H1N1 Info: Kindly share if you care

Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 is a disease that is caused by a virus that could affects your respiratory system.

The symptoms of Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 are:
i. Fever
ii. Cough or sore throat
iii. Body aches
iv. Headache, chills and fatigue
v. In some cases, vomiting and diarrhoea

Complications of the disease include pneumonia and difficulty in breathing. Death may occur in persons who have other medical problems or complications.

How does Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 spread?
i. Influenza viruses are mainly spread from one person to another through droplets released during coughing or sneezing;
ii. Sometimes people may become infected by touching surfaces or holding objects contaminated with influenza viruses (e.g., hands, door handles , handkerchiefs, tissue paper) and then touching their own mouth, nose or eyes.

How is Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 managed?
i. There is no vaccine available at the moment; however, studies are being conducted to produce a vaccine;
ii. Antivirals (medicines used for managing infection with a virus), can be used to treat the disease. Oseltamivir (Tamiflu) is one of the effective medicines currently being used;
iii. Antiviral medicines work better if started soon after getting sick (within two days of appearance of symptoms);
iv. Those treated with antivirals usually recover fully; so far, no resistance to the recommended medicines for Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 virus has been documented;
v. Health workers should make treatment decisions based on clinical and epidemiological assessment. Particular attention should be paid to patients with complications.
vi. WHO does not recommend the use of antivirals for mass prophylaxis.

If a person is in contact with or likely to be exposed to a sick person, how can he avoid being infected?
i. Regular washing of hands with soap and water is strongly recommended;
ii. Hand rubbing with alcohol is also advised where available
iii. Keep a distance of at least one step (one meter) from the infected person to avoid coming into contact with the influenza droplets;
iv. If contact with a sick person or with potentially infected surfaces or objects occurs, those involved must not touch their eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands;
v. Close contact with a sick person should be avoided; people are advised to refrain from handshaking, kissing or hugging during an outbreak;
vi. Those taking care of a sick person should use a face mask in accordance with guidelines provided by national health authorities;
vii. It is advisable to be physically active, drink plenty of fluids, eat well, reduce stress and have enough sleep.

What can infected individuals do to prevent spreading Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 to others?
i. They should cover their mouth with a piece of cloth or tissue paper when sneezing or coughing; the used tissue should be properly disposed of while the cloth should be washed with soap, dried and replaced as often as required;
ii. The infected person should wear a mask when in contact with others;
iii. Tissue paper, handkerchief or other material used by the sick person for wiping his nose or mouth, must not be used by others;
iv. If there is no tissue paper or cloth, the sick person should cover his face with his arm before sneezing or coughing, and not use his hands to contaminate surfaces or things that may be touched or held by others;
v. Hands should be washed with soap and water especially after sneezing, or coughing, and before touching door handles and other objects or surfaces so as to prevent contamination with droplets;
vi. Sick persons should stay at home and limit contact with others as much as possible.
vii. People should seek treatment immediately if infection is suspected, if symptoms occur or when advised by a health worker.

What should communities do to help prevent the spread of Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009?.
i. Ensure community members know how to limit the spread of influenza, the symptoms of the disease and what to do if infection occurs;
ii. Ensure provision of care for those infected;
iii. Support social distancing, isolation or quarantine when requested by a health worker (or as determined by health authorities);
iv. Establish contact with the nearest health facility that will provide support in managing the disease;
v. Report suspected cases and deaths to a health worker or other relevant authority.

For more information about Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 , contact the Regional Office Pandemic Influenza H1N1 2009 Crisis Management Team (Dr Yada –yadaa@afro.who.int ) and visit the websites www.who.int or www.cdc.gov.

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009

First post in 2009. Wow, how time flies. You know, I can still remember my highschool days vividly, and i still can't imagine that I'm actually 25 now. It's like... Wow...

So another year has passed. Not the best of years, but at least better than 2007. Made some money, some new friends, of those friends some become enemies, some become more than friends. Made my debut in the club, tasted my first beer, fell in a swimming pool with my handphone, got a laptop, and got more friends online. Made enemy with my boss, got my first letter of termination, learned a few lessons on socializing, and a few more on other stuffs. It's a year with a good mix of blessings and curses, but yes, better than the previous year.

Come 2009, I hope that I'll be blessed with the following: A job I'm proud to do, and am happy to do it on a daily basis; a place i can call my own, of which i find sanctuary; and someone I can claim as my lover, of whom I can share my sadness (especially) and my joy. Will it come in a bundle? I don't know. I have a whole year to find out.

As an end note:
HAPPY NEW YEAR. MAY 2009 BRINGS THE BEST OF WHAT YOU CAN BE

On adversity

Quote:	It doesn't make any difference whether what you face is something that affects your work, your personal relationships, your sense of security, your appraisal of self-worth, or your appearance--the way you think about your situation largely determines whether you will do anything about it and what you will do.
Author:	Dr. Arthur Freeman and Rose DeWolf
Source:	The 10 Dumbest Mistakes Smart People Make and How to Avoid Them: Simple and Sure Techniques for Gaining Greater Control of Your Life by Arthur Freeman

Reminds me of the audiobook I listened to, by Wayne Dyer: When you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change. Hmm...

Between growing up, and growing old

Recently, I got myself into a mess. A mess which started as something that has nothing to do with me. But, since I'm a hopeless busy-body, I got myself in the crossfire. And wow, what an eye-opening experience. Through the period (still going through it, by the way) I get to see, and experience myself, how the creature called human acts. From it I gauge my own maturity, as well as people who were involved in the situation. And it got me thinking, "Here I am, in this kind of situation, and I see people older than me acting way immature than I am, and people younger than me, acting more matured than I can ever imagine myself acting. Why is it so? Shouldn't older people act more matured, since they have more experience?"

So what actually denotes someone's maturity? Mindset? The book they read? The way they talk? How they talk about others? I guess my reading is still far from sufficient...

Caught in a cross-fire

Lesson learnt: when 2 of your friends are in a feud, and you don't want to take side, just stay clear. Stay away from them, not to mean you ditch them, just observe until the feud ends. Do not at any time give any opinions unless both of them are in the same room with you. Last but not least, don't even think of intervening if you're sick, jobless, and broke!

Back to the unemployed status O_o

What a day. Got a 24-hours notice to leave the office, because I bad-mouthed the MD. Well, that's my fault, so the best action for me is to bear the consequence and make no fuss of it. Now i have a few options:

- brush up my writing skills and research skills, and venture into publishing as a freelance
- do a bit more reading on HR matters, and choose my specialization
- look for office administration-related jobs
- wait for my payslip, apply for a credit limit extension, and do an internet-based business

Hmm... Come to think about it, now I have the time I needed to clean my room, etc. I've been dying to take a picture from the lookout point nearby as well. I guess this is what they meant by "every negative event contains a seed of greater or comparable positive outcome".

After a long hiatus

Oh, what a good night sleep (without the urge to sleep in my birthday suit). Sleeping in a bed sure beats sleeping on a thin mattress on the floor. Can't wait for my king-(or is it queen-)sized bed and mattress to arrive nyahaha. Definitely my beauty sleep will be refined XD.

Life had been a bit hectic, but improving. Got a job with salary. Well, it's not really a heavenly job with heavenly salary and heavenly boss, but at least I have salary. No point working with a heavenly company and reporting to someone who pretends to be a heavenly person, but no salary. Nothing comes for free, and no one deserves to be grossly underpaid.

With my salary, I managed to get myself a pair of Credit Cards (yep, monsters they are), which I used to pay my outstanding bills, get myself a laptop (Asus. Gotta love 'em), a handphone (SonyEricsson K810i, black. I'm a sucker for black-colored items. But not black-colored people. I admit I am racist, but at least I'm honest), some new clothes, new shoes. Life definitely is getting better.

And I've improved my social life as well. Met up with new people (which I will introduce in my next post. Need their approval after all). Some as friends, some as enemies. We go out yumcha together, had gatherings, shared our laughters and tears (ok, this part might be a bit exaggerated. But I'd hope that we will be able to trust eachother to that extend).

But one part of my life is still stagnant: My love life.

To be honest, I can't imagine myself being in a relationship. I, who is a sucker for romantic literatures (both in the form of audio, video, and whatever form it may manifest itself), cannot comprehend how love starts. I know how it is nurtured, and got to the phase of being in full bloom. But I don't know how the seeds of love get into the picture. Funny isn't it?

Maybe it's because of my orientation. Being gay means being a minority. Being a minority in a minority sucks. Plus the fact of my stubbornness (or should I say stupidity?), clinging to an unrequited crush for a certain someone, who kept the issue open, yet never wanted to discuss about it (he said it's a stupid matter. Gosh, my feelings for you is a stupid matter... And yet I'm still in love with you. I must be darn stupid...).

Sigh. Well, as a closing for this post, let me share with you the things i wish to have in the next 24 months:

1. New place to stay, preferably within proximity of a STAR-LRT or PUTRA-LRT station.
2. Better job with better pay with better person to report to.
3. Someone to call my own... And not just as a bestfriend. I want someone to share my all with. Literally all... Well, except certain personal stuffs. You wouldn't share your underwear, would you?
4. 50k personal loan. For investment and capital purposes. I only have 5 years from now, you see...

Ok, time to stop. Gonna take my bath, and head out to Pandan Indah for my assignment. Then KLCC, then LowYat, then Hartamas, then Maluri. And tonite, clubbing at Barcelona Club. I wonder if VBoi will try to make EVERYONE drunk *sweat*. Yeah, I drink. Not much of a good person I am.

Ok, see y'all. May your day be long, and your hardship few *giggle*