Preventing the Spread of Swine Flu
Thank you again, to those who read my last posting about handwashing and the importance of this simple, yet critical practice both for healthcare practitioners and the public in general. It is especially relevant today with the latest outbreak of H1N1 as this task is one of the key recommendations from the CDC and WHO to help prevent the spread of this and other infections.
You may know that the CDC has a site dedicated to H1N1 Flu (swine flu). This site contains valuable information from general information about the new strain to guidance documents. One specific area has a wealth of information for a variety of heathcare setting issues, including epidemiology and surveillance, clinician guidance, clinician guidance for specific audiences, infection control, lab testing, etc.
Novel influenza A (H1N1) is a new flu virus of swine origin that was first detected in April 2009. The virus has infected people and is spreading from person-to-person, and has sparked a growing outbreak of illness in the U.S. with an increasing number of cases being reported internationally as well.
As such, we are all impacted by this outbreak especially those of us who work in healthcare. The CDC recommends some simple steps on how to stay healthy.
What are you doing in your facilities? What precautions have you taken to prevent the spread of H1N1?