PLEASE GO THROUGH THIS
My dear Presidents,
I agree with you that swine flu awareness is needed, but there is no
need to be panicky and join the publicity propaganda carried out by
media and others which acts as a vehicle to spread misconception than
to spread scientific information.
These are few facts about swine flu when discussed with the leading
epidemiologists.
1) Swine flu, that is H1N1 flu is not new, first detected in 1987
2) Infective stage of flue is 5 days, 1 day before and 4 days after
onset of symptoms
3) The best way to prevent it spreading is asking patient having
symptoms of flu like fever cough and running nose to take rest at home
for 4 days so he does not transmit it
4) Masks are of limited value if any, in this disease, it can spread
through droplets on your skin, through contact etc, and I have seen
that the masks in Pune are worn as fashion statement, while walking on
road today morning I saw people wearing masks coming out for a morning
walk with their dogs!, many wearing masks around their necks, and so
on, infect these masks shall act as the vehicles to carry the virus,
instead, avoiding crowded places or cinema halls or malls where air
conditioners are on, is advisable, because you get recalculated air,
where the virus density multiplies
5)Death after H1N1 flu is not common, infect infections like measles
is taking toll of thousands more every year, and we are oblivious of
the facts. Swine flu is being blown out of proportion by media trying
to create hysteria among lay people.
6) Fever accompanied by respiratory distress, should be immediately
notified which is likely to be a complication of H1N1 flu
7)The mortality is less than .01 percent of those affected, that means
may be one in 10,000 affected is likely to suffer the life loss.
8) If you remember, 2 years ago SARS was blown out of proportion, what
happened? Humans develop immunity to the virus, the same is going to
happen, we develop immunity in due course of time, the virus is in the
air, you can not stop it, our body is already developing the immunity
so nothing to panic..
We need to take care of children and elderly who have less immunity
and do not let them go to crowded places that are all.
WE MUST START THIS CAMPAIGN OF NOT TO BE AFRAID OF THIS FLU AND LET
YOUR DAILY WORK CONTINUE AS NORMAL, NO MASKS FOR ORDINARY CITIZENS,
HEALTH CARE WORKERS OR SPECIFIC EXPOSED TO LOT OF CROWDED ENVIRONMENTS MAY BE BENEFITED, NOT PROVED.
I am amazed to hear that people are selling masks of RS 20 each which
are available to less than Rupee 1 in the market.
See who is getting benefited?
Please spread the scientific info, do not join the band wagon and
stick to science, that should be the order of the day.
Deepak Purohit
District Governor
3131
(Sources Desi Masala)
(छायाचित्र : विश्वनाथ गरुड, सकाळ छायाचित्रसेवा)
