The World Health Organization (WHO) said yesterday that the Swine Flu virus has swept the globe at “unprecedented speed,” just as a study warned that the Swine Flu pandemic could tip the world into deflation and delay the economic recovery. It added: “In past pandemics, influenza viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new H1N1 virus has spread in less than six weeks.”

WHO also announced that it would stop giving figures on the numbers infected by the Influenza A (H1N1) virus, in order to allow countries to channel resources into close monitoring of unexpected developments and patterns in the spread of the disease. The Geneva-based health agency said the counting of all individual cases was no longer essential to assess the risk from swine flu.

“WHO will continue to request that these countries report the first confirmed cases and, as far as feasible, provide weekly aggregated case numbers and descriptive epidemiology of the early cases,” it added.

In the last table released by WHO on July 6, it had recorded 94,512 laboratory-confirmed cases in 136 countries and territories since April, including 429 deaths.

Influenza A (H1N1) is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by a virus that is easily spread from person-to-person.

HOW DO PEOPLE GET INFLUENZA A (H1N1)?
A person can get influenza A (H1N1) by:

• Breathing in the virus when an infected person coughs or sneezes.
• Contact with objects that have been recently touched by an infected person, such as a door knob or a telephone.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF INFLUENZA A (HIN1)?

• Fever
• Headache
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny and stuffy nose
• Extreme fatigue
• Muscle aches
• Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea (these symptoms may also occur, but are more common in children).

CAN INFLUENZA A (H1N1) BE PREVENTED?
To prevent the spread of H1N1:

• Wash hands regularly with soap and water.
• Use paper towel (tissue) to cover mouth and nose when sneezing or coughing.
• Dispose of used tissue in the garbage IMMEDIATELY.
• Avoid close contact with persons exhibiting flu-like symptoms, such as handshaking, hugging or kissing.
• If you are sick, stay home until you are well. If you have severe flu-like symptoms, contact your doctor IMMEDIATELY.

If you have traveled to or come into contact with someone from affected countries such as Mexico, Canada, United Kingdom or the United States, and have flu-like symptoms, contact your doctor or nearest health center immediately.