Office of Medical Services Works on H1N1 Awareness

BY MARIAM WAHBA

AUC’s Office of Medical Services is working to increase social awareness about the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, after many people contracted the disease in the past few weeks.

In addition to emailing the community e-mails to inform them about the emerging virus, the Office has held lectures on how to stay healthy.

The office also asked the university to distribute posters and brochures, especially in restrooms, explaining how to correctly maintain good hygiene.

This winter, the prevalence of influenza in Egypt increased, as the H1N1 virus spreads in the same way as the seasonal flu.

The H1N1 epidemic shares many symptoms with the seasonal flu, such as coughs, fevers, sore throats, runny noses, body aches, fatigue, and headaches. However, H1N1 can be fatal in some cases.

The Director of the Office of Medical Services at AUC, Dr. Mohamed Amin, said that those who are at risk of being affected by the H1N1 virus are those younger than two or above 65 years of age.

He also said that those suffering from diabetes, chronic lung disease, and/or low immunity can also be in danger.

Amin added that people with any of these risk factors should get the vaccination against H1N1 immediately.

“80 percent of the people who died [from the flu] fit in the risk group patients,” Amin said.

Amin said that students who experience mild flu symptoms should isolate themselves, while those who experience mild symptoms but have one or more of the risk factors should also take the swine flu vaccination for five days.

Those who have severe symptoms with or without risk factors should be hospitalized immediately.

Amin added that if the university suspects a case of H1N1 on campus, the case is transferred to medical care, where they examine the patient in a separate room before deciding whether to transfer the case to a hospital.

He explained that the latter decision is made based on the severity of the symptoms.

“The [AUC] medical care is perfectly capable of dealing with [H1N1] cases, and the clinic follows the international measures in such situations,” Amin said.

On February 17, Adel Khattab, professor of Pulmonary Medicine at Ain Shams University and a member of the Supreme Committee of Influenza, gave a lecture at AUC to explain the symptoms of the 2014 flu and give recommendations on how to avoid the infection.

“People should avoid using shisha in public places such as coffee shops, even if you have your own spare shisha parts,” Khattab said.

He also said that people should wash their hands regularly, cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, avoid touching the eyes, nose, and mouth, and stay away from sick people.

“During this winter, there is an increase in activity of seasonal influenza in Egypt; this follows the same trend found as in the Northern hemisphere,” he said.

He added that a significant increase in those who seek medical advice regarding Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) is expected within the upcoming few weeks.

This increase, he said, will come as a result of the recent rise in awareness.

The Office of Medical Services has been in contact with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Egyptian Ministry of Health on a daily basis to stay updated on any necessary precautions.