Good article on H1N1

[EvergreenGal]

http://buenosairesherald.com/BreakingNews/View/5759

Interesting article...important read.

What I found interesting is the last few lines...he suggests to wear masks, wash hands often and don't touch face or mouth with your hands..common sense.


BUT in another article the Health Minister here says IF you aren't ill don't wear the masks....I trust Alejandro Macías the infectious diseases specialist and the head of the Infections Control department of the Salvador Zubirán National Institute, in Mexico City, before the Health Minister here in Buenos Aires.

 

[Napoleon]

I trust Alejandro Macías the infectious diseases specialist and the head of the Infections Control department of the Salvador Zubirán National Institute, in Mexico City, before the Health Minister here in Buenos Aires.

That's funny.

PS- So do I.

 

[djlinse37]

http://buenosairesherald.com/BreakingNews/View/5759

Interesting article...important read.

What I found interesting is the last few lines...he suggests to wear masks, wash hands often and don't touch face or mouth with your hands..common sense.

BUT in another article the Health Minister here says IF you aren't ill don't wear the masks....I trust Alejandro Macías the infectious diseases specialist and the head of the Infections Control department of the Salvador Zubirán National Institute, in Mexico City, before the Health Minister here in Buenos Aires.

For those that trust the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), their specific advice in masks is here:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/masks.htm

Of note:

In community and home settings, the use of facemasks and respirators generally are not recommended. However, for certain circumstances as described in Table 1, a facemask or respirator may be considered, specifically for persons at increased risk of severe illness from influenza.

Here's the link for Table 1:
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/masks.htm#table1

The only non-high-risk persons that are recommended to wear masks are those giving direct health care (as an occupation, not necessarily in the home!) to known or suspected cases. High-risk persons are only recommended to wear a facemask when in a known, crowded situation with active flu in the community that can't be avoided.

High risk persons are described here:

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/masks.htm#footnote3

They are the usual suspects: young children, elderly, pregnant women, plus those with specific illnesses or immunity suppression problems.

And, by the by,

Facemasks: Unless otherwise specified, the term ”facemasks” refers to disposable facemasks cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use as medical devices. This includes facemasks labeled as surgical, dental, medical procedure, isolation, or laser masks. Such facemasks have several designs. One type is affixed to the head with two ties, conforms to the face with the aid of a flexible adjustment for the nose bridge, and may be flat/pleated or duck-billed in shape. Another type of facemask is pre-molded, adheres to the head with a single elastic band, and has a flexible adjustment for the nose bridge. A third type is flat/pleated and affixes to the head with ear loops. Facemasks cleared by the FDA for use as medical devices have been determined to have specific levels of protection from penetration of blood and body fluids. Facemasks help stop droplets from being spread by the person wearing them. They also keep splashes or sprays from reaching the mouth and nose of the person wearing the facemask. They are not designed to protect against breathing in very small particle aerosols that may contain viruses. Facemasks should be used once and then thrown away in the trash.

My emphasis added at the end.

 

[EvergreenGal]

djlinse37....yes I think the trains, subways, malls, etc., are the places of concern....and very crowded streets in some cases....just my opinion.

common sense not fear is the way to deal with this...and for the hospitals to be fully staffed with the medication and tools they need to treat those in need!

 

[zork]

It's damn stupid, a month ago, they sold masks like crazy until they ran out, they said "it's only good for 4 hours", "buy a pack" and stuff, now they say "don't bother with masks, they're no good unless you are infected", good thing they let us know now that they made their buck, disgusting

 

[djlinse37]

It's damn stupid, a month ago, they sold masks like crazy until they ran out, they said "it's only good for 4 hours", "buy a pack" and stuff, now they say "don't bother with masks, they're no good unless you are infected", good thing they let us know now that they made their buck, disgusting

There are two different "theys" there.

The CDC and equivalent "they" tell you this (from the same link as above):

Information on the effectiveness of facemasks and respirators for decreasing the risk of influenza infection in community settings is extremely limited. Thus, it is difficult to assess their potential effectiveness in decreasing the risk of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus transmission in these settings. In the absence of clear scientific data, the interim recommendations below have been developed on the basis of public health judgment, the historical use of facemasks and respirators in other settings for preventing transmission of influenza and other respiratory viruses, and on current information on the spread and severity of the novel influenza A (H1N1) virus.

One argument against wearing a mask if not needed is that they actually provide a nice, warm, humid breeding and development area for various virus/bacterias. And since they aren't impermeable, if you do happen to by chance run across the virus, you're providing a nice incubator for it right in front of your nose and mouth.

The other "they" are the guys trying to make a buck. I'm not cynical enough to believe that every minister of health around the world is taking kick-backs from the mask-sellers of the world...