Influenza Symptoms & Treatment

Protect Yourself From Influenza A H1N1

1. Proper Hand Washing

· Washing Your Hands Properly, is one of the best ways of protecting yourself against the spread of germs.
o Wash hands with soap or hand sanitizer
o Dry hands after washing.

· Wash and dry hands regularly especially :
o Before preparing food and eating
o After coughing or sneezing
o After visiting the washrooms
o Looking after sick people

2. Proper Cough and Sneeze Etiquette

· Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze
· Put your used tissue in the rubbish bin or in a plastic bag
· Wash and dry your hands after coughing or sneezing, use soap

3. Practise Social Distancing

· Avoid crowded places
· Avoid/defer large group meetings, gatherings, parties,
· Avoid close contact with an individual who is ill
· Limit your movement within and outside the organization

4. Monitor Own Health

When ill or have flu-like symptoms, you are to
· visit a doctor and stay home if given medical leave
· stay away from other household members, i.e. preferably stay in a separate room.
· monitor and report your daily health status to BM /HOD
report to work once you are certified fit by doctor.


5. Lead a Healthy Lifestyle

· Eat a balanced diet, have adequate rest and exercise regularly

Influenza A H1N1 – Transmission, Symptoms & Treatment

Transmit : spread via infected droplets from sneeze or cough from
infected person, which are dropped onto surface, or
dispersed into air

Incubation Period : 1 – 3 Days

Communicable/ : the day before, up to 3-5 days after onset symptoms & longer
Contagious in children, 7 days or more

Virus Lifespan : 48 hours in air & 2-8 hours on surface

Symptoms : fever (38.3oC), cough, swollen gland, sore
throat, headache, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea

Antiviral Treatment : Tamiflu & Relenza

H1N1 Vaccine : expected to be available by end of 2009