SWINE flu is villainous !!!!

I have decided from today both my kids will stay at home for a week or two.

Reason, firstly , I think that’s the best way to prevent my kids from getting infected even if there is any remotest chance. They travel by school bus and definitely there is a good chance of getting in contact with dormant Swine flu virus. Since there is still no confirmed report on whether a person who has been cured of Swine flu may or may not be a carrier of the virus. What if the cured person IS a carrier of the virus? Then for next 5-10 days he /she will be easily infecting another 100 person who comes in contact. I as a mother do not wish to live in stress wondering what if’s .

In my opinion, if I were the Mayor or District Magistrate or any one in authority of Pune city, would have closed down all the schools, colleges for 15 days. Since as per the statistics the Swine Flu is infecting more kids than adults, it makes sense to keep the KIDS AT HOME. Citizens of Pune should be restricted to public places like Malls, multiplexes and restaurants as these places are the best places to get infected. Even going to the hospitals should be avoided unless emergency situation calls for going to the hospital.

My son’s classmate was down with fever for seven days. The paediatrician asked the mother to get him tested for Swine Flu. She went to the Naidu hospital which is authorised to do the test in Pune. There the hospital returned her back saying that we will not test everyone who comes here for Swine Flu ! Shocked mother came back and was very upset. Had I been there I would have taken the Naidu hospital to press and made their life hell for being negligent.

My request to all parents. Go by your instinct. If you have slightest doubt, stop your child from going to school and public places. And get him/her tested for the virus. Early detection is better than rushing in the last moment, knowing very well that Tamiflu, the only drug is not easily available in Pune, even in black.
One to two weeks of holiday from school will not matter anything. You have all the portions and books, you can very well teach at home. Working parents will have trouble taking this decision, but the trade off is between the short term trouble of taking off from the office or life long crying…

I am very upset with Dr Gosh from National Institute of Virology, Pune. In the process of calming the parents he passed an uninformed message to the parents about the Swine Flu. He may be right in saying that parents should not be panicked, but he should not have said that it’s like any other virus and getting infected is ok !

So parents without creating a havoc around you, listen to your instincts. DO not send the child to the school for a week. Wait and watch. Talk to the school is they can close down the school.

Two years back my son was suffering from fever for 10 days. I got him to Dr Sewani of Kalyani Nagar, Pune. She said, it’s nothing to worry about and sent me away. But my instincts told me some thing was not right, as my son was blabbering nonsense in his feverish sleep. I got his blood tested elsewhere. He was detected as suffering of Dengue !!!! SO my instinct did come true.

The passage below was written when we were called to the school by National Institute Of Virology ‘s talk on Swine Flu.

Today, we were called to the St Mary’s school for a presentation on SWINE FLU.
Thanks a ton St Mary’s Management for pre-emptive step taken.
DPS also had last week sent a circular about SWINE FLU and requested parents to not send their kids if any had any kind of fever. These measures are very reassuring for parents, as it proves our kids are going from one safe hand to another :). Also, it takes care of the psychology of many over protective/ carefree parents.

It’s just another variant of flu virus. It’s symptoms are all similar to the other viral flu that our kids keep encountering.

Just be careful and take the child to a good paediatrician if the child has SEVERE CHILL , shivering and redness of eyes , followed with high fever.
Else treat this poor flu like any other viral fever. Do not panic, but keep the child at home to prevent him passing on the flu to others. One can wait for 2 days of fever and if the fever does not lower on the third day, then contact the doctor around.

The virus became a villain only because, when it was detected as a new virus in Mexico, the hosts died , but all had other major diseases to blame. Due to globetrotting, this virus reached India too, but it’s variant got diluted after it mixed with Indian viruses. But the virus is infecting kids more than adults. Hence preventing kids from becoming infected will control the disease in Pune.

How to prevent H1N1 Swine flu and any other flu :

1. Wash hands everytime you come home.

2. After kids are back from school or play give them a warm water bath.

3. Use tissue paper to wipe and throw in a dustbin.

4. DO NOT SEND YOUR KID TO SCHOOL FOR NEXT SEVEN DAYS.

That’s all it takes to prevent any virus from spreading ! 🙂

Do not try to cure any viral flu yourself, especially do not pop in any medicine yourself that is antibiotics ! Anyways no antibiotic can cure any viral flu as antibiotics are for bacterias , not for viruses :).

A good site http://www.parentree.in/Parentree-editors/journal-1302/Swine-flu–H1N1—-Babies-and-Children—Precautions–Symptoms–What-to-do—.html

To know or report about SWINE FLU contact :
www.niv.co.in

www.edc.org

Dr. Ms. Chadha
Deputy Dir- Influenza
Ph Nos – 020-26006247 / 26006217
email add – basua@icmt.org. in