Swine Flu in Context

The death reported today of the first H1N1 patient in the UK should not be cause for undue alarm. Coming 3 days after the official declaration of pandemic by WHO - the number of cases have risen in the UK by another 11% to over 1400. This shows that the disease is a threat and should not be taken lightly.

However I believe we should not panic.

On my recent travels - I have seen quite a few people sporting facemasks and the like. At the same time - people openly sneezing or with other sundry bad habits continue unabated.

Just remember there is one key thing you can do - WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY - that is a pretty good way to keep the spread of any disease contained.

Cheers

Swine Flu - More an "Infodemic" - USTA

Here is the text of the mail from Roger Dow of US TIA. I think he is being wise.

Dear Travel Colleagues:

As I'm sure you are aware, the swine flu situation is today's lead story in every paper, the morning news shows and on every radio station. The possibility of travel restrictions is already being talked about by U.S. officials and the EU and a few other countries are already discouraging travel to Mexico and the United States. The U.S. Travel Association will take a lead role in addressing this challenge.

Just a few short years ago, the SARS and avian flu pandemics created an "infodemic" with media hysteria threatening air travel, lodging and meetings. We have learned important lessons from those challenges and must apply them in an effective, coordinated manner to this situation. While we in no way want to minimize the seriousness of the threat, it is important that our industry be vigilant about news activity and aggressively report the facts as the situation develops. As we reminded people during previous health scares, it's important to "be prepared, but not panicked."

I will be hosting a conference call at 4:30 pm today with other travel associations to discuss the travel community response. I will keep you informed as the situation develops.
Sincerely,

Roger Dow
President and CEO
U.S. Travel Association

Swine Flu - US Raises State of Alert

So I dont think this is a time to panic - but I do suggest that people are reminded of good practice in dealing with the outbreak of Swine Flu.

Easy ways to protect against infection
Little can be done to prevent an outbreak of flu from spreading, health experts caution, but they say common sense measures can help individuals protect themselves. Practice the following:
- Wash your hands frequently
- Cover your cough or your sneeze
- Use alcohol-based gel or foam hand sanitizers
- If you have flu-like symptoms, stay away from work or public transportation
- Social distancing. Stay away from people who might be infected

Here are some resources you might be interested in:

http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

And remember - TAKE YOUR VITAMINS....

Cheers