You will have heard reports in the media concerning a confirmed case of swine flu in Torbay.
I have been reassured that the Government are monitoring the situation very closely and are following the regularly updated advice being issued by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
The Health Protection Agency is advising that while we should all be alert for symptoms of infection and that everyone should take reasonable steps to protect themselves and prevent the spread of infection, at the moment there is no cause for alarm, and business should carry on as usual.
I encourage you to take the following simple precautionary measures which have been shown to be effective in reducing the transmission of all viruses - this information is also being made widely available in the national press, on health agency websites and elsewhere:
- Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible.
- Dispose of dirty tissues promptly and carefully.
- Maintain good basic hygiene, for example washing hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of the virus from your hands to face or to other people.
If you have any health concerns, you should seek advice from NHS Direct on 0845 4647.
The symptoms of swine influenza in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza infection, a feverish illness accompanied by one or more of the following: headache, fatigue, muscle ache, lack of appetite, coughing and sore throat. Some people with swine flu have also reported vomiting and diarrhoea. For most people, this illness at present appears to be mild and infection is treatable with anti-viral drugs.
The HPA has issued specific advice for people returning to the UK from a country affected by swine influenza. See the HPA website - http://www.hpa.org.uk/
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