Guest guest Posted August 13, 2009 Report Share Posted August 13, 2009 --- On Wed, 12/8/09, Tagira <tagira wrote: Tagira <tagiram Sai Ram India !!!Undisclosed-Recipient:;@smtp.sinos.netWednesday, 12 August, 2009, 11:41 PM Need BABA's blessings to curb Swine flu Website on swine flu records 2262 % rise in hits Wed, Aug 12, 02:14 PM Bangalore-based Anil Kumar came back from Zurich to realise that he was unwell and suffering from a viral infection. Having undergone basic tests at the Bangalore International Airport, Kumar was diagnosed negative for swine flu. But after a couple of days, the fever returned and Kumar voluntarily went to the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases, Bangalore. Though he tested negative again, it was the long queues, lack of information on swine flu and the confusion over the symptoms that inspired Kumar and two of his friends — Ashish Sharma and Shashi Shekhar Singh — come together and create a website, www.swinefluindia. com. \"After extensively searching the Internet, Anil and I could not find any website or any other source of information on how to get tested or whom to contact regarding the H1N1 virus. The duty doctors at Bangalore airport advised us to report to the hospital next morning. Though he tested negative, we decided to bridge this information gap and present a clearer picture to anyone looking for city-specific information on the H1N1 virus testing and quarantine procedures. After a few late night sessions, swinefluindia. com was born,\" said Singh. The first result of the Google search on swine flu, the website, functional from July 10, witnessed an increase of 2,262 per cent on the day swine flu claimed its first victim. The website recorded 15,000 clicks on August 10. \"We all know that swine flu is curable if diagnosed early. What keeps the patients away from approaching the authorised centres is the fact that they are unsure about the symptoms due to lack of information, \" said Kumar. From basic preventive measures, such as how to wash hands, wearing masks and from symptoms to the contact numbers of authorised government centres from various cities, including Pune, New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata for swine flu treatment, the website sets a guideline for A-to-Z information on the pandemic. \"Besides, the H1N1 virus is a global threat and the website gives detailed information about the precautions one needs to take while flying or returning from abroad. It also focuses on the procedures followed in various countries and the costs and period involved in the treatments,\" Sharma added. With valuable information along with three audio messages from the WHO, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare swine Flu website and CDC website, swinefluindia. com also features FAQs, such as, \"Should one take antiviral in case he or she contracts the new virus? Pregnancy and swine flu: when should someone seek medical care?" and so on. \"We are updating the website every day. While I take care of the content, the other two members manage the technical aspects,\" said Kumar, adding that there are no monetary interests involved.. \"We have also started involving Twitter and Facebook for creating awareness and reaching out to larger masses. A daily blog for helping those who are seeking information is also posted every day,\" he said. BABA bless us all. Let us pray to BABA, especially this THURSDAY (tomorrow, i.e. Aug. 13, 2009) that HE comes as 'Shagun' (in a form) and do the same as HE did at Shirdi to flee the moster epidemic by grinding wheat as measure to protect all humans on this earth* (as mentioned in Chapter 1 of Sri Sri Sai Satcharitra) . *Here, I am not specifically mentioning Indians as BABA is the ruler and master of this universe and HE will surely do no discrepency in saving the people of a particular country or place. BOW TO SRI SAI, PEACE BE TO ALL OM SRI SACHIDANANDA SAMARTH SATGURU SAINATH MAHARAJ KI JAI Here is another article that says about two software developers, who have designed a website on Swine flu named www.swinefluindia. com , on arrival from abroad just after the outbreak of swine flue in other countries and without having the forehand knowledge that the deadly virus will soon spread its clutch and take India as its prey. Today, this website provides you every information about Swine flu. Please go through the website for more information. Dear All Use ‘’ Nilgiri (Eucalyptus) oil ‘’ (निलगिरी तेल) drops on handkerchiefs & masks as one of the preventive measures against Swine Flue – National Institute of Virology. Also apply it on nose, head & throat daily twice. Plant Tulas (तà¥à¤³à¤¸) in your house & also eat leafs (तà¥à¤³à¤¸à¥€à¤šà¥€ पाने) of same daily. Use Ginger (आल) in your tea Keep eating Alepak (आलेपाक ची वडी).Pls spread this massage to all your known persons. Additionally follow some of the below : Healthy Water : 4 liters of water + @ 60 ‘Tulsi’ Leaves + @3 ‘Bel’ (Bilva patra, Shivalinga var vahato tey) leaves + 10 grains of Black Pepper à BOIL for 20 min on full flame à use the filtered water for drinking to increase immunity. Healthy Tea : 1. Tea with good amount of Ginger (Ginger Tea) and 2. ‘Gavati’ Tea (Gavti chaha) – Increases Immunity Turmeric Milk : Add small spoon of turmeric powder to warm milk and drink. (any time is suitable but preferable at night) – Increases Immunity Using Camphor : Take a camphor tablet and rub it onto bare hands and to make powder and apply to your face after closing your eyes and mouth. Can also carry a small box with you whenever you feel it apply. Camphor is good disinfectant !!! Good “Oodbattis†/ Dhoop Sticks are very useful in purifying the air and atmosphere around you (can be used at home) – Buy only good traditional dhoop. 2009/8/12 saiansh Dear Devotees Jai Sai Ram Because of the swine flu. Please avoid going to crowded places. IT IS REQUESTED THAT IF YOU OR YOUR NEAR RELATIVE HAVE ANY SYMPTEM OF IT, PLEASE, PLEASE AVOID GOING TO SIDHARTHA EXTENSION, NEW DELHI. Ashok Gupta SAI RAM TO ALL ! Swine flu (H1N1) virus is spreading in India like anything. Until recently, people were not so much curious about this deadly virus. Today (August 12, 2009), with the death of 3 more people (2 in Pune and 1 in Nasik), it has become a serious issue for all of us. Here, I am posting the news that gave me information regarding the toll. Also, I am posting a few articles, published in 'The Indian Express' in today’s edition, on Swine flu. Swine flu toll touches 15 Wed, Aug 12 01:12 PM Pune/Nashik, Aug 12 (PTI) Swine flu pandemic toll today rose to 15 with three more persons -- two in Pune and one in Nashik -- succumbing to the virus even as schools, colleges and cinema halls in Mumbai were shut down to check the spread of the infection. 29-year-old Shrawani Deshpande and 33-year-old Balu Kuland died due to the disease in Pune, taking the toll in the worst hit city in Maharashtra to 8, officials said. Nashik registered its first flu death when 38-year-old doctor Rupesh Gangurde died of the viral infection at the Nashik civil hospital this morning.. He was admitted to a private hospital on Monday after he complained of vomitting and fever. His blood sample was sent to Pune and he tested positive for H1N1. So far, the flu has claimed a total of 15 lives -- one each in Ahmedabad, Vadodra, Thane, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram, two in Mumbai and eight in Pune. With the infection spreading fast, the Maharashtra government ordered closure of schools and colleges in Mumbai for a week and theatres and multiplexes for three days. The decision was taken as part of preacautionary measures to check the infection, a senior state government official said. Meanwhile, Shiv Sena and NCP appealed to people to observe ''dahi-handi'' programmes on the occasion of Janamasthami on a low key to check the virus from spreading. Swine flu cases countrywide have crossed the 1,000 mark with 119 fresh cases being reported till yesterday. Symptoms of Swine Flu The symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with novel H1N1 flu virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. The high risk groups for novel H1N1 flu are not known at this time, but it's possible that they may be the same as for seasonal influenza. Emergency Warning Signs If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care. In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include: 1. Fast breathing or trouble breathing 2. Bluish or gray skin color 3. Not drinking enough fluids 4. Severe or persistent vomiting 5. Not waking up or not interacting 6. Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held 7. Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include: 1. Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath 2. Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen 3. Sudden dizziness 4. Confusion 5. Severe or persistent vomiting 6. Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough Articles published in The Indian Express, Wed. 12, 2009: Mid-day Article 1: Pinning and tackling swine flu Manish Kakkar Wed, Aug 12, 01:12 PM Two welcome developments over the last couple of days have come as some relief to a beleaguered nation beset with anxiety about swine flu. First, the government of India announced a scale-up of the response to swine flu and spelt out a series of strategic steps it intends to take in concert with the state governments. Second, at least some sections of the media have scaled down the level of alarmist reporting and have sought to douse the prevailing panic among the public. The swine flu story in India is, however, likely to continue for a few more months. It is important to recognise the scientific issues that will determine the course of this disease in India and prepare for appropriate strategic responses. This requires a vigil on many fronts. VIRUS WATCH: The influenza viruses are slippery viruses. Each strain of a virus can undergo a \'drift\' in which genetic mutations can occur, resulting in the emergence of immunologically distinct variants. This has implications for the vaccine virus composition. Such genetic mutations arise frequently in the flu viruses, requiring a periodic review and revision of the flu vaccine antigens. The greater danger, however, is an \'antigenic shift\' when one flu virus strain consorts with another flu virus strain and undergoes a \'reassortment\' of antigens, with a change in the genetic composition. Flu viruses are notoriously promiscuous and the resultant reassortment may produce a more virulent strain. The behaviour of the H1N1 virus in India, as well as elsewhere in the world, needs to be watched over the next six months. This is especially important when the seasonal flu viruses get active by October. VACCINE WATCH: Vaccination provides substantial protection against influenza in healthy and at-risk individuals. Efficacy ranges from 26 per cent to 87 per cent depending on the vaccine match (with the viruses circulating at that time) and age of the individual. Current projections for the availability of an H1N1 vaccine in India range from 3-6 months. Gene mutations will pose challenges but newer technologies can, to some extent, help overcome these \'drift\' variants. Several regulatory and production steps are needed to ensure the availability of a safe and effective vaccine in adequate quantity, before a vaccine can be released for general use. Because of antigen variability, a vaccination strategy alone may not be sufficient to control pandemic influenza. DRUG WATCH: The anti-viral drugs available are oseltamivir (popularised by its leading brand name Tamiflu) and zanamivir. These neuraminidase inhibitors have been evaluated in trials of seasonal flu caused by other strains but trials against H1N1 virus have not been reported. Systematic reviews of these trials, recently published in the Lancet and the British Medical Journal, do not reveal a demonstrable benefit on the occurrence of asthma, use of antibiotics or serious complications. The fatality rates of seasonal flu being low in general, much larger studies would be needed to examine whether these drugs reduce mortality but it is unlikely that they do so in a substantial measure. Since the present \'Swine flu\' virus is also a mild one (as virulence grades of viruses go), these trial results would appear applicable to it as well. Despite no clear evidence of benefit in flu patients with co-existing health conditions, as compared to healthy persons who have been infected, there may be a clinical rationale in prescribing these drugs to persons at higher risk, because the duration of disease is shortened by a day or so. With respect to otherwise healthy flu patients, the Lancet report clearly states that the use of anti-viral drugs is \'unlikely to be the most appropriate course of action\', while cautioning that \'any strategy that increases the availability of the drugs to the general public, consequently increasing the rates of inappropriate use, could increase the chances of viral strains developing resistance\'. There is, of course, an understandable inclination to proactively treat children, both because of their vulnerability and because, in pandemic conditions, they represent the future not only of families and nations but also of the human species. However, even here too, evidence suggests that drug therapy should be restricted to clinically more severe cases. The majority of cases, which are mild, should be treated with other measures. Post-exposure prophylaxis, in otherwise healthy children in UK, was associated with variable adherence to treatment (48 per cent to 77 per cent) and a high incidence of unpleasant side effects (51 per cent to 58 per cent). Overcautious overuse is also fraught with a risk of drug resistance. Indeed, it is the emergence of drug resistant H1N1 strains that needs to be watched carefully. Already, such strains have been reported in USA, Canada, US-Mexico border, Netherlands and Hong Kong. We need to be on alert for drug-resistant strains emerging in India or entering from other countries.. HEALTH SERVICES WATCH: Presently the health services are mounting a \'containment\' response involving case isolation and contact tracing. Since the H1N1 virus is highly transmissible, it is very likely that the virus will infect more people, circulate in the communities of affected cities and travel to other parts of India. Outside of outbreaks in a confined setting (e.g. seasonal influenza outbreaks in residential homes or hostels), history shows that it is almost impossible to contain influenza. Even in a confined setting, mass strategies (like immunization or prophylaxis) are needed. Diffusion of the virus in the population would require the health services to switch to a \'mitigation\' response mainly focusing on ensuring healthcare for those affected, prioritising the protection of the most vulnerable. Health services across the country need to be prepared to handle these demands, following appropriate clinical and public health guidelines. In other countries, a combination of initial containment and later mitigation strategies saw the peaking of the epidemic around 7-10 weeks after the appearance of the first cases. In a large country like India both of these strategies would need to be pursued, based on the appearance or spread in different parts of the country. MEDIA WATCH: Since the media too displays \'drifts\' and \'shifts\' in its coverage of public health issues, it would be important to examine how its members respond to the changing scenarios and choose to educate or excite the public. This will be especially important in the coming months, as the H1N1 virus will certainly spread for sometime and the seasonal flu viruses arrive to keep it company. Article: 2 Swine flu: Epidemic Disease Act invoked Wed, Aug 12, 01:12 PM City hospitals saw panic-stricken people pouring in with cough and cold symptoms. Taking no chances, doctors and attendants wore surgical masks. Also, the UT Health department has invoked the Epidemic Disease Act. The Director Health and Family Welfare, in-charge of the isolation wards at PGI, GMCH-32 and GMSH-16, and the Nodal Officer (swine flu) have been empowered to take necessary steps to ensure that all suspected cases are admitted in government hospitals, with the help of the police, if needed. Swine flu patients can also opt for home treatment in which they and their families need to follow detailed guidelines and safety measures. They would also have to provide full contact details of their entire household, and their social contacts would be given preventive treatment.. In the view of the upcoming festival season, an awareness campaign would be launched on the dos and don\'ts. People have been advised not to visit crowded places like theatres, malls and picnic spots. At present, the government hospitals are equipped to accommodate only 40 patients. An official said the capacity could be increased if there was a need. Private hospital staff to be trainedThe staff of Inscol and Mukut Hospital would be trained by the Director Health Services and given all medical equipment required for suspected and confirmed cases of swine flu. The communication has been forwarded by the President Nursing Home (Private) Dr Kaushal. \"After the formal communication, private hospitals would update facilities accordingly. These hospitals would provide isolation wards with trained staff,\" Dr Kaushal said. The State Surveillance Unit would collect samples from these hospitals and send them for testing to the National Institute of Communicable Diseases in New Delhi. \'Mohali ready to handle the situation\'An isolation ward and rapid response team of medical specialists have been set up and medicines, swabs and other items required for examination and treatment of swine flu have been sent to the District Civil Hospital in Phase VI, the District Health Officer (DHO) Dr S P Surila told Newsline. Dr Surila, who is also the Nodal Officer for overseeing preparations in the Mohali district, has issued an advisory to the District Education Officers (secondary and elementary education) to identify students who recently visited abroad and send them for examination at the Phase VI hospital. \"Students with symptoms of cold, cough, fever and other allied ailments have been advised to report to us,\" the DHO said. According to Dr Surila, only two suspected cases of swine flu have been admitted in the hospital so far; both were tested negative. \"We have enough beds, staff, medicines and equipment to examine and treat any number of swine flu cases,\" the DHO said. Medical specialist Dr Manraj Singh and ENT specialist Dr Sandeep Bansal have been deputed to examine and treat all cases at the Civil Hospital. Unlike Chandigarh and Haryana, Punjab has not yet invoked the Epidemic Disease Act, confirmed Dr Deepak Bhatia, the nodal officer to tackle swine flu in Punjab. Isolation wards set up in PanchkulaThe Epidemic Diseases Act has been invoked in Panchkula. Isolation wards have been set up at the General Hospital in Sector 6 and circular have been issued to all private hospitals to immediately inform the Health department of any swine flu case. District Health Officer (DHO) Dr M L Garg said, \"A three-member rapid action team has been formed. We are also distributing pamphlets and showing CDs through local cable network to create awareness.\" Panchkula DC Pankaj Yadav said if a student of any school tests positive, the concerned school will have to be shut down for at least a week. While the administration claimed that the Education department has been told to issue directions to schools to take all precautionary measures and report all suspected cases, the District Education Officer Nalani Mimani denied this. Schools are taking precautions on their own.. Gurukul School in Sector 20 has issued circular to parents to not send their wards to school if they are unwell. HELPLINE NUMBERS Panchkula SMO Dr. V K Bansal: 9814615697 RMO Dr. Mankiyat: 9417525003 DHO Dr. M L Garh: 9815609035 Emergency: 0172/2567228C MO Dr. Kamla Singh:0172/2573907 Chandigarh: 9914208215, 9914201075, 2740408, 2782457 15 new suspected casesAround 15 suspected cases of swine flu were reported from the tricity on Tuesday. Of these, seven have been admitted in PGI, seven in GMCH and one in GMSH-16. The authorities have requested people not to panic, as all necessary steps were being taken to check the spread of the virus. With more cases being reported from across the country, test reports are expected to get delayed. \"Due to more samples being sent for testing in Delhi and Pune, the results would be delayed by around three to four days,\" an official said. Test reports of two suspected cases — one of them a 20-year-old Panchkula resident studying in Pune — are expected soon. Panic fuels demand for masksPanic among people has fuelled the demand for N-95 masks, resulting in their shortage in the tricity. \"The N-95 masks are not available anywhere in the tricity. Even the order of 20,000 masks placed by the PGI is pending with distributors, \" Vijay Anand, general secretary of the Chandigarh Chemists Association, said. The demand for the normal mask has also increased. While a normal mask costs between Rs. 7 to 10, an N-95 mask costs around Rs. 150. OM SRI SACHIDANANDA SAMARTH SATGURU SAINATH MAHARAJ KI JAI Jai Sai Ram, Saiansh / Jasmine LOVE ALL - SERVE ALL "Love in thought is TRUTH" "Love in feeling is PEACE" "Love in understanding is NON-VIOLENCE." "Love in action is "RIGHT ACTION.†See the Web's breaking stories, chosen by people like you. Check out Buzz. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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