Fruits and Vegetables Really Do Matter!
Many of us are still waiting for the swine-flu vaccine to reach our locality. Are there foods we should be eating to help us fight off infections and disease? Absolutely! A lot of research is demonstrating that a nutrient-rich diet is necessary to help effectively fight off disease. How can we be assured we are…
Read MoreA Reason to Be Thankful: Flu Activity has Dipped
Happy Thanksgiving! PositiveChoices.com staff hopes you are enjoying a healthy and pleasant day.There is good news on the U.S. flu scene this week: a downward trend in influenza activity. The question is, will it last? We hope so. CDC has started a four-point campaign to advise travelers as follows:Travel only if well.Wash hands often with…
Read MoreDoes Hand Washing and Face Masks Prevent H1N1 Spread at Home?
Does hand hygiene and wearing surgical face masks prevent household transmission of 2009 H1N1 influenza? A new Hong Kong study found that indeed these measures when implemented early after symptom onset seemed to curtail transmission to other members of the family. The control group received healthy dietary and lifestyle advice. Another group were educated by a…
Read MoreSurgical Masks as Efficient as N95 Respirators Against Influenza
Influenza is transmitted by coughing or sneezing very tiny particles that may be inhaled at short-range by another person. Using a personal respiratory device may be effective in limiting the spread of the disease, especially in health care workers. New research has shown the standard surgical mask compared with the N95 respirator (NIOSH certified to…
Read MoreH1N1 Flu Vaccines Now Approved by FDA
The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) has approved four vaccines against the 2009 H1N1 influenza A. Several recent studies indicate most healthy adults will need only one dose. Guidelines for optimal dosing for children have yet to be determined. Distribution of the first lots in the United States will take about 4 weeks.PositiveTip: Healthy living, good personal…
Read MoreSchool Has Started–and so has Flu Season
Now that school has started the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has released updated guidelines to help reduce the spread and severity of influenza in early childhood school programs. In summary these include:Children and staff in target vaccination groups should be immunized.Those with flu-like illness should stay home until they've been without fever for 24…
Read MoreReducing Childhood Infections the Simple Way
Simple infection control practices to reduce the transmission of illness play an important part in community influenza prevention. A recent three-year study in a 240 student kindergarten in Thailand reported a three-fold (p=0.02) drop of influenza-like symptoms, and a twenty-fold (p=.007) drop in diarrhea following the introduction of four simple practices. Students, teachers and parents…
Read MoreCDC Recommends on Seasonal Flu
CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has now made a strong, "full-out recommendation" that children between 6 months and 18 months receive the seasonal flu vaccine this year. This is in contrast to last year when CDC only "encouraged" the shot for this age group. What about a vaccine for H1N1? Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC's center…
Read MoreWHO Declares H1N1 Flu Pandemic
Last Thursday, June 11, the World Health Organization declared the new influenza A H1N1 (formerly known as swine flu) a pandemic. This novel virus strain has not previously circulated in the human population. Although declared as "moderate", the speed at which it has spread, and the potential for a much more virulent form to develop spurred…
Read MoreEarly Reflections on H1N1 “Swine Flu”
An early review of the recent influenza A H1N1 scare suggests this virus is more transmissible and lethal than the typical seasonal flu viruses. This is the conclusion of a team of epidemiologists who analyzed the recent outbreak of H1N1 in Mexico. They presented several interesting, but tentative observations:
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