06/15/2009 | 05:47 PM
MANILA, Philippines - Donning face masks to avoid the influenza A(H1N1) virus may even make people more susceptible to contracting the disease, medical experts said.
A face mask could even be the breeding ground for a virus if a user is careless, Mediadora Saniel, a director of Medical City and the hospital's consultant for Infectious Diseases, said on Monday.
“Once someone coughs or sneezes and the infected droplets stick into the face mask, they will remain there. Once the user touches them and puts their hand on their mouth or their eyes, there is a higher possibility that they will be infected by the disease," said Saniel.
Only medical workers should be using face masks because they know better how to properly handle and dispose of them, she added.
Instead of donning face masks and undertaking any other special measures to avoid the influenza A(H1N1) virus, most people only need to exercise “common sense," Dr. Alfredo Bengzon, chief executive officer and president of The Medical City, said.
“Common sense such as washing of hands, educating and informing the population are key to preventing the spread of the disease," he added.
Both Bengzon and Saniel said the Department of Health is doing a good job in managing the disease. Bengzon was a former health secretary.
Of the nearly 200 cases of the disease in the Philippines, Medical City has handled 25 cases of the patients. Most of them have recovered from the “mild" infection.
Since the DOH has come out with a directive to hospitals, telling them to send home patients who exhibit mild infection, Medical City instructed around 12 to 13 patients to treat their disease at home.
“We prescribe medicines for them and we call them up everyday to check on their condition," said Saniel.
To be admitted into the hospital for the H1N1 flu, Saniel said a patient must be at least 60 years old and has a pre-exisiting condition of heart disease, diabetes, or cancer and compromised immune system such as those infected by the HIV virus.
Despite authorities’ assurances about the disease’s minimal severity, nobody knows for sure if the H1N1 would mutate into a more deadly strain as was the case in 1918 when swine flu was first reported, Saniel and Bengzon said.
“There was a higher number of deaths in the second wave of the swine flu. That is why health authorities are closely monitoring the situation in Australia and Chile, countries which are in the globe's southern hemisphere. These countries are already in their winter season, and they want to find out how the virus will react to the cold temperature and if they will mutate to another strain or virus," Saniel added. - Cheryl M. Arcibal, GMANews.TV
From GMANews.tv; see the source article here.
MANILA, Philippines - Donning face masks to avoid the influenza A(H1N1) virus may even make people more susceptible to contracting the disease, medical experts said.
A face mask could even be the breeding ground for a virus if a user is careless, Mediadora Saniel, a director of Medical City and the hospital's consultant for Infectious Diseases, said on Monday.
“Once someone coughs or sneezes and the infected droplets stick into the face mask, they will remain there. Once the user touches them and puts their hand on their mouth or their eyes, there is a higher possibility that they will be infected by the disease," said Saniel.
Only medical workers should be using face masks because they know better how to properly handle and dispose of them, she added.
Instead of donning face masks and undertaking any other special measures to avoid the influenza A(H1N1) virus, most people only need to exercise “common sense," Dr. Alfredo Bengzon, chief executive officer and president of The Medical City, said.
“Common sense such as washing of hands, educating and informing the population are key to preventing the spread of the disease," he added.
Both Bengzon and Saniel said the Department of Health is doing a good job in managing the disease. Bengzon was a former health secretary.
Of the nearly 200 cases of the disease in the Philippines, Medical City has handled 25 cases of the patients. Most of them have recovered from the “mild" infection.
Since the DOH has come out with a directive to hospitals, telling them to send home patients who exhibit mild infection, Medical City instructed around 12 to 13 patients to treat their disease at home.
“We prescribe medicines for them and we call them up everyday to check on their condition," said Saniel.
To be admitted into the hospital for the H1N1 flu, Saniel said a patient must be at least 60 years old and has a pre-exisiting condition of heart disease, diabetes, or cancer and compromised immune system such as those infected by the HIV virus.
Despite authorities’ assurances about the disease’s minimal severity, nobody knows for sure if the H1N1 would mutate into a more deadly strain as was the case in 1918 when swine flu was first reported, Saniel and Bengzon said.
“There was a higher number of deaths in the second wave of the swine flu. That is why health authorities are closely monitoring the situation in Australia and Chile, countries which are in the globe's southern hemisphere. These countries are already in their winter season, and they want to find out how the virus will react to the cold temperature and if they will mutate to another strain or virus," Saniel added. - Cheryl M. Arcibal, GMANews.TV
From GMANews.tv; see the source article here.
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