Masks must for medical staff in Kuwait as ‘H1N1’ spreads

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KUWAIT CITY, Oct 23: Following the recent announcement by the Ministry of Health about the increase in the emergence of respiratory symptoms with the beginning of the current viral disease season, health sources told Al-Qabas, that hundreds of people who visit hospitals daily, are infected with the H1N1 virus previously known as swine flu, which has spread widely in the country, with the return of students to schools. The sources said that most cases of visits to primary health care centers and emergency departments in hospitals show that they suffer from the same symptoms, such as high fever, sneezing, coughing and shortness of breath, stressing the need to take vaccinations against viral diseases and seasonal influenza.

The sources added that the medical and nursing staff in health centers and public hospitals has received instructions from ministry officials to continue using the face masks while on duty, because of the increase in seasonal flu infections during the past two weeks, to protect the working medical staff and limit the spread of viruses.

Complications
The sources called on segments of the society to be careful and beware of seasonal influenza, especially the elderly, children and people with chronic diseases, and those who suffer from genetic diseases or respiratory problems, noting that infection with H1N1 may cause serious complications later in limited cases. In a related context, Ghanim Al-Salem, a consultant in internal diseases, gastroenterology and endoscopy, confirmed that the H1N1 virus has recently been noticed in the country, since a significant number of infections have been recorded, indicating that the virus has become a seasonal virus which was earlier called the swine flu.

Al-Salem addedm “despite the spread of the H1N1 virus in the country, the cases that require hospitalization are very limited, and the presence of hundreds of patients infected with the virus daily does not spell danger.” He recommended five quick actions in this regard — quick diagnosis of whether it is a common cold or otherwise, check for dengue fever, abdominal pain, vomiting or continuous bleeding, keep the room temperature constant and the environment clean and keep distance from people who show symptoms.

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