Previous Story
Restaurants urged to step up campaign vs H1N1 influenza
|
Posted on May 03 2009
The Emergency Operations Center of the Department of Public Health is urging restaurants to take preventive measures to combat the spread of H1N1 influenza.
Public Health program analyst Roxanne Diaz said that restaurants should see to it that they follow guidelines or advisories for the safety of their customers.
EOC staff, she said, will be visiting restaurants and hotels to check if they are making available basic hygiene materials for their customers like soap, clean water supply, towels, or paper tissues.
Diaz said they would like restaurants to do their part in ensuring that they have procedures in place that would prevent the spread of the virus, just in case it shows up on the islands.
As to whether pork is safe to eat, DPH assured there’s nothing to be scared about pork.
“It’s safe to eat pork,” Diaz said.
Some countries have already taken extra preventive efforts like banning the entry of pork that originates from the United States and Canada.
The virus H1N1 usually do not infect humans since infections happen mainly in persons with direct exposure to pigs. The infection can then be passed person to person.
The virus is spread the same way that seasonal flu spreads, mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with the flu.
People can also become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular seasonal flu and include high fever (100°F/73.8°C), coughing, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
