Swine Flu FAQ

Over 10,000 Swine Flu cases have reported worldwide. We should be very careful about this disease since reported cases have been increased 10 times since early May.

There are now 10,243 people who have been infected with Swine Flu and there have been 80 people died from Swine Flu.

Swine Flu is continued spreading worldwide and the WHO’s member states are now trying to figure out plans for treatments, pandemic response and eventually vaccinations to combat Swine Flu as much as possible. Pandemic Alert is now at Phase 5, meaning a global flu epidemic is deemed “imminent”.

Although this disease is widely spread now, the vaccine manufacturers will not be able to start producing the vaccine until mid-July and will then take months to produce the vaccine in large quantities.

In the meantime, we recommend everyone to wear a mask / respirator to protect yourselves.

N95 Respirator can help you prevent Swine Flu. Before we introduce N95 Respirator to you, we would like to explain the different between Surgery Masks and N95 Respirators.

Surgery Masks
Surgery Masks (facemasks) are loose-fitting, disposable masks that cover the nose and mouth. These include products labeled as surgical, dental, medical procedure, isolation, and laser masks.

Facemasks help stop droplets from being spread by the person who is wearing them and keep splashes or sprays from reaching the mouth and nose of the person wearing the facemask. However, surgery masks are not designed to protect you against breathing in very small particles, which might contain viruses.

N95 Swine Flu Respirators
A N95 Swine Flu Respirators are designed to protect you from breathing in very small particles, which might contain viruses. N95 Swine Flu Respirators can fit tightly to the face so that most air is inhaled through the filter material in order to prevent you from breathing in the virus in the air. Healthcare workers, such as doctors and nurses, use N95 Respirators when taking care of patients with diseases that can be spread through the air (ie. Swine Flu Disease).

Now you have understood the different between Surgery Mask and N95 Respirators. We would highly recommend you to purchase our N95 Respirators to protect yourselves from Swine Flu.

Why washing your hands properly is important?

If you wash your hands properly, you can prevent the spread of diseases (ie. Swine Flu).

There are many diseases which be stuck on your hands and if you don’t wash your hands regularly and properly, you will be spreading these disease with your hands.

Step 1 – Wash your hands with water.
Step 2 – Apply liquid soap and rub hands for at least 15 seconds.
Step 3 – Rub the palms, back of hands, wrists, between fingers, and under fingernails for at least 20 seconds.
Step 4 – Rinse hands with water.
Step 5 – Avoid direct contact when turning off water lever.
Step 6 – Dry hands with a paper towel.

Japan has confirmed 3 cases of H1N1 influenza, 1 teacher and 2 high school students who are returning to Japan from Canada after an exchange activity. Amount the 300 passengers on the flight (May 8, 2009; flight NW25), 2 passengers has entered Hong Kong, 16 passengers has entered Taiwan.

日本H1N1インフルエンザ、 1人が日本にカナダからの先生との交流活動の後に戻ってきている2高校生の3例確認されています。飛行（ 2009年5月8日; NW25便） 、 2乗客に入っている金額は、 300の乗客台湾香港、 16乗客に入っている。

The swine flu epidemic has spread deeper into the United States, Europe and Latin America, experts have said.

The virus spread to Colombia with the first confirmed case in South America as more cases were confirmed in Europe and North America, with world health officials saying at least 1,000 people have been affected worldwide.

Swine flu Cases:
USA – 244 in 34 states
Canada – 101
Spain – 40
Britain – 18
Germany – 8
New Zealand – 4
France – 2
Israel – 2
Italy – 2
South Korea – 2
Austria – 1
Colombia – 1
Costa Rica – 1
Denmark – 1
Hong Kong – 1
Ireland – 1
Switzerland – 1
The Netherlands – 1

Swine Flu is a new disease which is widely spread in the world now. I have come across 5 movies which are about rare diseases.

1) Lorenzo’s Oil (1992)
- Starring: Susan Sarandon, Nick Nolte. The story focuses on Augusto and Michaela Odone’s struggle to find treatment for their son Lorenzo’s adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). A good portrayal of this progressive neurological disorder, but some inaccuracies are present. Nevertheless, you’ll cheer for the family’s successes.

2) The Elephant Man (1980)
- Starring: John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud. Just about everyone likes this movie, in which John Hurt portrays Joseph Merrick, nicknamed “the Elephant Man” due to the disfiguring effects of what was most likely Proteus syndrome. Hurt shines as he portrays the intelligent, sensitive man behind the mask.

3) The Mighty (1998)
- Starring: Sharon Stone, Gena Rowlands, Harry Dean Stanton. A great movie you probably don’t know about. Two boys make an unusual friendship: Max, a slow-moving child with low intellect (he feels he looks “like Godzilla”) and Kevin, bright and physically deformed by a rare birth defect, declare themselves knights and go on adventures together.

4) The Sixth Happiest (1997)
- Starring: Firdaus Kanga, Souad Faress. Released in the U.K., this movie is the story of a boy named Brit growing up in India. He has been born with a disease that makes his bones brittle, and his parents have very different attitudes towards his disability. Brit is a charming, funny, and very realistic character who struggles with his sexuality and life’s problems in his own unique way.

5) The Tic Code (1998)
- Starring: Christopher Marquette (Academy Award performance), Gregory Hines, Polly Draper. A 10-year-old boy and a saxophone player meet and discover they both have Tourette’s syndrome. However, each deals with it in his own way. The boy has adjusted to his tics but the older man tries to hide his, and resents the boy’s accepting attitude.

FDA approved Tamiflu (Oseltamivir Phosphate), an oral anti-viral drug for the treatment of uncomplicated influenza in patients one year and older whose flu symptoms have not lasted more than two days. This product is approved to treat Type A and B influenza; however, the majority of patients included in the studies were infected with type A, the most common in the U.S.  Efficacy of Tamiflu in the treatment of influenza in subjects with chronic cardiac disease and/or respiratory disease has not been established.

Tamiflu is also approved for the prevention of influenza in adults and children aged one year and older.  Efficacy of Tamiflu for the prevention of influenza has not been established in immunocompromised patients.

Tamiflu’s Side Effects / Adverse Reactions
The most common side effects of Tamiflu are nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Sometimes  people report getting headaches when they take Tamiflu. 

In 2005, Japanese media released reports that young people taking Tamiflu exhibited abnormal behavior. It was reported that Tamiflu was linked to 64 cases of psychological disorders and 2 teenage suicides.

After the Japanese reports, the FDA conducted a review of data regarding pediatric use of Tamiflu.  The FDA gave Tamiflu a clean bill of health.  FDA was “unable to conclude that there is a causal relationship between Tamiflu and the reported pediatric deaths”.

Swine Flu is now widely spread in the world. Personal protection is very important and here are 5 tips for you to keep in mind:

1) Clean your hands regularly with soap or alcohol rub
2) Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze or cough
3) Avoid direct contact with your mouth, nose and eyes with your hands
4) Wear a mask and visit your family doctor if you have flu symptoms
5) Maintain indoor ventilation and keep your house/office clean

Swine Flu (H1N1 and also called pig flu or hog flu) has the similar symptoms of regular flu include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite and coughing. Some people have reported diarrhea, runny nose and sore throat associated with swine flu. Since the symptoms of swine flu can also be caused by other illness, as a result, it is very difficult for you to identify you have got swine flu just by the symptoms.