Why we should cover our mouth when sneezing?

Here are some slow motion pictures of why we shouldn't sneeze on public places!






Sneezing, or "sternutation" as it's also called, is your body's way of removing foreign matter from your nose and throat. There are other causes of sneezing, and a lot more to this seemingly simple act than you can imagine.

Sneezing isn't normally a sign that something serious is wrong with your body. It's commonly caused by allergies, irritants such as dust or smoke, using nasal sprays, drug withdrawal, and foreign objects in your nose.

Sneezing is a very big deal in terms of spreading virus, that's why we should cover our mouth when sneezing, or if we can, avoid sneezing in crowded places, to prevent others from being infected.

Asia's first death related to Influenza A (H1N1) is from the Philippines

Department of Health today reported the death of a 49-year old female who is known to have a pre-existing chronic heart disease was also found to be positive for A (H1N1). He said that the patient presented with flu-like symptoms starting on June 17 consisting of dry cough, fever and chills and difficulty of breathing just before death on June 19.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said that post-autopsy findings disclosed that the death was caused by congestive heart failure secondary to acute myocardial infarction aggravated by severe pneumonia either bacterial, viral or both. He said a throat-swab revealed that she was positive for A (H1N1).

“Given the available information, we cannot conclude that the death is due to A (H1N1). But in other countries which have reported A (H1N1) deaths, majority have pre-existing medical conditions. We condole with the family of the patient as we mourn her untimely death,’’ Duque said.

Because of this first reported case of death in a patient with an incidental finding of A (H1N1) in the country, Duque said that the Department of Health will be more aggressive in targeting segments of patients with a high vulnerability to fatal flu complications saying that they should be the ones receiving the most care and attention by health care professionals.

“We want to make it clear that high-risk groups, once they have the flu symptoms, should immediately go to their doctor. They should not wait for their symptoms to worsen because they are prone to many infections other than the novel virus such as our seasonal flu strains. These are patients with uncontrolled diabetes, frank cardiovascular disease, COPD, organ transplant recipients, those who are immuno compromised, those with chronic liver and kidney disease, people suffering from other infections like HIV/AIDs and TB, pregnant women and the very young and the elderly,” Duque clarified.

At present, the DOH is revising the interim guidelines for managing and treating A (H1N1) cases to ensure that vulnerable populations are prioritized and receive immediately the appropriate modicum of care. This is in accordance with the Pandemic Alert Level 6 declaration of the World Health Organization which recommends to its member states to focus on managing cases, especially severe ones, rather than containment to prevent the spread of the virus.

“We would like to reemphasize that, globally and locally, the overwhelming majority of cases only experience mild symptoms and, eventually, make a rapid and full recovery, often even without any form of medical intervention,” Duque stressed.

“It is prudent for parents to seek professional care for children with rapid breathing, excessive drowsiness or dehydration. In adults, chest pain, prolonged fever or labored breathing should prompt warnings to see a doctor,” Duque reminded the public.

“We need to make sure that our resources are efficiently used and that they will give us the best outcomes by targeting people who are at risk for developing complications,’ Duque said. Meanwhile, Duque advised the public to continue heeding the recommendations of the DOH on proper handwashing, cough etiquette, and other hygiene practices.

“The best defense against A (H1N1) and other diseases is to boost your immune system. Most people can fight off this virus without special medications or hospitalization. You can stay at home and take supportive care like plenty of fluids, vitamins and bed rest,” Duque stressed.

Duque also disclosed that 35 more have fully recovered from the novel virus, thus bringing the total count of those who have fully recovered to 374. This number constitutes 84% of the total confirmed cases reported since May 21.

Duque also said that there are 17 more confirmed cases recorded today. These additional patients bring the total sum of confirmed cases to 445.

The new 17 cases involved 8 males and 9 females. The age range of these cases is 11-58 years old, with 19 as median age. Duque noted that 15 of these cases are Filipinos, while the remaining 2 are foreigners. He added that of 3 of these 17 cases have travelled to a country affected with A (H1N1). On the other hand, as of June 19, the World Health Organization reported 44,287 cases with 180 deaths from 90 reporting countries.

source: http://www.doh.gov.ph/

RP first Influenza A (H1N1) Case

No Country is safe against N1H1 Too bad our country is now on the list of N1H1 case because the Department of Health is officially announcing this evening the first confirmed case of Influenza A (H1N1) in the Philippines.

A The 10-year-old arrived in the Philippines with her parents on May 18, Monday, from the United States and Canada. A throat specimen was collected, and was tested at the Research Institute of Tropical Medicine (RITM) on May 20, Wednesday, after she developed fever, sore throat and cough.

Today, RITM confirmed that the specimen tested positive for the novel Influenza A (H1N1) on PCR using the primers sent by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

She was immediately started on an antiviral, Oseltamivir, and given supportive care. At this time, the patient is continuously being monitored. She no longer has fever or cough, but still has sore throat.

The DOH would like to emphasize that there is no community level outbreak in the country and measures are being done by the government to prevent transmission, starting with the quarantine of household close contacts.

The family of the patient has been informed and advised about the situation. We would like to thank them for their cooperation and willingness to comply with the recommendations of the DOH. They were advised to observe self-monitoring, home quarantine, social distancing, proper hygiene and respiratory etiquette procedures.

DOH appeal to our media partners and the rest of the nation to respect the privacy and anonymity of the patient and her family. Rest assured that any information vital to protect public health and safety will be appropriately shared to those concerned.

The DOH also stresses that the discovery of this first case of Influenza A(H1N1) in the Philippines is something we have been preparing for and is a result of the collective efforts of both public and private sectors as well as the effective surveillance system which we have put in place.

The DOH has already notified the International Health Regulations (IHR) and will submit its official report in 24 hours.

Influenza A (H1N1) is currently affecting 41 other countries with 11,034 cases and 85 deaths. Thus far, the behavior of the virus is to cause generally mild illness and low mortality (<1%)>

This development only shows the vulnerability of all countries to the threat of Influenza A (H1N1) which indicates that no nation and no government should be complacent. Thus, we continue to strengthen our systems for surveillance, early detection and management and effective response. We are also closely coordinating with the WHO, other agencies of government and the private sector to effectively combat the virus.

THe DOH's stockpiles of Oseltamivir is currently sufficient at 1 million capsules and have been distributed in regional hubs all over the country. DOH would like to remind the public that Oseltamivir may only be dispensed and taken upon the advice of your doctor. Irrational use can result in drug resistance that causes the drug to become ineffective in the future.

DOH reiterate to the public that government is on top of the situation and everyone is advised to be vigilant. If you have arrived from an affected country and develop flu-like symptoms (or TRANGKASO) such as fever, sore throat and cough, immediately consult a medical professional or call the DOH Hotline at (02) 711-1001 or 711-1002.

This situation is evolving globally. DOH will give regular updates to the media and the public as information becomes available.

To know more about Influenza A(H1N1), you may go to the DOH Influenza A(H1N1) Website at www.doh.gov.ph/h1n1

Flu: not a common cold

Many people believe that of "flu" is the same disease as the common cold and that is relatively harmless condition. This is a misconception, since every year millions of people around the world are infected by the flu virus, which causes thousands of people to die as a result of its complications.

Flu is a highly contagious viral disease, which spread quickly by small airborne particles through talking, coughing and sneezing. A flu episode could result in minimum of five days bed rest as well as a two-week recovery period. Characteristics of flu symptoms are coughing, headache, fever, muscle aches and extreme fatigue. influenza can lead to serious pulmonary complications including pneumonia, croup,asthma and bronchitis and can cause death among high-risk people

By comparison a cold is transmitted in a similar manner to flu and may have similar symptoms, but is a milder form of respiratory infection and usually less severe symptoms. It is also not as dangerous as flu.

Everyone is at risk for contracting influenza, however those at risk of developing complications from flu include people of 65 years of age or older with underlying chronic heart and lung disease including asthma, with metabolic disease like diabetes and renal failure, children on aspirin therapy and those who are immuno- suppressed. Persons who come who come in contact with such high-risk individuals. such as caregivers and household contacts shroud also be vaccinated.

Flu treatments are not always satisfactory. Antibiotics are ineffective against the virus although they may help with the treatment of complications and secondary infections like bacterial pneumonia. On the other hand, vaccination against flu has been repeatedly shown to reduce the incidence of flu or at least reduce its severity, and remained the most effective method of controlling it