What is H1N1?

H1N1 is a Type A Influenza virus - a new virus which nobody has immunity or antibody to fight it. It mostly has the same symptoms as a standard flu.

According to the Ministry of Health, the current record shows that there are 235,987 H1N1 cases globally with 2,543 fatalities from 182 countries. In Malaysia,there are 2,253 cases with 68 deaths.

 Who are at high risk with the virus?

• Children below 5 years old
• Person aged 65 years and above
• Pregnant women
• Children or teenagers below 18 years old who has been on aspirin therapy for a long time
• Person with chronic medical conditions (e.g. asthma, obesity, cardiovascular disease, hepatic, neurologic, neuromuscular, or metabolic problems)
• Person with low antibody (immunosuppression)
• Person who live in care centres

• Fever
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Body aches
• Headache
• Chills
• Fatigue

For high risk groups, severe illness can lead to pneumonias, ear infections, or sinus infections.

Do you know that the respiratory droplets expelled by an infected person through coughing, sneezing or while talking can travel as far as 1 metre?

This virus is contagious and spreads from human to human. However, it is not known how easily the virus spreads between people. It is important for us to take precautionary steps to prevent the spread of the virus.

You must:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap & water (watch it here)
• It is advisable to wash your hand with hand sanitizer especially after touching objects in public places (e.g. payphone, petrol pump, elevator button, etc)
• Cover your mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze & dispose the tissue immediately
• Avoid being in a crowded place. But if you need to, wear a face mask
• Avoid touching eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands
• Seek medical advice immediately if you have any flu-like symptoms

For more information:

• http://h1n1.moh.gov.my/
• http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/

If you have a family member who's under home quarantine:

• http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm