Swine Flu's Deadly Return A Global Warning

The World Health Organization has now raised the swine flu epidemic warning level to Phase 6 - the highest level. Media attention to this serious worldwide pandemic faded after the immediate fears of widespread infection and deaths subsided - unfortunately the swine flu has not subsided at all and is more dangerous and spreading more quickly than earlier anticipated. Widespread human infection is underway. The death toll is also increasing. Statistics as of July 2009 indicate, in the USA alone, there has been over 40,600 confirmed or probable cases of swine flu and at least 263 deaths. States leading the pack with infected populations are California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Mass., New Jersey, New York, Penn., Texas and Wisconsin. Wisconsin and Texas lead with 6,031 and 4,975 cases respectively. The situation is becoming so serious and developing so rapidly that the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has already deployed over 25% of its stockpile of supplies of antiviral drugs, personal protection equipment and respiratory protection devices and is trying to quickly train personnel at newly designated dispensaries (PODs) throughout the U.S. The big question is will scientists be able to develop a vaccine that works and will it be available soon enough and in large enough supply to vaccinate everyone. Much of the World's supply of flu vaccine is produced outside of the U.S. and the demand will be very high globally. No one is sure at this point when a vaccine will be available and how much will be available on such short notice. A monumental effort is underway Worldwide to develop an effective vaccine in large enough quantities to vaccinate the World population. Will this effort be successful?

Who is most at risk? Any person who is high risk for the seasonal flu is also in the high-risk category for the swine flu (H1N1). This risk list may be revised as more epidemiologic data becomes available but for now the high risk group includes: pregnant women, young children (under 5, but higher risk if under 2 years old), people with chronic health problems, including pulmonary conditions (includes asthma), cardiovascular, renal, hepatic, neurologic, neuromuscular, hematological and metabolic disorders, anyone 19 or younger on aspirin therapy and nursing home and chronic care facility patients. People in the high risk categories plus anyone already diagnosed with H1N1 would be first in line for available therapies, including vaccines.
Guidance for Employers:
1) Require employees to immediately report to you any flu-like symptoms. Employees with flu symptoms should be required to stay away from work for 7 days after the flu symptoms appear or until they are symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer.
2) Ask employees to cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and dispose of that tissue.
3) Ask employees to wash their hands frequently with soap and water or use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
4) Advise employees to avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth with their hands.
5) Ask employees who have been exposed to a person with flu symptoms to monitor their health every day, to notify you if they develop flu symptoms and if they do have symptoms stay at home.
6) If an employee comes to work with flu-like symptoms, send the employee home as soon as possible (see # 1 above). Ask the employee's co-workers to closely monitor themselves for symptoms.

What can I do to totally avoid exposure to this potentially deadly worldwide swine flu epidemic? Short of moving to the Moon- nothing for now but please stay informed of developments by Googling "swine flu" for the latest updates.

Author: Mark Thevenot authors family - friendly health articles. Visitors to his website , www.superrxcard.com , can print a free drug discount card accepted at over 60,000 pharmacies.

Want Respect? 21 Rules that Work

Respect is a valuable commodity that must be earned - you aren't born with it and you can't buy it. Respect is difficult to earn and can easily be lost. Respect can come with age, maturity, power, money etc. but all respect comes through an evolutionary process and true and lasting respect is determined by your behavior. If you want respect now you will probably have to work to modify your natural human behavior. Here are 20 simple rules that will generate Respect - with it, your life will improve dramatically.

Follow these simple behavior rules:

Show respect for other people even before they earn it.
You can never say the wrong thing if you keep your mouth shut.
You have 2 ears and 1 mouth, use them in the same proportion.
Listening to someone is sometimes all the help they need.
Mind your own business.
Tell the truth when asked, it is more powerful than a lie.
Don't make commitments you won't keep.
Under promise and over deliver.
Always keep your word.
Getting mad rarely helps your cause.
Anger is a brief madness that can do damage that lasts forever.
Forgive and forget.
Do not disparage your competitor.
Fight fair.
You cannot express thanks too often.
Do not gossip.
Power changes every person for the worse.
Remember where you came from.
Do not burn your bridges before or after you.
Personality opens doors and character keeps them open.
Be kind - kindness is loving people more than they deserve.


Respect from others is difficult to earn without making a conscious effort to earn it. Respect is also easily lost - but, if you gain the respect of others, it will open many doors for you and will keep them open for life.

Sensitive Skin? 8 Tips

Skin care products, makeup, perfumes and other cosmetics are a large part of our life.
Here are some practical tips which can reduce your chances of experiencing skin reactions to cosmetics:

1) Look for products that are hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. Select products with simple formulas, thus fewer ingredients. This will help you narrow down the offending ingredient if you experience a problem.
2) Try a skin test by applying the product to your inner wrist and wait 24 hours to see if you develop a negative reaction.
3) If you use a product that irritates your skin - Stop applying any cosmetics to the affected area at once.
4) Do not share makeup or makeup applicators. Use disposable applicators whenever available. Clean reusable applicators frequently.
5) Discard outdated products. Many products require preservatives. Over time they may no longer be effective against bacterial contamination.
6) Perfumes and fragrances are frequently a cause of allergic contact dermatitis. Try putting these on your clothing rather than on your skin.
7) Follow the product's directions for use and any warning labels. Avoid excessive or inappropriate use of any skin care product.
8) Make a note of the product's ingredients if you experience a negative reaction. This is the 1st step in the process of eventually identifying the ingredient that you should avoid in the future.

Following these simple tips cannot guarantee success, but they may help you avoid
that rash before your next Big Reveal.

Health Care Too Expensive? 6 Easy Ways to Save Money

If you want to protect yourself and your family without going broke, you will need to be pro-active when it comes to health care. Despite the extremely high cost of most medical care, access to free or discounted care is there for those willing to make a small effort to find it. Here are 6 tips to get you started.


1) Rx Discount Program - Prescription costs can be reduced substantially without buying insurance. There are discount purchasing groups that allow you to join them and receive their negotiated pricing on most prescription medications. One such group is UNA. There is no obligation or fee to register and it takes less than a minute to receive a personalized printable discount card which you simply bring to your druggist. He will save your discount group # in your file and you will then receive a reduced group price on all covered prescriptions. Discounts can be as much as 75% on some prescriptions. Go to www.superrxcard.com and print your own free drug card in less than 10 seconds. There are no gimmicks attached to this one and over 57,000 pharmacies participate in this group. According to Wellness.com - April 2006: "Hands down, the finest prescription assistance program in the United States…"
2) Free Medical Q&A - Informational resources are abundant and free. If you have symptoms you want to confidentially discuss with a real doctor or if you want to research any disease or medication, here are a few good resources: www.webmd.com , www.afraidtoask.com and www.yournetdoctor.com .
3) Doctor and Hospital Ratings - before you select a doctor or hospital for surgery, you might want to know if you are making the right choice. There are research groups that independently research doctors and hospitals and rate them based on criteria which are designed to determine whether they have met the nationally recognized standards for excellence. One such group has made their data base of research on over 600,000 doctors and hospitals available to the public. Got to: www.healthgrades.com to see how your doctor and hospital rate.
4) Health Insurance - Given up on buying health insurance? Do a little more research. There might possibly be some good coverage available that is within your budget. Try www.insureme.com or www.healthinsuranceinfo.net before throwing in the towel.
5) Free Eyeglasses - If you are a student or have children and cannot afford eyeglasses for them, there is a program available that may qualify you for a free eye examination and free glasses. To see if you qualify, go to: www.sightforstudents.org and apply
6) Free Medical and Dental Clinics - Nearly every zip code has a medical facility nearby that will give anyone, without insurance or money, medical care. Most of these receive $ aid from governmental agencies or charitable organizations. How do I locate one? Just call any doctor or medical facility and ask them or visit www.ask.hrsa.gov/pc/ . This webpage will allow you to search for a clinic by zip code that will give you medical care, even if you do not have insurance or money. Another site that will help you locate free medical care is www.freemedicalcamp.com

Health and Energy Drinks - Are They Really Healthy?

New health drinks and energy drinks seem to fill the coolers and store shelves these days. New beverages are marketed as sports drinks, vitamin water, energy drinks, diabetic drinks, weight-loss or weight-gain drinks and exotic fruit or plant extract drinks- with "miracle" health benefits. The spin is endless - the health claims are often based on fuzzy or no science. There are a few things we should consider when substituting these new beverages for plain old water or other traditional beverages.

Food and drink consumption is largely driven by lifestyle. Beverage manufacturers are in competition to appeal to our quick-changing lifestyles and as a result millions of dollars go in to formulating and marketing something to sell to us. Health and energy products have a special consumer appeal, so, it is profitable for beverage purveyors to associate "good-for-you" and "high energy" with all forms of liquid concoctions. Health and energy drinks are supposed to improve our life in some way, right? Many fall short or can actually hurt us.

Are all these new health and energy beverages really fit for human consumption? Many are absolutely not good for you. Check your labels. Most of these so called health drinks are loaded with sugars to make them palatable to our sugar craving taste buds. Since we aren't likely to buy many if they taste bad, beverage manufacturers are tempted to disguise the high sugar content of their beverages - because consumers in our new health conscious culture have quit buying so many of their high sugar soft drinks. Isn't high sugar content the reason we were told our kid's teeth are rotting and our butts are getting larger?. Many health drinks with high sugar content now disguise the sugar as "crystalline fructose" or "high fructose corn syrup" or "HFCS" rather than Sugar. Even sugar substitutes are not as healthy as we once thought. The truth is that we like sweet drinks, but, healthy and sweet are not usually found in the same sentence. Additionally, many popular "energy" drinks are loaded with caffeine or other stimulants plus lots of disguised sugar. Also popular these days are labels that claim "all natural" or "organic" ingredients. Be reminded that many natural or organic ingredients are not really good for your. Dirt is organic and natural too but it is not safe to eat just because it is organic and natural. Always consider the ingredients listed on labels and be aware of the beverage's contents, especially high sugar content. Many of the exotic ingredients and claims made of their health benefits are not based on good science or any science at all. Consumers seem to have an affection for miracle ingredients and exotic plants that come from far away places. Reality check! - there is very little governmental regulation of any beverage ingredient that has not been proven to kill you within 48 hours. Beware of unproven health claims and watch those labels. Also, combining energy stimulants with alcohol, which has become extremely popular, can be hazardous to your health and to others as well.

Please keep this fact in mind when making your beverage selections: Your good health is not the primary focus of the beverage industry and not the reason they have developed these enticing new formulas - profits are!

Flu symptoms. How do I know if I have the flu or just a cold?

I feel horrible! - do I have the flu or is it just a common cold? This question is usually the 1st one that comes to my mind when I get that lousy-all-over-feeling that lets me know I've caught a winter season bug. Some of the symptoms of the flu (influenza) are very similar to those common to the common cold, however, there are some flu symptoms that are not. Here are 8 symptoms that are common to the flu. These tips may help you determine whether you have the flu and a proper course of action if you do. If you suspect you have the flu and not just a common cold, see your doctor within 48 hours if possible. He may be able to prescribe medications that will help lessen the severity of your symptoms. After 48 hours the available antiviral medications are much less effective.

1.) Fever of 100.4 F (38C) or higher. Fever is rare if you only have a cold but fever over 100.4 F for 3-4 days is common in up to 80% of flu cases.
2.) Muscle aches that are widespread throughout the body. Muscle aches are not common with a cold and if they do occur are normally slight.
3.) Very tired or exhausted feeling. The degree of tiredness is usually much more pronounced with the flu than with a common cold.
4.) Headaches are common with the flu but fairly uncommon with a cold.
5.) Chills are common with the flu but are uncommon with a cold.
6.) Sore throats are common with both the flu and a cold.
7.) Stuffy or runny nose. These are common with both the flu and a cold but are more common with children who have the flu than with adults with the flu.
8.) Stomach problems such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea are sometimes associated with the flu - a more common symptom with children - but uncommon with a cold.

If you have any of the symptoms commonly associated with the flu, you should see your doctor ASAP - remember , as stated above, if within 48 hours of the onset of flu symptoms he may be able to treat you with antiviral medications that may reduce the severity of your symptoms and shorten their duration. After 48 hours the effectiveness of antiviral medications is substantially reduced.

Here are a few other suggestions that may help get you through the misery of having the flu: 1) Get enough sleep - not only will sleep help your body recover more quickly from the flu but when you are asleep you are not suffering 2) take over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol or Advil or other brands of ibuprofen or acetaminophen 3) keep your room warm (but not hot) 4) monitor your fever 5) avoid contact with others(except your doctor)until you are well 6) do not continue working or strenuous daily activities until you are well. Prevention is better. To prevent the flu: Ask your doctor if he recommends that you get a flu shot each year before the flu season begins. Certainly you should see you doctor immediately if you suspect you already have the flu.

Deadly Staph - Tips for the Prevention of Staph Infections

Tips for Prevention of Staph Infections in Schools


Over the past few years some dangerous Staph bacteria have become resistant to antibiotics. Only recently has the news media focused on this serious new health problem, which is of urgent concern to our schools. These killer bacteria, called methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus or "MRSA", have recently caused panic in schools in the USA. Some infected students have become seriously ill and some have died after these antibiotic resistant bacteria invaded their blood stream. Most Staph bacteria only causes minor skin infections and are treated with antibiotics. Serious and deadly infections however, develop when antibiotic resistant bacteria (MRSA) is involved. The best methods for prevention of all types of Stap infections involve general cleaning strategies which can be incorporated into the routine cleaning practices at all schools. Here are some tips for limiting the possibility of Staph bacteria infecting your students:

1.) Establish a daily and routine environmental cleaning schedule for your school restrooms and dining areas. The cleaning staff should be trained and monitored to be sure they understand and practice thorough and effective cleaning procedures. Your local health department can provide advice on procedures.
2.) Use germicidal products or a solution of 1 part chlorine bleach and 9 part water to clean any surface that is subject to frequent touching by students, including light switches, doorknobs, faucet handles, hand rails and all restroom fixtures. Use soap and water at a minimum, preferably an all-purpose cleaner, for a daily cleaning of all other floors and surfaces.
3.) Install automatic soap dispensers, automatic hand dryers and automatic paper towel dispensers. These touch-free automatic dispensers will reduce student's exposure to appliances that are frequently the source of hand transmitted bacteria. like Staph. If your school still utilizes the old manual hands-on dispensers it will be nearly impossible to clean them frequently enough to eliminate the spread of bacteria.
4.) Immediately clean up any surface that has a visible body fluid contamination such as blood, urine or other body fluid.
5.) Make sure automatic soap dispensers and automatic paper towel dispensers are filled with product at all times. This should be part of the cleaning personnel daily routine. Refill the dispensers daily.
6.) Encourage good hygiene. Students should be cautioned against sharing water bottles and personal items, encourages to shower after gym classes and other physical activities.
7.) Require that students cover cuts, abrasions and lesions with a proper dressing (bandage) until healed. Athletics staff should monitor this closely among their athletes.
8.) Clean all items used in athletic activities with an all-purpose cleaner and wash uniforms after each use.
9.) Publish, articulate and post reminders to staff and employees the importance of frequent hand washing with soap and water or the use of germicidal hand gels. Your schools restrooms and cafeteria should have warning signs posted in highly visible areas reminding everyone that hand washing is a requirement of your facility and is everyone's responsibility.


Following these simple cleaning routines will greatly reduce you schools risk of bacterial infections of all types, including Staph and viruses, such as the flu, and the common cold.