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Swine flu fear worker is told to stay at home
A worker at a Fareham company who returned from holiday in Mexico has been told to stay at home as a precaution against swine flu.
Managers at Taylor Made Computer Solutions Ltd asked the man, who has not been named by the company, not to go back to work until Tuesday – and only then if he has displayed no symptoms of the virus.
The customer service manager flew back to the UK from Cancun yesterday following a 16-day break with his wife in Playa Del Carmen on the Yucatan peninsula.
The incubation period of the virus is seven days, and although he is currently understood not to be displaying any symptoms, his bosses said they could not put the company's 84 other staff at risk.
Last night the worker had not shown any symptoms of swine flu, which has claimed around 150 lives since the outbreak in Mexico began. However he has been advised to contact his GP or NHS Direct immediately should the situation change.
Nigel Taylor, the firm's managing director, said: 'We employ over 85 people in one building, most of them work together in a huge open-plan space.
'The risk of him being infected is minimal, but one that's not worth taking.'
Ian Lockwood, commercial director, added: 'He has spoken to NHS Direct and has been told to look out for symptoms – in particular, a fever and any other symptom along with it.
'Clearly he's not experiencing any symptoms at the moment but we have got to look out for him and look after our employees and customers as a precaution.'
Today it was announced that an advice leaflet would be sent to every household in Britain. This came as experts revealed that four in 10 people in the UK could be infected.
Scottish health secretary Nicola Surgeon said yesterday that Iain and Dawn Askham of Polmont, near Falkirk, who were the first confirmed UK cases, were recovering in isolation at Monklands Hospital in Airdrie, Lanarkshire.
The newlyweds contracted the virus on their honeymoon in Mexico.
So far seven of the 22 people who had reportedly come into contact with the couple were showing mild symptoms.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is advising against all but essential travel to Mexico.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Question: What is pig flu?
Answer: Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza. Cases in humans most commonly occur in people directly exposed to pigs. It cannot be caught by eating pork. Cooking the meat to an internal temperature of 160 f kills the virus.
Question: What are the symptoms of swine influenza?
Answer: They include fever, fatigue, poor appetite, coughing and sore throat. Some people have also reported vomiting and diarrhoea.
Question: If someone who has been to affected areas is feeling sick what should they do?
Answer: Stay at home and seek medical advice from a local health professional or NHS Direct.
Question: Is treatment available?
Answer: The H1N1 strain is treatable with antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza which are being stockpiled in the UK.
Question: Is this swine flu virus contagious?
Answer: Yes. However it is not yet known how easily it is spreading from person-to-person.
Question: What measures can I take to protect against infection?
Answer: Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible. Dispose of dirty tissues promptly. Wash hands and clean hard surfaces regularly.
Question: Is it likely to turn into a pandemic?
Answer: Possibly. A pandemic is a global outbreak that spreads quickly because it is a new type of virus that few people – if any – are resistant to. The World Health Organisation has elevated the virus's global status to level four - meaning there is sustained human-to-human transmission. This is two steps from pandemic level, which will be declared if there is widespread human infection.
WHAT IS A PANDEMIC?
Pandemics arise when a new virus emerges which is capable of spreading in the worldwide population.
During the flu pandemic of 1918-19 a completely new influenza virus subtype – influenza A/H1N1 – emerged and spread around the globe in around four-to-six months. Several waves of infection occurred over two years, killing an estimated 40-50m
There were two subsequent flu pandemics, in 1957 and 1968.
During the past year, the Health Protection Agency has formed a pandemic influenza office to prepare for an outbreak, which has included the development of information and guidance, emergency planning, exercises, training, laboratory work, and regional, national and international liaison.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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