh that freaking out...more pple die every year from the normal flu!!!!!
Back in Trini...

Offline Bourbon

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #25 on: June 20, 2009, 09:38:57 PM »



brownie ask yuh friend how bad it was...if the son healthy it eh no worse than the normal flu!
allyuh keep feeding into the panic...pple who die from this are usually suffering from secondary infections which drain the immune system.
another point for allyuh that freaking out...more pple die every year from the normal flu!!!!!


Exactly....buh rel ppl doh realise dat. I jus pappy showing de panic and ting. Ah mean...this admittedly have me more aware and concerned about people and dey germs. I gone outside..a man pass on a bike and cough and have me bummy. People wearing masks and ting..when dat eh helping yuh. I just fraid it mutate into something. And yes..WHO making this out to be more than it is..just like SARS and ting....so dey could curb it early. Feeding people panic is rel kicks doh. I tell my friend if she take a teaspoon of black disinfect she go wipe it out if she get a passing infection..de gyal say serious??!! I had to tell she i joking before she gone and do it. I eh go lie doh....i ketchin REL kicks off dis!!
« Last Edit: June 20, 2009, 09:42:46 PM by Bourbon »
The greatest single cause of atheism in the world today are Christians who acknowledge Jesus ;with their lips and walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.

Offline weary1969

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #26 on: June 20, 2009, 10:14:06 PM »
I eh get d hysteria bout this somebody educate meh nah. Sars was more dangerous not 2 mention we dodge d cholera bullet in d 90's. I just eh get it.
Today you're the dog, tomorrow you're the hydrant - so be good to others - it comes back!"

Offline Brownsugar

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #27 on: June 21, 2009, 05:13:04 AM »
My friend went Tobago recently....went the 8th...come back the 13th.......have flu symptoms.......headache..fever...everything. She start to wonder..and decide to go and check it out..especially as she heard about the cases in Tobago. Gone Mount Hope...doctors tell she dem only dealing with people who travel to either Mexico or USA.



 :-\

 :rotfl: :rotfl: U serious??!!
My best friend's son caught it.  He attends the Bishop's High School which was closed last week and this week coming up.   From what she is telling me, the health authorities ARE NOT ready to deal with a wide spread epidemic (if one breaks out) across here.  Everybody behaving clueless and moving vyke vie.....sstteeuuppsss!!


brownie ask yuh friend how bad it was...if the son healthy it eh no worse than the normal flu!
allyuh keep feeding into the panic...pple who die from this are usually suffering from secondary infections which drain the immune system.
another point for allyuh that freaking out...more pple die every year from the normal flu!!!!!


He had the usual flu symptoms as well as vomitting and had diarrhea.  The thing is when she took him to the hospital and it was confirmed that he had it, they told her they would have to keep him for observation.  BUT, they only then and there was going to arrange a specific ward, a part of the hospital that's no longer used.  Hot and musty not even the nurse want to stay there.  Mih friend take she chile and went home and eventually got some medication prescribed from a private doctor.....

And doh get mih wrong eh, I not panicking, I went Tobago and come back normal, normal this weekend.  The concern is more that I eh think the hospital ready for taking care of large influx of people if it were to come to that, but what else is new.... ::)
"...If yuh clothes tear up
Or yuh shoes burst off,
You could still jump up when music play.
Old lady, young baby, everybody could dingolay...
Dingolay, ay, ay, ay ay,
Dingolay ay, ay, ay..."

RIP Shadow....The legend will live on in music...

Offline sammy

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Re: SWINE FLU IN TRINIDAD!
« Reply #28 on: June 21, 2009, 04:50:02 PM »
My friend went Tobago recently....went the 8th...come back the 13th.......have flu symptoms.......headache..fever...everything. She start to wonder..and decide to go and check it out..especially as she heard about the cases in Tobago. Gone Mount Hope...doctors tell she dem only dealing with people who travel to either Mexico or USA.



 :-\

 :rotfl: :rotfl: U serious??!!
My best friend's son caught it.  He attends the Bishop's High School which was closed last week and this week coming up.   From what she is telling me, the health authorities ARE NOT ready to deal with a wide spread epidemic (if one breaks out) across here.  Everybody behaving clueless and moving vyke vie.....sstteeuuppsss!!


brownie ask yuh friend how bad it was...if the son healthy it eh no worse than the normal flu!
allyuh keep feeding into the panic...pple who die from this are usually suffering from secondary infections which drain the immune system.
another point for allyuh that freaking out...more pple die every year from the normal flu!!!!!


He had the usual flu symptoms as well as vomitting and had diarrhea.  The thing is when she took him to the hospital and it was confirmed that he had it, they told her they would have to keep him for observation.  BUT, they only then and there was going to arrange a specific ward, a part of the hospital that's no longer used.  Hot and musty not even the nurse want to stay there.  Mih friend take she chile and went home and eventually got some medication prescribed from a private doctor.....

And doh get mih wrong eh, I not panicking, I went Tobago and come back normal, normal this weekend.  The concern is more that I eh think the hospital ready for taking care of large influx of people if it were to come to that, but what else is new.... ::)

we have a lil family vacation to tobago coming up in a few weeks, but the family lil jumpy bout going, esp with the crowd in the airport and the POS port. Meh pardners cancel a lime across there this weekend also..........

i guess we have to wait and see how things going in the next few days before we make up our minds.
"Giving away something in charity does not cause any decrease in a person's wealth, but increases it instead. The person who adopt humility for the sake of Allah is exalted in ranks by Him".
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Offline Bitter

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Forget Tamiflu, try breeze instead
« Reply #29 on: June 22, 2009, 06:38:32 AM »
Forget Tamiflu, try breeze instead
with NAZMA MULLER

Sunday, June 21st 2009
http://www.trinidadexpress.com/index.pl/article_news?id=161494383

Medical director of the adult emergency department at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex in Mt Hope Dr Helmer Hilwig is in charge of screening, testing and treating the suspected and confirmed cases of swine flu in Trinidad.

Well appreciative of T&T culture, he is well-placed to understand the ways and means by which the A (H1N1) influenza virus can be transmitted, and how we can prevent it from spreading.

Q: Should we panic, doctor?
A: The swine flu, luckily, is still a mild to moderate virus. Initially, we were a little bit scared because so much people had died in Mexico, but after that, it started to slow down. ...Now we see that the people who died had morbid conditions, like the girl in Dominican Republic; first case in the Caribbean who died. She was 17, pregnant; she had tuberculosis. If you're like that and you get the virus, it might be the last drop that killed the horse. The other cases are, in principle, quite mild. It is even so that in the United States now, people say if you have mild symptoms, don't even bother to go to the hospital or go to a doctor. Just sit it out at home. And cases that I've treated here in Trinidad, the first day you're sick. The second day, you're kind of sick and within five days, all of them are back on their feet.

Didn't you give them Tamiflu?
I absolutely didn't give them Tamiflu. We are very restricted in our way how we providing Tamiflu. It's only a few doctors in the hospital who are allowed to prescribe Tamiflu. According to research done by the company that sells Tamiflu, it shortens the sickness process by 1.3 days maximum. So instead of being sick for seven days, you're sick for 5.7 days.

Okay, so we shouldn't panic?
No, no, no, no. Not at the moment. I don't want to say when this virus comes back after it has gone to Chile in the flu season, in the southern hemisphere, and it starts to mutate again and again-but you also have to keep in mind...SARS, which was quite deadly-40-50 per cent deaths-stopped in its tracks while Ebola, which is a really nasty virus, is still so contained...The virus that adapts itself nicely to the human environment will have a much better chance to survive and, therefore, when we start getting immune to the virus, it will mutate slightly and it comes back to haunt us. And then it will mutate slightly again and so on.

Trinidad is trying to do the impossible. We are a Caribbean island, so we can still track the trail of the virus a little bit. It comes in by plane-you know that? We have a good surveillance system. There's a case I can track back to a house in New York, and I know in which street that house is. We're small, everybody knows everybody, so we can still keep track of where it came from. But it's here to stay- there's no doubt about that. And there comes a moment when we cannot trace back anymore, it becomes community acquired, and you might wonder if that has happened in Tobago already where a Tobagonian is passing it on to other Tobagonians. The cases that I have dealt with, so far, I can still trace it back to the outside world. It all has to do with the United States.

But there comes a moment when we stop checking. Australia has stopped checking by the airport because there are hundreds of cases over there, and it makes no sense anymore... you cannot trace back anymore-it's just there. So you just deal with it. We were the 69th country to get it-so 68 countries before us. It is amazing that we could still keep it out so long. You have to keep in mind, in the United States, 35,000 people a year are dying from the normal flu virus and, so far, in the US, only 29 cases have died from the swine flu virus. So the normal flu virus is, in principle, worse than the swine flu virus. So that's why I tell the people who I've treated, "Yuh lucky that it is swine flu because you are now immune against swine flu. You don't have to worry about masks because you cannot get it anymore."

So even if it mutates and comes back, they will have immunity?
If it mutates, then, no. But for the present virus, they are the safest persons to talk to in Trinidad or to sleep with or to kiss or to cough with.

Okay, let's deal with the high-risk groups. We have a high number of HIV-positive people. Pregnant women, people who have asthma, pre-existing lung diseases, chronic obstructive airway disease, emphysema-you have to be careful because that can push them over the edge. The elderly, children under two years.

From the literature about swine flu, it seems that once we see the symptoms and we treat it, the person should be okay?

I don't think I will see anybody dying from the swine flu very soon, unless it is an elderly gentleman who already has, say, emphysema, is diabetic or has heart disease, kidney/renal failure- these are people you have to keep an eye on, people on dialysis. But for a healthy person like you, if you get swine flu, I wouldn't worry too much about that. And keep in mind, 98 per cent of the cases could be treated at home. Only two per cent needed hospitalisation. The fact that you test positive doesn't mean that you need to be in the hospital. The best place is to be at home. You sit at home, on your porch, you're fine.

A lifeguard thinks all of them should be outfitted with masks. I said the safest job in the entire world is being a lifeguard on the beach. Especially Mayaro beach because it always has breeze there. What is interesting is the girl [the first confirmed case in T&T] was sitting in the plane talking to the guy next to her for ten hours...The girl goes home, she stays there for about two to three days before she came by us and we could test her. In her home, she has her father, her mother and her sister who is sleeping with her-and she is unable to pass this virus on to any of her family members. They're living in a house with louvres, a door open, a little porch and a standing fan. And I am getting so convinced now that this is why in Africa-it might be that they don't test there properly yet, or they don't have the infrastructure-but you're not seeing many cases because they have an outside life. And it's the best place to be. The one place you cannot get it is on the beach.

Then why has it spread so quickly in Tobago where you imagine most people are outdoors or on the beach? Maybe the conditions were different?
Perhaps, they were different. I don't know yet. We still have to find out exactly what happened in Tobago.

What about offices with their air conditioning? Let's deal with the mask hysteria-do people need to wear masks on the street?
No. Because only when somebody coughs straight in your face.... That's why I say they can treat the people at home. I constantly tell them this. [He gets up and walks to the door.] You're in your room. I've confined you in your room. First, I want you to open your windows. And, if anybody comes into the room, you put back on your mask...

This virus is not alien, it's not from Mars. We know everything about it. We know that it takes one to four days to incubate. We know that after seven days, in principle, you cannot share it anymore. We know that it belongs to the Influenza A family. That is why we will have a vaccine in September. HIV when it came around, we didn't know anything. People were dying-from what? Was it a virus? Was it bacteria? We took years to find out.... But at this point, we still don't have a vaccine for HIV, and I'm telling you, in two to three months, some companies are going to make plenty money for a vaccine which gives you five or seven days of the flu. It would have been nice if we had spent all that money and effort in finding a vaccine for malaria or any other tropical disease. But we don't care so much because we don't see it so much in the Western hemisphere. But it's there, somewhere in Africa. Who cares about that?

And you're seeing it already in the newspapers-GlaxoSmithKline is willing to donate 36 million free doses to the Third World. Thirty-six million? We have six billion people in this world, of which five billion live below the poverty line. Novartis says they are willing to give it for a discount. It's the same thing with the anti-retroviral drugs...

So there is no doubt that there are some in the pharmaceutical industry who have an enormous interest in keeping the scare alive as long as possible. That is why everybody was angry with France because they bought up the entire Tamiflu supply. Britain announced that it had 36 million doses or whatever. And all this Tamiflu, I am sure, it will end up in the drains.

There's a misunderstanding that the virus is airborne, in that people can get it because it's in the air, and that's why they're wearing masks.

Yes, and it is not a virus that when I cough, it hangs now on the ceiling, waiting to jump on an innocent passer-by. Am I going to be sick? No. It's a very simple fact: it comes out of your mouth and it goes into your mouth. It doesn't go into your skin. So if you protect this [he covers his mouth and nose] and luckily, in Trinidad, we have a reasonably good cough etiquette already. Very few Trinidadians cough straight in your face cuz all the grannies and the mothers have to get complimented for the fact that Trinidadians have learnt you don't cough in somebody's face. Go and buy your doubles, and look at the man who is handling the money is not handling the paratha [bara], yeah? Because he will not sell one doubles. So in Trinidad, we have already a sense that your hands can be your enemy and your friends. In France, people buy the baguette and the baker gives you the change, and they put the baguette under their arm and go with it. And I never noticed it until I was in Trinidad!... What I hope will be the legacy of this virus is that we re-emphasise what we have already over other countries, which is that we wash our hands.

I want to get the message out: don't panic, it's just a flu.

Yes, correct.

...the only thing, perhaps, we should change is our social interaction. If I see you, I should go for the Indian way (he clasps his hands together and bows). Or you know, like the Japanese [he bows].

Natural ventilation, use it. When I was a young doctor, I worked at a children's hospital, and of course, it had endless amounts of viruses there. And then, you didn't have anybody who was immunised against mumps and rubella and all the viruses from the children. So what you had was a little balcony built on the northeast side because in Europe, you have a lot of northeastern winds, and I was always taught this, you examined the child, you go wash your hands, now, you go to the balcony, stand for two minutes in the wind, and sometimes it could be freezing cold, then you go back to the next child, wash your hands again, go back to the balcony. Because the wind kills the virus.

So in Mt Hope, I have arranged in the emergency department, we have a little area called the hyperbaric [area] where we're trying to keep the traffic away [to assess all respiratory cases]. The staff put on and take off their gowns outside, so you don't spread it. Now, the doctor has to walk via a little corridor on the outside, and the staircase is on the outside back into the emergency department, so you get a complete extra disinfection from just a little breeze in the outside world and in the sunshine. So we can use this advantage that we have over other countries.

What about your eyes? Some of the literature says they can be a point of entry for the virus?
Yeah, but it's very low on the list. It goes in here [pointing at his mouth] and here [pointing at his nose]. It can't go via your ears, your bottom, your toes. And 90 per cent of the cases, you did it yourself.
Bitter is a supercalifragilistic tic-tac-pro

 

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