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Self-quarantine by returning vacationers suggested
28 June 2009
DOHA: The Filipino community in Qatar is not taking any chances and has stepped up an awareness drive to protect its members from infection by the h1n1 virus, which causes swine flu.
On Thursday, leaders from various groups belonging to the Filipino Community Organisation Alliance (FILCOA) were briefed anew about preventive measures against the h1n1 virus during a meeting at the Philippine Overseas Labour Office.
The briefing followed up on an orientation session conducted last month for the same individuals, but this time the presentation was more comprehensive and made by a Filipino nurse from the emergency department of Hamad Medical Corporation.
At the open forum, some 20 community leaders discussed the possibility of a self-quarantine measure for families returning from vacation in the Philippines, considering that swine flu cases continue to rise in that country.
A report from the Philippine Department of Health said that as of Friday, there were 861 confirmed cases of swine flu in the country, although 74 percent or 634 patients had already recovered.
The school nurse of Philippine School Doha (PSD) has also strongly recommended that families returning with their children from the Philippines after the school summer break quarantine themselves to prevent the possibility of the swine flu virus spreading in the school.
"This simple step is essential to make sure that all students and teachers of the school will be fit to start the school year right," said an advisory posted on the PSD website.
The Filipino community members expressed concern over the case of a Filipino couple who came down with swine flu after the husband returned from a trip to the United States. The two have since recovered from the illness.
Mark Santos, the Filipino nurse from HMC, explained during the briefing that wearing a protective mask to prevent infection by the virus was a wrong practice and the mask should be worn only by those who are infected.
The h1n1 virus is transmitted when an infected person sneezes or coughs without covering his nose and mouth, and the droplets are inhaled by another person.
The FILCOA leaders are expected to share what they learned from the briefing with their respective group members to spread awareness about the disease.
By Chris V Panganiban
28 June 2009
DOHA: The Filipino community in Qatar is not taking any chances and has stepped up an awareness drive to protect its members from infection by the h1n1 virus, which causes swine flu.
On Thursday, leaders from various groups belonging to the Filipino Community Organisation Alliance (FILCOA) were briefed anew about preventive measures against the h1n1 virus during a meeting at the Philippine Overseas Labour Office.
The briefing followed up on an orientation session conducted last month for the same individuals, but this time the presentation was more comprehensive and made by a Filipino nurse from the emergency department of Hamad Medical Corporation.
At the open forum, some 20 community leaders discussed the possibility of a self-quarantine measure for families returning from vacation in the Philippines, considering that swine flu cases continue to rise in that country.
A report from the Philippine Department of Health said that as of Friday, there were 861 confirmed cases of swine flu in the country, although 74 percent or 634 patients had already recovered.
The school nurse of Philippine School Doha (PSD) has also strongly recommended that families returning with their children from the Philippines after the school summer break quarantine themselves to prevent the possibility of the swine flu virus spreading in the school.
"This simple step is essential to make sure that all students and teachers of the school will be fit to start the school year right," said an advisory posted on the PSD website.
The Filipino community members expressed concern over the case of a Filipino couple who came down with swine flu after the husband returned from a trip to the United States. The two have since recovered from the illness.
Mark Santos, the Filipino nurse from HMC, explained during the briefing that wearing a protective mask to prevent infection by the virus was a wrong practice and the mask should be worn only by those who are infected.
The h1n1 virus is transmitted when an infected person sneezes or coughs without covering his nose and mouth, and the droplets are inhaled by another person.
The FILCOA leaders are expected to share what they learned from the briefing with their respective group members to spread awareness about the disease.
By Chris V Panganiban