Firms start to react as swine-flu fears grow
By Achara DeboonmePublished on May 1, 2009

All of a sudden, a killer flu has shown its face and disrupted normal life all over the world.

Now people in many cities are wearing face masks, hoping those can shield them from the deadly flu that has claimed 160 lives.

Twelve high-school students in Auckland were placed into five-day quarantine after having been identified as confirmed or probable swine-flu victims.

Tokyo is trying to block the swine-flu outbreak by setting up fever clinics. Indonesia and Thailand have advised citizens to avoid travel to Mexico. The good news is China says it has been stockpiling pharmaceuticals - including Tamiflu - against deadly flu.

Thai authorities are also stepping up precautionary measures. People returning from abroad and foreigners visiting Thailand will have to fill out questionnaires about their general health condition. It seems so strange that you can be going about your everyday business, and then this deadly virus can catch you through a simple sneeze.

So it's unsurprising that coal company Banpu has cancelled its trip to Shanghai scheduled for next Thursday.

Participants were told if the trip was only for a mine inspection, it would not hurt to delay it until people felt better about travelling or opening their doors to visitors.

It was also not surprising

that Samitivej Hospital offered something peculiar to reporters and guests attending the launch of its new health programme yesterday.

All of them were encouraged to have a flu shot. If a fever developed after receiving it, as sometimes happens as a mild allergic reaction, they could see a doctor right away. But there is no vaccine for this new Mexican flu. But at least if these people do not show any symptoms of influenza, they can easily be distinguished from flu victims. But then, guests and reporters could suffer from a flu-like fever after the shot.

Now that the World Health Organisation has stepped up its warning level for swine flu to level 5, we can only expect even stranger things to happen.
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Screening for deadly virus stepped up at northern border
By Thai News Agency, the Nation

Swine flu screening has been stepped up in Chiang Rai in an attempt to prevent the outbreak of the deadly virus, after the World Health Organisation(WHO) had raised its alert level from 4 to 5, the second highest.

WHO said in the statement that it will, from now on, refer to the new influenza virus as influenza A(H1N1).

Suthat Chaisri, head of the disease control checkpoint at Chiang Rai's Mae Sai district, said that thermal scanner - a device to detect suspected swine flu patients—will be installed at the Mae Sai checkpoint to screen Thais, as well as tourists who enter the kingdom via the Mae Sai checkpoint on the Burmese border.

Suthat said that leaflets about swine flu symptoms and hygiene masks will be distributed to both Thais and tourists so that they could observe the symptoms and look after themselves.
Meanwhile in the lower northern province of Phichit, local livestock officials have visited 105 pig farms to instruct farmers about hygienic swine production.

Provincial public health official Dr Prachak Wattanakul said that local health workers and health volunteers in the province's 880 villages will visit local residents, targeting workers who have just returned from overseas, to scan for possible cases of swine flu so that patients will be found in time and quarantined from other residents.

In nearby Uttaradit province, hospital director Dr Thienchai Karuehayothin admitted that the news of the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and other countries, combined with the WHO announcement raising the threat level, has frightened local people.

Dr Thienchai said that up to 500 people who have flu symptoms come to hospital daily, fearing that they will contract swine flu.
"Despite the high number of patients, it's good for the hospital as we will be able to detect possible swine flu cases easily and can control the spread of the disease in time," Dr Thienchai said.
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Airlines prepared for swine flu
By The NationPublished on May 3, 2009

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) emphasised that airlines are prepared for the heightened level of alert following the World Health Organization's (WHO) decision to move to Phase 5 of its pandemic preparedness plan.

IATA has worked with WHO to prepare guidance materials for front line staff at airlines, including cabin crew, maintenance workers, cleaners, passenger agents and cargo/baggage handlers, the association said in a statement.

"We are following the advice of the World Health Organization. Safety for passengers and crew is our top priority. People getting on planes should be reassured of two things. First, even under normal circumstances, airlines have equipment and measures in place to keep the cabin environment safe. For example modern aircraft have air filtration systems similar to those in hospitals, aircraft are regularly disinfected as part of normal cleaning routines and crew are trained in handling procedures for passengers who might become ill on board aircraft. Secondly, the years of planning for the possibility of avian influenza have prepared the industry to deal efficiently with the unfolding situation by following the recommendations of WHO," said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA's Director General and CEO.

WHO advises there should be no restriction of regular travel or closure of borders. It is considered prudent for people who are ill to delay international travel and for people developing symptoms following international travel to seek medical attention, in line with guidance from national authorities.

"WHO is the global expert. WHO is not advising any travel restrictions. We hope that governments take decisions and coordinate their actions in line with WHO recommendations," said Bisignani.
Some governments, however, are adjusting immigration procedures, which can create confusion for travellers. IATA is collecting new requirements through the IATA Travel Centre. Passengers can get the most up-to-date information on travel documentation requirements at http://www.iatatravelcentre.com/.

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Swine flu deadly virus
Last 2 year, there is the flu that harms people and lead people to dead. It was called bird flu because the virus came from poultry. In recently, the new dangerous flu which comes from the pig names Swine flu. Swine flu is the new type of virus which is the new comers in the world of disease and become the enormous and important problem between the countries and individuals.

The main symptoms of Swine flu are uncertain as a whole. They know only some symptoms as simple sneeze. The virus can’t be cured if it is in the last symptom. At present, they are more than 160 people who are death in south East Asia. They have to check by special techniques from the some hospitals. There are many countries where involve in these problems such as Thailand, Mexico, and Korea, etc. These countries try to solve the problems as fast as they can. In Thailand, they analyze that virus comes from Chiang Rai, Pichit and Utaladit. They also find the 500 people who are doubtful that they are infected.

For the impact of this virus, there is one main impact except the health problem which is economic. Many countries have to prohibit their people to come or go to some countries such as Mexico. So, the countries which are the victim will be ruin in economy and the countries around them also have the deflation too due to there are no money inflow from other countries.
Furthermore, some countries such as Thailand has the some policies to handle the Swine flu that also may harm the countries where are victim of virus and themselves as follows. Firstly, Thai government sent the agents to check more than a hundred farms for finding the virus which can make the countries’ production are less. Secondly, Thailand ceases their citizens to go to Mexico and check and investigate people who come from Mexico which can make them upset and eliminate the relationship in two countries gradually. Thirdly, many airlines delay their flight to check for the virus resulting in angry of many travelers.

According to the Swine flu’s problem, WHO engage in the problem and try to solve it. They indicate the level of the country where is the dangerous. They help to set the plan for some airlines to become the good airline as in the normal situation. Although, WHO try to help, the problems are still especially in Thailand.

Due to the above problem my hard nationalism, there are my many recommendations as follows. Firstly, Government should inform the incident to WTO and find new technology and knowledge by sending the colleagues to learn the symptom at WTO secretly. Secondly, Government should provide the symptom and necessary information of swine flu through internet and television media to reach the big target. It helps to let people know and inform to government suddenly if they are infected by virus. Thirdly, Ministry of Public and health should encourage the hospital by amount of budget to stimulate their work to cure this virus and also give them the knowledge about this virus immediately. Finally, Ministry of education should provide the information of swine flu to the secondary and tertiary school. It will help to inform the situation to the society and government if they know what it is.

In conclusion, if the government or related institutions use my recommendations to implement, the social and economy problems which are from Swine flu will decrease gradually.