This was the news 5 days ago describing the current status of the A(H1N1) Influenza Virus rampage, a.k.a. Swine Flu, here in the Philippines:

MANILA – Thirty-three new cases of influenza A (H1N1) were confirmed by the Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday bringing the country’s total number of victims of the virus to 344, as the World Health Organization (WHO) predicts the virus will be active for three more months.

Of the new H1N1 patients, 24 are male and 9 are female, and 31 are Filipino nationals, Health Undersecretary Mario Villaverde said in a press briefing in Malacañang.

The new patients’ ages range from one year to 52 years old, Villaverde said.

He also said that out of the total number of cases so far, 242 patients have fully recovered from the illness, 142 of whom recovered only recently.

Despite the large number of patients who have recovered from the illness, the DOH again reminded the public to observe proper hygiene to prevent the spread of the disease.

– courtesy of ABS-CBN News

To date, 36 new infections has been added to the total count of the confirmed cases, from which 79% have fully recovered.

– image courtesy of GMA News

(Update 06/25: Sorry for the link error on GMA News. I already resolved the matter and fixed the link.)

The mere fact that there is a contagious disease on rampage outside the comfort of your house is enough to make us dialysis patients concern of our health. I previously voiced out my concerns regarding the “Swine Flu” virus, and I also stated my basis for these concerns.

I have been practicing caution from this Flu Virus in my household way before it got here in the Philippines and started infecting people. I make it a habit to clean my hands before and after meals; I always carry a hand sanitizer with me; and I avoid physical contact from sick family members, relatives, and friends.

The Philippine Kidney Dialysis Foundation or PKDF, the clinic where I go for my dialysis treatments, has recently put up information posters regarding the A(H1N1) Virus. It includes a brief but concise description of what the virus is, symptoms to watch out for, as well as various preventive steps a patient could take.

Some of these steps are:

• Always wash your hands before and after meals.
• Use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
• Avoid being in contact with people that are sick with colds or flu.
• Avoid being in heavily populated areas like school campuses, malls, and markets as much as possible.
• Get enough hours of sleep and always eat healthy foods that would help boost your immune system.

Another precaution our clinic is taking is that it makes sure every person entering the clinic doesn’t have a fever. A nurse is stationed at the entrance and checks your body temperature. If you checked in with a fever, you are denied entrance to the clinic’s premises and advised to have yourself checked further by a doctor or in a hospital.

This might sound a bit strict, but as a patient that’s more likely to get infected than others, I am in complete sympathy with this precutionary measure. I’m sure my fellow patients share the same view.

Dialysis Update – Taking Steps on A(H1N1) Prevention is a post from: Dialysis Postings