I received this piece of information through email. It is issued by the Mehiläinen Occupational Health Care. The guidelines is useful although it is issued in Finland. Read the guidelines carefully and digest it.

UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION ON THE INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC

Influenza A(H1N1), also known as “swine flu”, has continued spreading during the summer. As of August 10 there were 189 confirmed cases of swine flu in Finland. However, the number of cases is expected to increase; a greater share of the population is estimated to become infected with the A(H1N1) virus than the regular influenza virus. Fortunately, the disease has increasingly begun to resemble the common annual influenza in its severity, and the majority of those infected recover without medication and hospital treatment.

How to protect yourself against the disease?

The best way to protect yourself against the influenza, as well as several other communicable diseases, is to wash your hands regularly. To prevent infecting others, cover your mouth and nose with a disposable tissue or your sleeve when coughing or sneezing. If you cough or sneeze into your hands, you should wash them immediately. You should also wash your hands carefully with warm water and soap whenever you return indoors, after visits to the toilet, and before meals. You should avoid touching your face with your bare hands and limit your interaction with those infected.

The authorities are preparing for an extensive vaccination programme to help slow down the spread of the epidemic. The delivery timetable for the vaccine depends on the production capacity of the manufacturer. More specific national decisions on vaccination and the related practical arrangements and timetable will be made during the coming autumn.

According to the guidelines issued by authorities, preventive antiviral medication should only be used in special cases in specialised medical care.

What to do if you fall ill?

The typical symptoms of influenza A(H1N1) include the sudden onset of fever (over 38 °C or over 38.5 °C for under 3-year-olds) associated with respiratory symptoms such as coughing and a sore throat. Further symptoms may include muscular aches, headache and diarrhoea.

If you have the above symptoms you should stay at home. Most employers accept an absence of a few days on the basis of the employee’s notification. During the influenza season employers may also decide to accept slightly longer absences without a doctor’s or nurse’s certificate. The spread of the epidemic can be slowed down by avoiding unnecessary medical visits when infected.

According to current guidelines issued by the authorities antiviral medication should only be prescribed for patients in need of hospital treatment and for those belonging to any of the risk groups. Experts are currently of the opinion that persons in good basic health, whose symptoms are mild and who do not belong to any of the risk groups, should not be treated with antiviral medication. In most cases sufficient home treatment includes rest, the plentiful intake of fluids, and pain medication to alleviate the symptoms. When necessary, occupational health nurses will provide further information on home treatment by telephone.

In home care, persons infected with the influenza should stay in a separate room from others living in the same apartment. Those infected should avoid close contact with others and stay at home for the duration of the symptoms. If you have to go out, for example, to the doctor’s, you should cover your mouth and nose with a disposable tissue or use a face mask if available.

When to call for the doctor?

Persons suspecting that they have been infected with the influenza who are pregnant or suffer from a long-term illness (cardiac or pulmonary disease requiring medication, diabetes, hepatic or renal failure, illness or treatment weakening the immune system, chronic neurological disease, morbid obesity) should immediately contact occupational health care at the onset of symptoms for the purpose of assessing the need for treatment. Children under the age of three are also in a risk group.

As a rule, adults whose symptoms are mild and who do not belong to any of the abovementioned risk groups do not require medical examination or special medication. They should be able to recover from the influenza by resting for approximately one week. This also applies to persons returning from abroad.

If your symptoms are severe or prolonged or if your overall condition deteriorates you should seek medical attention. Such symptoms include breathing problems, pain or sensations of pressure in the chest, acute dizziness or disorientation, and violent or constant vomiting. You should also seek treatment if flu-like symptoms disappear and then return with associated fever and aggravated coughing.

If you need to book a doctor’s appointment because of the flu, do it by telephone and inform the health station of the reason for your appointment so that it can be arranged as safely as possible. Those infected will be asked to wear a face mask in the waiting room, and the treatment staff may also be wearing masks when dealing with infected patients.

What to do in the workplace?

Each workplace should have operating practices in place in preparation for the possibility of a considerable number of personnel being absent owing to their own or their child’s illness. Key issues should include opportunities for working from home and being absent without a doctor’s or nurse’s certificate as well as the planning of functions that must be maintained despite absences.

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