H1N1 Virus Isaan Thailand.

I reported on the outbreak of swine flu or H1N1 virus. Our school took the steps early to close the school after a student showed the symptoms of the virus.

On Thursday the doors were closed to students and the teachers went home at 11am after cleaning their homeroom classroom. I blogged on this here if you want to see pictures and such.

Yesterday, I needed my good black dress shoes, I leave them at work. When I arrived there was a smell of Dettol about the school.

I rode my motorbike to the teacher’s office and then I saw a large truck and workers gathered about the place.

I was informed that they had cleaned the entire school with some sort of cleaner. They went into each classroom and sprayed the desks and floors and such.

Why the fuc* did they ask us to wash the floors the other day with the same detergent? I suppose, it was just to waste an hour of my time.

I was told I couldn’t go into the office as I would contaminate the room. No one could enter any of the rooms until the 8th of July or no one can go into any of the rooms for 5 days.

From everything I have read is that most countries are against school closures but making sure people who are showing symptoms of illness remain home for 7 days or if ill longer than 7 days, 24 hours after the flu symptoms have subsided.

Now from the Centre of Disease Control about schools state:

Some viruses and bacteria can live from 20 minutes up to 2 hours or more on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks.

Some websites claim the H1N1virus can live for 2 – 8 hours on some surfaces.

But what all health departments are saying from first world countries are to promote a clean school, make students aware on how they can prevent contracting the disease.

They state that frequently touched surfaces should be cleaned regularly, or every day.

When the students return on the 9th of July the school is going to do an awareness campaign with them, showing them how they can prevent catching the H1N1 virus. This is a good idea. I read at one site it said ‘hands need to be washed for 20 seconds to be sure of cleanliness.’

When we return to school we are to not use air conditioning. I have searched and searched and cannot find anywhere that recommends to do this as a precaution. I have searched government health warnings and what to do and not to do and there are no recommendations about air conditioning.

The use of face masks is another thing. I read the correct way to use a mask and all the do’s and don’ts. To keep your mask sterile is impossible, if you followed the guide you would have to handle it so carefully and need to change it very often.

The people who need to wear the masks are the sick people, but these very people should not be out in public but quarantined at their home for 7 days. This is where the problem lies.

Anyway, it is all down to common sense. If people who are sick stay at home and the healthy people use cleanliness, you should be okay, easy hey J

Our student was confirmed with H1N1 and his temperature peaked at 48 degree Celsius. Poor little guy was burning up, but now he has been hovering around 38 – 41 which is still high at times.

So, the return at school will be interesting, I don’t know how much teaching will be done the first few days.

Also a rumour shot around Ubon today that a 15 year old girl from another school died from H1N1 virus or complications involved with it.

I was told this from an Inspector of the police, but when I asked a teacher from the school of the deceased girl, he said the girl died from am motorcycle accident. Well that is what he was told.

H1N1 is a serious thing; we don’t want it to become pandemic. I wasn’t born of course for the 1918 Spanish Flu, it is thought to have killed 50 million people worldwide.

In 1957 the Asian Flu struck, this infected many people worldwide but was milder and was only thought to have killed 2 million people.

And in 1968 the Hong Kong Flu was thought to have killed 1 million people.

We don’t want H1N1 to become like this, so awareness campaigns need to be run by governments informing the people about the ways to prevent spreading the virus and also contracting it.

Thai TV has been doing this, but the media are beating it up and this causes some panic with people flocking to hospitals with runny noses and a sore throat.

The sad thing is sensationalizing things is what the media of the world does best. It sells papers and this is what is important.

So to all, I hope you don’t get this virus but if you do most people will just have the flu and then some will become very ill. If you are relatively healthy you shouldn’t have to worry about it too much. Overweight, elderly or people with existing ailments and very young children have a higher chance of becoming seriously ill from the virus.

How is the H1N1 virus being reported in your areas? Are there cases? What are the governments doing there? Are you worried about the virus? Like to hear your ideas.

Brunty