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Woensdag, 27 September 2017 | Tel: 021 910 6500 | epos: nuus@tygerburger.co.za
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SWINE FLU: THREE CASES REPORTED ED AT PRESCHOOL
Shoulld we fear the swine e flu? DESIRÉE RORKE @dezzierorke
T
hree cases of swine flu were reported at a preschool in Kuils River last week. However, unlike a few years ago, swine flu is no longer deemed to be a notifiable disease and so the Department of Health no longer issues public health warnings. A notifiable disease is any disease that is required by law to be reported to government authorities. The collation of information allows the authorities to monitor the disease and provide early warnings of possible outbreaks. A five-year-old boy and two of his classmates from Kuils River were hospitalised after contracting the disease, leaving their parents worried and confused. One parent TygerBurger spoke to said she was shocked to learn that no health warnings were issued. She believes that parents should be warned by either health officials or the schools concerned if swine flu is detected. “My son was very ill, more so than in the case of normal flu. As he became sicker and sicker, the paediatrician diagnosed swine flu and admitted him to hospital,” she said. It was only after her son was admitted that she learned of the other two cases, as those children were also in hospital. According to Medical News Today, swine flu and the normal human flu are similar, apart from the fact that swine flu is more likely to include diarrhoea and vomiting, as well as the respiratory symptoms that come
wiith typical seasonal human flu. Initial repo orts also indicate that the swine flu virus infects deeper into the lungs than typical seasonal human flu. According to the motherr TygerBurger spoke to, the school in questio on seemed afraid at first to notify the other pa arents. “We notified the school after the kids we ere admitted but at first they did not want to send out notifications to the other parents wa arning them about it until I told the principa al that I would notify the other parents myself. “My fear is that swine flu spreads easily an nd rapidly and therefore parents should be wa arned so that they can be on the lookout forr the symptoms. Also, the kids from the school can infect th heir siblings and other kids to whom they arre exposed outside the school premises,” sh he said. According to the National Institute forr Communicable Diseases, the swine flu virrus is spread mainly by droplets when pe eople with the flu cough, sneeze or talk. Th hese droplets can land in the mouths or no oses of people who are close by, ca ausing infection. V To page 5.
Een van LS Mikro se uitblinkers Luhandré Olivier is een van verskeie gimnaste van die Laerskool Mikro wat goed gepresteer het by die distriksgimnas tiekproewe, asook die WesKaapse provinsi ale proewe, wat in Augustus by die WesKaapse Sport skool in Kuilsrivier plaasgevind het. Lees meer oor sy en sy maats se prestasies op bl. 4.