All Posts Tagged With: "pandemic"
When to stay home from school: Is it a cold, allergies or swine flu?
Sneezing or coughing might not be a big deal, but a fever is a red flag
In the face of a possible wave of H1N1 flu cases this fall, public health and education officials are encouraging parents and teachers to help stem the potential spread by keeping or sending students with flu-like symptoms home.
But should vigilance surrounding the pandemic virus mean having kids hunker down at the first mere sign of the sniffles? Not necessarily, says Saskatchewan’s deputy chief medical health officer.
Dr. Saqib Shahab says since September is a common time for dust allergies, individuals may experience a lot of sneezing, coughing and sore throat but no fever.
Generally, sneezes and a runny nose with clear discharge are more likely signs of an allergy, which isn’t infectious or contagious, or a non-influenza infection. Once you start getting a fever, that’s definitely a red flag, Shahab says.
“If your child has a definite fever, probably stay at home for the day or two that the fever takes to resolve,” he said from Regina. “It may be another influenza virus, it may be another respiratory virus. But especially once we see more H1N1 activity … that’s when really your child should not go to school if he has fever, sore throat or cough.”
Shahab said it may be difficult for some to make the distinction between symptoms. But for this year, he advises parents to play it safe.
“Generally in other years, if a child generally feels OK, even if he has a slight fever, the child may end up going to school,” he said. “What we’re requesting is that for this particular year, this fall, erring on the side of caution.”
“Parents whose children have allergies, they can usually just tell it’s just a recurrence of an allergy – lots of sneezing and runny nose and the itchiness of the eyes,” he added.
“We’re hoping that parents can make that distinction and keep the child home, especially when it’s sore throat, fever and cough, because these three are the most reliable indicators of H1N1.”
“Right now, the disease activity is low, but once we start seeing higher levels of disease activity, then with these three symptoms, we’re more likely to have pandemic H1N1 than something else.”
With two sons living with chronic asthma, Michelle Redway-Morris won’t hesitate to keep her kids home for a day or two if needed to allow time for their medications to work.
Zombie logic
Ottawa researchers study flesh-eating fiction for answers
A number of articles surfaced Aug. 18 about a study conducted by a professor and team of students concerning the outcomes and preventative possibilities of a zombie attack on the human population.
O.k., wait. Zombies?
According to the Toronto Star report, University of Ottawa mathematics professor Robert Smith and three students from both the University of Ottawa and Carleton University “spent a month doing research consisting mainly of watching zombie movies and playing zombie video games.”
While this sounds like an extremely awesome way to “conduct research,” I was a bit skeptical on its credibility.
Reading on, however, I learn this research was then used to create mathematical models to conclude whether or not the human race could survive a zombie plague and incorporated it into a paper entitled: “”When Zombies Attack!: Mathematical Modelling of an Outbreak of Zombie Infection.”
On top of narrowing the zombie ‘type’ they used for their model to the “slow” kind (Phew, the infection-ridden, speedy buggers from 28 Days Later still give me nightmares), the team took into account the different incubation and spread of ‘zombification’ times across a population that vary from countless zombie movie plots to games.
Now, to anyone who’s watched Romero’s Dawn of the Dead, heck, even Shaun of the Dead, a million times and watched their dedicated group of friends team up to play Left 4 Dead more than is recommended for good health, you’d know the chances of making it out alive are slim — and especially if you remember to watch the credits for Zach Snyder’s 2004 remake of Dawn of the Dead.
Not surprisingly, this is what the researchers discovered as well.
The study concluded that the only way to rid the world of zombies (hypothetically, of course) is 10 consecutive days of military strikes.
Great. I’m thoroughly amused. But where are they going with this?
The research paper, according to the article: “Takes a decidedly lighthearted approach to exploring serious, real-world infection rates.”
In the wake of an ongoing swine flu pandemic that joins a long list of deadly viruses, including the recent Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), studies contributing to fighting the spread of infectious diseases could be significant life-saving strategies. However, I don’t think I’ll hold my breath if the solution for a zombie-like pandemic is military annihilation of all infected beings.
Interesting, though, is the idea we can look into popular culture and movie magic — literally figments of our own imaginations — to gleam ideas for real life problems. Though zombies fall on the extreme side, examining statistical models on how to fight infection (fictional or real) may provide the answers we need, and therefore, is a step in the right direction.
Now, if only someone would start studying Ferris Bueller to figure out how to get kids to stop cutting class.
- photo by quixado
Grant MacEwan student diagnosed with swine flu
Students and staff were notified of the case by e-mail
According to a report in the Edmonton Journal, a student at one of Grant MacEwan College’s Alberta campuses has been diagnosed with the H1N1 flu virus. Staff and students were notified of the case by e-mail.
“MacEwan continues to remind students, faculty and staff to follow recommended procedures such as handwashing, covering your mouth when coughing or sneezing, checking with your doctor if you have any flu-like symptoms and staying at home if you are ill,” read the e-mail.
The school says it has installed sanitizers in various locations at all four campuses and is disinfecting surfaces more frequently. The majority of the school’s classes are done until fall.
