H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
Also called: Swine flu
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/h1n1fluswineflu.html

Swine flu is a type of virus. It's named for a virus that pigs can get. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. The virus is contagious and can spread from human to human. Symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.
There are antiviral medicines you can take to prevent or treat swine flu. There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu. You can help prevent the spread of germs that cause respiratory illnesses like influenza by
1.Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
2.Washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. You can also use alcohol-based hand cleaners.
3.Avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
4.Trying to avoid close contact with sick people.
5.Staying home from work or school if you are sick.

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14 Thais from Mexico quarantined at Bamrasnaradura Institute
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/breakingnews/

Fourteen Thais who returned from Mexico were taken to the Bamrasnaradura Institute early Monday for quarantine.The Thais arrived at the Suvarnabhumi International Airport at 11:30 pm Sunday.They were transported to the institute immediately and were quarantined on the third floor of the third building. (I think Thai government should quarantined everybody that come from Mexico and America because we can not make sure that they do not get virus because some of them do not show symptom and moreover we can not make sure our country will be save)Doctor ML Somchai Jakraphan, director-general of the Disease Control Department, said the fourteen would go under test for trace of swine flu virus.If they test negative to the virus, they would be quarantined for 24 more hours, Somchai said.The Nation

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THAI Well Prepared With Swine Flu Preventive Measures

http://www.thaipr.net/nc/readnews.aspx?sec=&newsid=C8A42256E09F1E3FDE64061D1E1ADD87

Published on April 28, 2009

Thai Airways International Public Company LimitedThai Airways International Public Company Limited announced that the Company has prepared to implement precautionary measures to prevent the spread of swine flu, safeguarding THAI’s passengers and those using the Company’s services.

ACM Narongsak Sangapong, THAI’s Senior Executive Vice President, Corporate Secretariat, and Acting President, said that the company has consulted with the Ministry of Public Health regarding the Mexican strain of swine influenza virus subtype H1N1 that resulted in public health outbreak and to closely monitor public health measures.

Based on consultation with the Ministry of Public Health, preventive measures will be implemented to safeguard passengers against infection.

The swine flu virus originated in Mexico and spread to other nearby countries in the Americas region, such as the United States of America and Canada. However, now become spread all area around the world including Asia.

THAI held a meeting to establish preventive measures that will guard against the outbreak.

In particular, THAI’s primary preventive measures relate to provision of passenger services, public hygiene and sanitation, maintaining high levels of cleanliness during in flight service and ground service provision.

The preventive swine flu measures will be similar to that implemented during the SARS outbreak in 2005 and avian flu outbreak in 2006.

Details of the Company’s swine flu measures will be disclosed in the near future, with provision of public health screening of passengers upon flight arrival and departure. Furthermore, hygiene and sanitation measures will be implemented in the cabin area and on equipment used by employees in passenger service provision.

As a result of the Company’s efforts in dealing with the SARS outbreak, THAI received a letter from the World Health Organization (WHO) commending it for responsible steps taken to protect passenger safety and reduce opportunity of contracting SARS. Thai airways also clean all the area in the plane from every flight in order to reduce the risk of spreading virus as much as possible.

The Company will coordinate with the Ministry of Public Health and closely monitor the pandemic, prepared to strictly adhere to public health directives put forth by the Ministry of Public Health, especially with regard to the Company’s international flight arrivals and departures to high-risk nations, such as the United States of America, which THAI operates daily on the return route Bangkok-Los Angeles.

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Asean meeting on H1N1 begins
By: Bangkokpost.com
Published: 7/05/2009 at 10:20 AM

The Asean+3 health ministers’ meeting began at the Dusit Thani hotel in Bangkok on Thursday morning amidst tight security provided by more than a thousand policemen and soldiers.

Public Health Ministry permanent secretary Prat Boonyawongwirote chaired the meeting attended by the health ministers and senior health officials from the 10 Asean countries plus China, Japan, and South Korea.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai had earlier talked with the Chinese health minister and senior South Korean health officials.The special meeting was called to discuss how the region would handle the outbreak of A/H1N1 influenza.
As Poland and Sweden announced their first confirmed cases of infection the World Health Organization said that 1,893 people have been infected so far.There was no sign of any group of protestors around the meeting venue.

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My reaction

- Now no one in Thailand get virus but we can not careless so at first we should take care ourselves by try to get information from TV, radio, newspaper and internet and protect yourself by do not go to the place that has risk and clean your hands every time and if you afraid of you will get an infect you should go to the hospital and do not talk to anybody to make the other do not get virus from you.
- Airplane is the place that has many people that come from many countries so we can not make sure that plane will cleaned enough for us and we can not make sure that a person that sit besides us does not get a virus so airplane should have preventive to make us believe especially airlines that pass the countries that have risk. For Thai airlines, I think this is airlines of our country so airline should make Thai people assure that if we fly with Thai airlines we will not get an infection because Thai airlines has direct flight in United states such as New York and I think it is really risk for us so preventive is necessary.
- Suvarnabhumi immigrations should make sure that they do not permit a person that has infected to our country because I think plan of our immigration so lacking because thermal scan maybe it is not enough for and I think we should not permit flight that come from Mexico or pass Mexico to stop at Bangkok because I think this step really important if immigration permit one of them that thermal scan can not check that he or her has a flu that means we will become a country that has infection.
- Government should give more information to Thai people and everybody that come to travel in Thailand by published a handbook about swine flu, how to protect, and if get an infection how to do and government should co operate with the other country in Asia or other continent to find the way to protect people by develop serum with other country or whatever that can protect our country from swine flu.


Conclusion

As we know, now our world confronted with virus that we do not have vaccines for it but for Thailand now we do not have anyone that get this virus but we must prepared from it so airplane is the first gate to go to Thailand and Suvarnabhumi airport is the second gate so, to make the air port do their job easier every flight that stop at the country that have infected persons should scanned them so strictly and immigrations at Thailand airport should double checked and if it is necessary quarantined can be a good choice to protect Thai people and our beloved country, Thailand and for all of us that stayed in Thailand, it is not good to be panic but we should find information and concerned about it and moreover followed the suggestion and I believe if we can do Thailand will be saved place and no one in Thailand will get infected from H1N1