Swine Flu Qatar
A Qatari man who died after he was diagnosed with the H1N1 swine flu virus had been staying in Dubai, according to the Qatar News Agency.
The man was reported to have been obese, which is considered a significant risk factor for the disease. It was Qatar’s first death from swine flu.
The Gulf Times reported that the man had pneumonia and a high temperature when he was admitted to Hamad General Hospital in Doha last Monday.
It quoted hospital sources as saying he had been to hospital in Dubai twice, but it was at Hamad that a diagnosis was made and he was put in intensive care.
Officials working in swine flu prevention at the Ministry of Health were not available for comment.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia confirmed its fourth death due to swine flu.
DOHA: A majority of the swine flu patients in Qatar are working people who fall in the age group of 25 to 29. This shows that a large scale spread of the disease in the country could cause a major challenge for companies by creating a staff shortage, warns an expert from the Supreme Council of Health (SCH).
Dr Shazia Nadeem, head of Emergency Preparedness at the Communicable Diseases Control section of SCH, while giving a presentation on the role of the CDC in limiting the spread of swine flu at a seminar on Monday called on companies to develop a business continuity plan (BCP) to deal with a possible outbreak of the disease in the country.
She said, of the 42 confirmed cases of swine flu in Qatar, 14 per cent contracted the disease from an infected person. These secondary cases in normal conditions are expected to be five to 15 percent, but it can go up to 20 to 50 percent during a pandemic.
Infectious period for a confirmed case of swine flu (H1N1) is defined as one day prior to the onset of the disease up to seven days after the infection. In children this may last up to 10 days. An infected person might have passed over the disease to many people even before he developed symptoms of the disease, said Nadeem.
The mode of transmission is mainly through droplets and the virus can spread to close distance of one to two meters. Living in closed air conditioned rooms can increase the chances of infection, and so it is important to allow the flow of fresh air to the living space occasionally.
“Cover your nose or mouth with a tissue when you sneeze or cough, Wash your hands frequently with soap and water. Avoid crowded situations,” said Nadeem.
The influenza virus can survive on environmental surfaces and can infect a person for two to eight hours after being deposited on the surface. Close contact typically does not include walking by an infected person or sitting across from a symptomatic patient in a waiting room or office.
“In health-care settings use of masks could reduce the transmission of influenza. In the community, however, the benefits of wearing masks has not been established. Using a mask incorrectly may actually increase the risk of transmission,” cautioned Nadeem.
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