Today's news re H1N1?
Grim. Grimmer.
Reports say there have been 66 deaths in November so far throughout Canada. Back in April, no one died from the swine flu; after that, the numbers climbed. At least the CBC said two nights ago that supplies arrived, one batch with the booster and the other without the booster. One shipment supposedly came from Australia.
Is the booster intended primarily for people who need stronger protection from the flu because of their susceptibility? A bit of research led me to a brief video where Dr. M. Marcus was interviewed. He said that the H1N1 booster should be administered to children under the age of 10. It is NOT recommended for people who are undergoing chemotherapy. I'll embed the video here. The first part is an advertisement, it's not part of the interview.
Higher susceptibility or not, the self care guide published by the Quebec government makes a clear distinction which symptoms warrant staying home and resting, calling Info-Santé, seeing a doctor without delay, or going to the emergency. The problem with this is that the people suffering from these symptoms could really panic and head straight for the emergency. There's a thin, blurry line between symptoms that call for a doctor's appointment and symptoms that justify rushing to emergency.
So when should you see a doctor right away? Answer: when these symptoms are present (applies to both adults and children):
- fever
- shortness of breath
- difficulty in breathing
- vomiting for more than four hours
- unusual lethargy on the part of the child
And these symptoms mean you'll need to go to the hospital's emergency unit:
- fever over 38 C plus one of the following:
- difficulty in breathing that does not improve
- blue lips
- severe stiffness in the neck
- drowsiness, disorientation, confusion
- convulsions
- absence of urination for 12 straight hours
- fever in an infant younger than 3 years old
Quebec's self-care guide is a helpful tool. Keep it within reach especially if you have small children. If you are a subscriber to the Montreal Gazette, it should have come as an insert and delivered last week. If you don't have a copy, you can download it from the web site: www.pandemiequebec.gouv.qc.ca. It is available in both English and French.
I'm keeping an eye on developments. My turn to be vaccinated is on December 7 but I'm wondering if with the latest death toll, the authorities will decide to revise the schedule and aim for all groups to have been vaccinated by the time December rolls in.
I'd hate to be down with the flu - swine or not - during the holidays.
Here are your dozen or so terms:
| FRENCH | ENGLISH |
| personnes à risque | people at risk |
| précautions et soins | precaution and care |
| médicaments pour soulager les symptômes | medication for relieving symptoms |
| mesures d'hygiène et de prévention | hygiene and prevention measures |
| usage du masque antiprojections | using a face mask |
| dossier médical personnel | personal medical record |
| lavage des mains | handwashing |
| voies respiratoires | lungs and airways |
| la contagiosité | contagiousness |
| début des symptômes | onset of symptoms |
| gouttelettes du nez et de la bouche | droplets from the nose and mouth |
| maladies du foie | liver diseases |
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