Malaysia : It’s still around ...

Via The Star, an informative article which reminds us of the history of the H1N1 and what are our do's and don'ts. Please read the article to refresh your mind. I certainly did.

" A YEAR ago, Mexico sneezed and the rest of the world caught the flu. Chronologically, at least. And even though many of us routinely enjoy the perks of a shrinking world – sashimi flown fresh from Tokyo’s tsukiji, more cheap international flights that you can shake a backpack at, and the buzz of city life – we were still surprised A(H1N1) influenza travelled just as far and fast as we demand our modern conveniences do.

Flash back to April 23, 2009. Mexico reports its first cases of A(H1N1) flu to the World Health Organization (WHO). In the US, public health officials report A(H1N1) cases in California and Texas. Canadian public health authorities point out the Mexican virus is “swine flu.”

Let’s keep the good work up and keep A(H1N1) flu at bay by sticking to the practises below.

Uphold high standards of hygiene:

·Wash your hands frequently, properly. Use soap, scrub palms, scrub nails on your palms, rub in between fingers and backs of your hands. Lather for a count of 15. Rinse and dry. When a sink isn’t handy, use a hand sanitiser. Squeeze out enough to wet your hands and rub it around as above until it evaporates completely.

·Practise cough and sneeze etiquette. Cough and sneeze into a tissue, then discard. If you don’t have one handy (coughs and sneezes wait for no man), then let loose onto your sleeve or into the crook of your arm. You’re less likely to transfer bugs with your biceps and elbows.

·When out and about, avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes with your hands. In other words, don’t touch any of your soft, pink mucous membranes with dirty hands – nasty bugs like entering bodies via mucosa.

·Regularly disinfect common surfaces like doorknobs, elevator buttons, computer keyboards, taps, remote controls, and so on. Making sure your home and office stays clean and well-ventilated is a good idea too."