31st Aug., 2009

Are we letting our guard down against swine flu?

How seriously are you still protecting yourself and your family against the threat of swine flu? It is not easy to stay vigilant on-guard over a long time but we have no choice.

Every day the newspaper carries information on new cases. So the flu has not gone away.

But we are no longer as vigilant as we were a week ago.

• Already many children are arriving in school without masks.
• Many others areusing re-usable masks without the mandatory disinfection that should be done daily.

So, are we letting our guard down?

We had Dr. Gowry Sastry to talk to our students of Std. 8 to 10 on the swine flu and and how we can protect ourselves from it. The talk was extremely informative. And a little bit scary. The flu is still here and we can expect the "second wave" in winter - from November onwards, when the weather is more suitable for the flu virus.

If you have been watching the TV news, the US health authorities have said that they expect over 90,000 casualties in the second wave of the flu pandemic in the US . The second wave-is expected  to  hit  them in the months of September to November. Despite their high hygiene practices, good medical services and nearly limitless resources they still expect so many casualties and are preparing to combat the worst. Our hygiene standards in India are much lower so we can expect a much greater impact on our country.

BUT there is a silver lining. We have the cushion of an additional two months before the second wave affects India. There is  good chance that a vaccine may be available in the meantime.

But we should not rest on hope.

What can we do to protect ourselves from the Flu?

The best means of prevention are:

a) Hygiene (of hands)

b) Strenthening our immune system

c) Adopting the good practices which will minimise the chance of infection

We cannot wait for the flu before we take these measures. We need to make ALL of these  practices a part of our daily lives. IMMEDIATELY.

Parents & School

We need to work together as a team. Together we will teach our children about the best practices, motivate them and monitor them on a daily basis. Together we will beat the flu.

The school will teach the children what we must all practice. Some things can be done in school. But parents will ensure that children practice what we teach. Those things have to be done at home.

a) Improve Hygiene

• Wash your hands well and often. This will protect children from flu as well as other communicable diseases (like dysentary etc)
• Use sanitizer when water is not available.
• Gargle - keep your throat free of infection. Don't allow bacteria to grow.
• Keep your nose clean for the same reason as above. (If possible, try neti - for grown ups only)
• Bathe regularly. Fungus attacks lower the entire immune system.

b) Strengthen the immune system by

• Excercise the body through games
• Eating the right foods and natural allies like chyavanprash, amla, tulsi, haldi. We don't know for sure that these foods protect us - but they surely don't harm us! So let's use them.
• Drink lots of fluids (which keep the mucous membranes moist and effective)
• Breathing excercises for 5 minutes to strenthen the upper respiratory system.

c) Adopt good practices

• Get adequate sleep. High stress is very harmful for the immune system. (eat an early dinner, No late nights, early to bed)
• Always use a hanky. Use tissue paper if you have a cold. Dispose used tissue carefully.
• Stay at home if you are feeling unwell. You can catch an illness very easily in such a condition. Worse: you can pass your illness to others!
• Never spit. That is a terrible habit in India.
• Use a mask always when you are in a crowded place and you are not sure of the health of the people around you.
• If someone is coughing or sneezing then get away from the vicinity immediately. Put on your mask and insist that the other person also use a mask.

What we intend to do

We will make a little booklet - like a checklist. It will list all that we expect children to practice everyday. Parents will monitor the children and keep a record in the booklet. Teachers will motivate and encourage the children to follow the good practices.

Together we can make these practices a matter of life-long habit. Maybe we can motivate the parents also to adopt the same habits.

Suggestions are welcome.

Regards