Using masks may hike chances of swine flu infection
06/15/2009 | 05:47 PM
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MANILA, Philippines - Donning face masks to avoid the influenza A(H1N1) virus
may even make people more susceptible to contracting the disease, medical
experts said.
A face mask could even be the breeding ground for a virus if a user is
careless, Mediadora Saniel, a director of Medical City and the hospital's
consultant for Infectious Diseases, said on Monday.
“Once someone coughs or sneezes and the infected droplets stick into the face
mask, they will remain there. Once the user touches them and puts their hand on
their mouth or their eyes, there is a higher possibility that they will be
infected by the disease," said Saniel.
Only medical workers should be using face masks because they know better how to
properly handle and dispose of them, she added.
Instead of donning face masks and undertaking any other special measures to
avoid the influenza A(H1N1) virus, most people only need to exercise “common
sense," Dr. Alfredo Bengzon, chief executive officer and president of The
Medical City, said.
“Common sense such as washing of hands, educating and informing the population
are key to preventing the spread of the disease," he added.
Both Bengzon and Saniel said the Department of Health is doing a good job in
managing the disease. Bengzon was a former health secretary.
Of the nearly 200 cases of the disease in the Philippines , Medical City has
handled 25 cases of the patients. Most of them have recovered from the “mild"
infection.
Since the DOH has come out with a directive to hospitals, telling them to send
home patients who exhibit mild infection, Medical City instructed around 12 to
13 patients to treat their disease at home.
“We prescribe medicines for them and we call them up everyday to check on their
condition," said Saniel.
To be admitted into the hospital for the H1N1 flu, Saniel said a patient must
be at least 60 years old and has a pre-exisiting condition of heart disease,
diabetes, or cancer and compromised immune system such as those infected by the
HIV virus.
Despite authorities’ assurances about the disease’s minimal severity, nobody
knows for sure if the H1N1 would mutate into a more deadly strain as was the
case in 1918 when swine flu was first reported, Saniel and Bengzon said.
“There was a higher number of deaths in the second wave of the swine flu. That
is why health authorities are closely monitoring the situation in Australia and
Chile , countries which are in the globe's southern hemisphere. These countries
are already in their winter season, and they want to find out how the virus
will react to the cold temperature and if they will mutate to another strain or
virus," Saniel added. - Cheryl M. Arcibal, GMANews.TV
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