Posts Tagged ‘virus’
Influenza Season Week 5 ending February 5, 2011
Flu Season: 10 Surprising Ways To Catch The Flu
You may be increasing your chances of catching the flu without even realizing it! Something as simple as worrying will enhance your risk in catching a virus. Learn what other innocent things you are doing to make yourself more vulnerable to the flu. Click here to read more!
Oh No, That Rhino!
May I interest you in some onion broth? This was the cure for the common cold strain of Rhinovirus in the early days. Read more on the history of rhinovirus.
Here is a little teaser to let you know more about Rhinovirus…
Modern medicine has done little towards finding a cure for the common cold. An extensive search for the cause of the common cold led to the discovery of over one hundred different Rhinoviruses. Researchers also found that Rhinoviruses are only responsible for half of all colds, with adenoviruses and several others causing the remaining half. In total, hundreds of different viruses cause symptoms known as the common cold. Due to the vast number of viruses responsible, vaccination is not a reasonable way to prevent or eradicate the common cold. Click here to read more…
Common Cold and Flu Treatments (Cold and Flu #1)
Watch what Doctor Mom says about keeping you and your kids safe from the common cold virus.
Stuffy nose, sore throat, persistent cough…ugh, it’s the flu! Let’s look at some common home remedies that can help.Watch More Health Videos at Health Guru. Click here to watch the entire video.
World gears up for swine flu’s return
By Rob Stein
Washington Post
updated 8:04 a.m. ET, Mon., Aug 10, 2009
msnbc.com
As the first influenza pandemic in 41 years has spread during the Southern Hemisphere’s winter over the past few months, the United States and other northern countries have been racing to prepare for a second wave of swine flu virus.
At the same time, international health authorities have become increasingly alarmed about the new virus’s arrival in the poorest, least-prepared parts of the world.
While flu viruses are notoriously capricious, making any firm predictions impossible, a new round could hit the Northern Hemisphere within weeks and lead to major disruptions in schools, workplaces and hospitals, according to U.S. and international health officials.
Feds: Pupils with H1N1 should wear masks
By Joseph Weber
Washington Times
Students and teachers infected with the dangerous and unpredictable H1N1 virus should immediately be isolated and given a mask, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said Friday.
The guideline is part of a larger, comprehensive plan issued by the federal government for public and private schools (kindergarten through 12th grade) preparing to reopen in the fall, and it revises an earlier directive to shutter classrooms in an outbreak, which left working parents in a child-care quandary during last spring’s panic.
Australian ambulance service takes measures to protect staff from swine flu
July 28, 2009
by EMS1.com
NEW SOUTH WALES, Australia — In an effort to protect workers from the H1N1 influenza virus, all members of the Ambulance Service of New South Wales, Australia, are now required to wear face masks while tending to patients.
Signed into effect on Tuesday, the new Standard Operating Procedure mandates all paramedics, patient transport officers, and ambulance volunteers employ protective goggles and masks until respiratory symptoms can be excluded from patient diagnoses.
The measure is designed to maximize staff safety and minimize risk for patients, according to Ambulance Service of NSW chief executive Greg Rochford.
Prepare…Prepare…Prepare
Recent events have provided us with several interesting lessons regarding the preparations (or lack there of) of the world’s ability to equip, react, and stabilize a viral outbreak.
While the particular strain of the virus at this particular time has not killed a large number of people, it is amazing to think of the pure scope of the outbreak within the last four weeks. Initial numbers that were reported at the beginning of the outbreak included 943 reported cases of people that contracted the virus and 20 deaths as a result of contracting the virus in Mexico. There are now 8,829 cases with 76 deaths around the globe in just the four weeks of tracking the virus. The virus has spread easily around the globe to forty different countries all during a time when the flu generally subsides during the summer months in North America.
WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan, in a recent press conference, indicated the new swine flu virus continues to spread rapidly and said that a global outbreak is likely. “This virus may have given us a grace period, but we do not know how long this grace period will last,” Chan said. “No one can say whether this is just the calm before the storm.”
In the past few years, thoughts of an outbreak have not threatened us in the United States. The recent concerns regarding SARS and bird flu have seemed remote. But this outbreak has been different in that it has shown up in our own backyard, moved quickly, and done this in a non-flu season.
The concern now is two-fold. What happens in the Fall if the virus reappears during the new cold/flu season? Will the virus mutate and become more potent? What populations will it affect most? Finally, how quickly will it spread and will the virus become deadly? The second concern is that we have to ask the question - are we truly prepared for a global outbreak? Do we have the information we need, the resources in place to mobilize and protect our citizens, and the ability to contain the virus?
Obviously, we are very passionate about this subject. We have dedicated ourselves to create truly innovative germ defense products. Products you have not seen before. Products that provide protection in ways that have not been provided before. We are not alarmists, but we want to raise question: Are you prepared?
We recommend that you create a disaster preparedness plan at work and at home, stay informed by reading the most recent CDC guidelines and reports, and utilize Clyns Brands products as part of your plan. To purchase our products go to our online store at www.myclyns.com/store or call us at 877-Go-Clyns.
Have a great week.
Joel Ivers
Do face masks really work?
In three separate articles by MSNBC, CNN, and the Associated Press, the authors address the question of whether the face masks that you see on television, print publications, and web sites really work.
According to the CDC in the MSNBC article they state, “”Very little is known about the benefits of wearing face masks or respirators to help control the spread of pandemic flu.”
However, the CDC suggests that face masks might reduce risk if it’s impossible to avoid crowds or people who are already infected. We know that Swine flu is thought to be transmitted in much the same way as seasonal flu, by touching something with the virus and then passing it to the nose or mouth or through coughing or sneezing.
There are clear differences, however, between face masks, N95 respirators, and our T-5000 P95 respirators. Many of the face masks you see people wearing are only designed to protect users from splashes or sprays from reaching the mouth or nose. In addition, they provide some protection to nearby persons if the mask wearer sneezes or coughs. However, they are not intended or certified to protect the wearer from a broad range of small airborne threats, that might pass right through the masks.
According to the CNN article they state, “More effective than soft surgical masks is the N95, which is an example of a “respirator.” This kind of tight-fitting face covering protects people against breathing very small particles, which may contain viruses. The downside is that it’s more expensive, uncomfortable to wear for long periods of time and has to be custom fit, Dr. Arthur Reingold, head of the epidemiology division at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health said, so it’s suited for people working in high-risk laboratories.”
Union Springs Pharmaceuticals’ T-5000 Series respirators have a P95 rating as certified by NIOSH and meet the requirements of 42 CFR 84. T-5000 respirators are coated with the Triosyn antimicrobial. Triosyn provides built-in antimicrobial and antifungal activity and may reduce contact transfer of microorganisms.† T-5000 Series respirators offer a comfortable fit, peace of mind, as well as protection against particles.
Adjustable straps and nose piece deliver a comfortable and secure fit. A full face foam seal also allows wearers of various face shapes and sizes to achieve a tighter fit and reduced potential air leakage.
Finally, Union Springs T-5000V model offers an exhalation valve that provides a comfortable, secure fit for up to 12 hours. The exhalation valve allows hot air to escape making it comfortable to wear for a longer duration of time.
For more information about the T-5000 click here. or click here to read more about Triosyn Antimicrobial.
More questions? Call us at 1-877-Go-Clyns.
Stay safe.
Joel Ivers
Union Springs Pharmaceuticals
† NIOSH has only certified T-5000 and T-500V respirators to meet the requirements in 42 CFR 84. NIOSH does not certify, test or endorse any independent studies.