what is swine flu? the swine flu outbreak which began in mexico is a type “a” virus called h1n1....

What is Swine Flu?What is Swine Flu?The Swine Flu outbreak which began in Mexico is a

type “A” virus called H1N1. Although it likely originated in pigs, it contains human, avian and pig DNA. It has successfully crossed the species barriers and

human-to-human transmission has been confirmed by

The World Health Organization.

All flu’s, whether seasonal, avian (like the much reported H5N1) or

swine are respiratory infections. All are transmitted in exactly the same ways and prevented in exactly the

same ways.

All flu’s are transmitted All flu’s are transmitted in one of two ways:in one of two ways:

DIRECTLY, in the air flow created by sneezes, coughs, breathing or

talking. These droplets can be projected up to two metres before falling to the nearest surface, where they can remain alive for up to 72 hours.

INDIRECTLY, by touching an object or surface contaminated by live virus droplets, then touching your mouth, eyes or nose.

How To Prevent How To Prevent The Spread of Swine FluThe Spread of Swine Flu

All flu’s are prevented in the same ways:All flu’s are prevented in the same ways:

Heightened hand hygiene, with soap and water or waterless sanitizer.

Social distancing – keep at least one metre away from potentially infected people

Disinfecting hard surfaces

Barrier protection using masks, gloves and eye protection

All human pandemic flu’s to date have been

incubated in the bird or/and swine population,

hence the name “avian or swine flu”. Experts

say a pandemic flu is overdue. They agree it’s not “if”

but “when” it will arrive. A vaccine will take months to

develop and production can only begin after the first

wave of pandemic has hit. Antivirals such as Tamiflu®

may or may not work effectively and may or may not be

available everywhere.

This training guide focuses on what you CAN DO to protect yourself and

your fellow workers against flu. Training in the tried-and-true infection

control techniques can yield big results – lower absenteeism now and

greatly improved pandemic readiness.

All information contained in this guide is

drawn from authoritative sources such as The

World Health Organization, Centers for Disease

Control and various government

websites.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

A medical mask should be worn within at least 1 metre

of other people, to catch droplets carried in the airflow

created by normal breathing (two metres for coughs and

sneezes). Experts are divided on whether masks should be worn

at all times in potentially infected environments but, apart from

filtering particles from the air we breathe, masks also protect the

nose and mouth from our own fingers, which may carry live

viruses from surfaces we’ve touched. (Try not touching your nose

or mouth for even five minutes.) Eye shields used in conjunction

with masks extend protection.

Infection Control Infection Control BasicsBasics

Hand-shaking - a good habit to shake A hand-shake greeting is deeply ingrained and can be highly

dangerous.

If you must shake hands, be sure to disinfect with soap and water or

waterless hand wash before touching mouth, nose or eyes.

Viruses can survive up to 72 hours on hard surfaces Wipe all your hard surfaces including telephone and keyboard with

a Polycide® antimicrobial non-alcohol wipe at the start of your day1.

1With repeated use alcohol wipes are harmful to electrical components such as keyboards and certain plastics.

Infection Control Infection Control BasicsBasics

HANDS AND HARD SURFACES CAUSE CROSS-INFECTIONS

Hand Washing & DisinfectionHand Washing & DisinfectionThe #1 way to reduce cross-The #1 way to reduce cross-contaminationcontamination

WHO Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care (advanced draft) / Modified according to ENl 500

When soap and water are available, wash hands thoroughly:

Hand Washing & DisinfectionHand Washing & DisinfectionThe #1 way to reduce cross-The #1 way to reduce cross-contamination contamination Cont’dCont’d

1. Wet hands with water.

2. Apply enough soap to cover all surfaces.

3. Rub hands palm to palm, right palm over left with interlaced fingers and vice versa.

4. Use palms to rub back of other hand.

5. Rinse under fingernails.



6. Rotational rubbing of left thumb clasped in right

palm and vice versa.

7. Rotational rubbing, backwards and forwards with

clasped fingers of right hand in left palm and vice

versa.

8. Rinse hands thoroughly with water.

9. Dry thoroughly with a single use towel. Use towel to

turn off faucet/tap.

Duration of the entire procedure: 40-60 sec.


Hand Washing & DisinfectionHand Washing & DisinfectionThe #1 way to reduce cross-The #1 way to reduce cross-contamination contamination Cont’dCont’dAlcohol-based hand wash has been tested and approved as an

alternative

to soap and water. A quantity should be carried at all times for use

when

contamination is suspected. When using alcohol hand scrubs:

1. Pre‐wash with soap and water when hands are visibly soiled because

alcohols are not good cleaners.

2. Be sure the hands remain wetted for 15 seconds or the quantity is too little.

Caution: Alcohol-based hand wash is flammable. Do not expose wet hands or product to fire or flames.

Hand Hygiene Technique with Alcohol-Based Formulation:


1. Put enough of the product in a cupped hand to

cover all surfaces.

2. Use same technique as used with soap and

water.

Duration of the entire procedure: 20-30 sec ...once dry, your hands are safe.



Duration of the entire procedure: 20-30 sec ...once dry, your hands are safe.

Hand Washing & DisinfectionHand Washing & DisinfectionThe #1 way to reduce cross-contamination The #1 way to reduce cross-contamination Cont’dCont’d

Hand Hygiene Technique with Alcohol-Based Formulation Cont’d


3. Ensure that the alcohol based product is brought into

contact with all hand and nail surfaces.


Although moisturizers are added to alcohol-based hand

sanitizers, frequent use can cause drying of the skin. Go-Kit

offers a medically approved non-alcohol formulation . It’s

user-friendly and ideal for frequent / repeated use.

Gloves and masks become loaded with live virus

during use in contaminated environments. Learn

how to maximize protection during use by

practicing proper donning techniques and how

to protect yourself against infection

by using safe removal and proper

disposal techniques.

Knowing how to put on and take off protective masks, gloves

and eyewear (called “donning” and “doffing”) is just as

important as having them available for use. There is a “right”

way to do it and literally hundreds of wrong ways. There is also

a correct order in which to don and doff the equipment, and

ten ways to get it wrong. Why is this important? It’s the

difference between protecting yourself and infecting

yourself. Literally the difference between life and death for

you and all those you may go on to infect, and all those

they may go on to infect, and all those...

The two most common categories of masks are:

Ear-loop (Surgical) MaskPrimary purpose – protects others from you

You’ve seen them on TV medical dramas, worn by

doctors and nurses hovering over patients during

surgery. Worn to protect the patient from the direct flow of

breath, which might carry infectious microbes, they fit loosely,

allowing gaps for easy breathing.

Ear-loop (Surgical) Mask Cont’d

Designed primarily for individuals who feel sick

or believe they may be infected, they should be

worn when such a person comes within at least

a metre of others. Avian Flu is believed to be transmitted by

droplets breathed, coughed or sneezed into the air, as

opposed to other threats which are “aerosolized” (such as

Legionnaire’s Disease) in which tiny particles stay in the air

for long periods and can be carried through ventilation ducts.

Ear-loop (Surgical) Mask Cont’d

Because Avian Flu is droplet-borne rather

than aerosolized, earloop masks supply some measure of

protection to people who are well, but find themselves in a

potentially contaminated environment, although an N95

respirator-mask is far preferable.

Masks and Respirator-Masks and Respirator-MasksMasks

N95 Respirator-Mask

Primary purpose – protects you from others

The N95 respirator-mask seals closely around the nose,

cheeks and chin, offering a filtration efficiency of 95% or

greater, catching very tiny airborne particles.

Although it can fit a wide range of adult face sizes, its

ability to seal around the face, hence its effectiveness, is

greatly reduced by men’s facial hair.

Worn to protect against direct exposure

to airborne particles carried in an

infected person’s breath, coughs or sneezes. They

also reduce the likelihood of indirect contamination

caused by touching the eyes with contaminated

fingers. Remove glasses with clean, disinfected hands

after removing gloves.

Donning - Before donning any

protective equipment wash your

hands and face thoroughly.

If you don’t have access to soap and warm water

then use a sanitizer wipe followed by waterless

hand wash.

Ear Loop Mask

Mask must be fitted snugly over nose, mouth and under chin.

Grasp flat mask with soft metal band at the top (fig1) and pull the mask open (fig 2).

Grasp the mask by the ear loops (one per hand) metal band on top. Hook loops behind ears.

Position the mask as shown above, pinching the soft metal band over nose bridge between thumb and forefinger while pulling bottom of mask under chin.

N95 Respirator - Mask

Donning Protective EquipmentDonning Protective Equipment

1. Wash your hands. Grasp nose piece at top of mask with one hand. Slide finger of other hand behind chin piece.

2. Open mask by pulling down and out on chin piece until mask is fully open. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT MASK IS FULLY OPEN.

N95 Respirator – Mask Cont’d


3. Place chin in pocket created. Stretch bands over back of head, positioning bottom band behind neck below ears and top band near crown of head.

4. Conform nosepiece to nose and face contours making sure Magic Arch® Is fully extended away from nose and mouth.



5. Holding mask at nose piece, place one finger inside the mask on the bendable aluminum chin piece, pull down gently so that mask is snug against face.

6. Pinch any excess material together under chin and fold over or twist.



7. Face Fit Check: To check fit, place both hands along edges of the respirator and exhale. If air escapes around your nose, adjust the nose piece. If air leaks at the respirator edges, unfold or untwist the chin piece, repeat Steps 5 and 6.

8. N95 Respirator correctly fit to face.

Glove Removal (CDC guidelines)

Carefully follow this doffing sequence Remove Gloves before removing mask - respirator

1. Outside of gloves are contaminated!

2. Grasp outside of glove with opposite gloved hand; peel off.

3. Hold removed glove in gloved hand.

4. Slide fingers of ungloved hand under remaining glove at wrist.

5. Peel glove off over first glove.

6. Discard gloves in appropriate receptacle.

7. Wash hands.

Protective Eyewear Removal:

1. Remove your gloves first.

2. With clean hands remove the glasses/goggles

without touching your face or your head.

3. Discard eyewear in appropriate receptacle. Alternatively, wash

the glasses/goggles and hands again in warm soapy water

carefully, rinse and dry with soft paper towel. Place clean, dry

glasses/goggles back in their protective plastic bag as a reminder

that your glasses/goggles have been cleaned and are ready to

wear next time.

Respirator-Mask Removal: (CDC guidelines)

1. Remove your gloves and protective eyewear first.

2. Wash hands.

3. Front of mask is contaminated - DO NOT TOUCH!

4. Grasp bottom, then top elastics (back of head) and remove.

5. Discard in appropriate receptacle.

6. Wash hands and face thoroughly.

Q. What is the difference between an epidemic and a Pandemic?

A. When a localized epidemic becomes widespread, even global, and affects a large proportion of the population, it is called a pandemic.

Q. Have pandemics happened before?

A. Pandemics have occurred throughout history, including four in the 19th century and six in the 20th century. The most severe recent pandemics were the Spanish Flu (H1N1) in 1918/19 which killed an estimated 50 million people, (particularly young, healthy adults), the Asian Flu (H2N2) in 1957/58 which killed 1 million (particularly infants and elderly) and the Hong Kong Flu of 1967/8/9 (H3N2) which caused up to 4 million deaths (especially infants and elderly). It has been forty years since the last pandemic, leading epidemiologists to say we are overdue for another pandemic.

Q. Why is there such concern over a flu that kills birds?

A. Flu viruses are species-specific, but if someone with human

seasonal flu contracts Avian Flu through close contact with infected

fowl, H5N1 may mutate into a virus that can cross the species barrier

(antigenic shift), becoming highly infectious and highly pathogenic to

humans, resulting in a deadly pandemic.

Q. Won’t my flu shot protect me?

A. No. Vaccines produced for seasonal flu will not protect against

pandemic flu. At best the current flu vaccine may help to lessen some

of the symptoms by producing antibodies, but this will depend on

what last year’s flu strains were like. (Health Canada determines

which strains of flu to protect you against, based on last year’s flus).

Q. I have a prescription for Tamiflu (antiviral). Won’t that help?

A. Maybe. Experts disagree on how long a course of treatment is

necessary. And antivirals have a finite shelf life, so the earliest

produced are now expiring, unused. Also, using antivirals creates

resistant strains, potentially making stockpiled product ineffective.

Speak to your physician if you have further questions.

Q. Are pandemics spread like seasonal flu’s?

A. Yes. Like the seasonal influenza many people experience every year,

pandemic influenza will probably spread by infected people coughing or

sneezing or by touching an infected surface. Unlike seasonal influenza,

people will have little immunity to the virus that causes a pandemic.

Q. How can I protect myself from infection?

A. There are several steps that can be taken to help fight the flu. The

most effective is to wash your hands frequently. We pick up viruses

from hard surfaces we touch, then touch our nose or mouth, and

infect ourselves. Wiping down hard surfaces with a disinfectant wipe

can also reduce the chances of transmission. During an outbreak,

avoid close contact with others (shaking hands, kissing, etc.)

Respiratory etiquette (covering your mouth and/or nose when you

sneeze or cough) should also be observed.

GO-KIT is the originator and market leader in pre-kitted, medically-approved sets of proven precautions.

All kits come complete with comprehensive instructions for safe, effective use. The right tools to cut the chain of infection at work.

Easily distributed Pandemic Preparedness Paks allow businesses to carry on confidently.

HOSPITAL-GRADE INFECTIONHOSPITAL-GRADE INFECTIONCONTROL SYSTEMSCONTROL SYSTEMS

Portable kits for purse or pocket

HEALTHY HOME A re-sealable repository of infection control products for the home and home-office.

GO-KIT IS A KNOWLEDGE-BASEDPARTNERSHIP

www.stevens.ca 175 years of medical / surgical supply

www.pharmax.ca Creating infection-control solutions for healthcare

For Families

Be sure to have a store of dry foods, and bottled water in case of store

shortages.

Keep some spare cash on hand, in case the banks restrict access or the

internet crashes.

Have some extra gas on hand, in case there is a shortage of fuel, or a

restriction of supply.

With kids home from school (which will close), have lots of activities ready, to

entertain them.

Consider having extra medications available, as seeing your doctor when an

outbreak is upon us, will be a difficult task.

Key Websites

www.safecanada.ca/link_e.asp?category=10&topic=170

www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ed-ud/prepar/flu-pandem/index-eng.php

www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/pandemic/en/

www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/avianflu/index.html

www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/index.htm

www.pandemicbusinesstoolkit.ca/preparenow

www.pandemicflu.gov/

www.hhs.gov/pandemicflu/plan/

The Flu Pandemic and You – Vincent Lam & Dr. Colin Lee Bird Flu A Virus of Our Own Hatching – Dr. Michael Greger The Hot Zone – Richard Preston

Go-Kit, Tamaflu, OneStep, Polycide, are the respective trademarks of Go-Kit LLC, Hoffmann-La Roche, Belvedere International Inc., Pharmax Limited

what is swine flu? the swine flu outbreak which began in mexico is a type “a” virus called h1n1....

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