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DPH advises: Keep two-week supply of food
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Posted on May 06 2009
The Department of Public Health is advising residents to store a two-week supply of food, keep medicines at home, and prepare other emergency plans, even as the pandemic alert level in the CNMI remains at Phase 5.
According to World Health Organization definitions, phase 5 means the virus has caused sustained community level outbreaks in at least two countries in one WHO region and a pandemic is considered imminent. Phase 6 is the highest level.
Latest report from the DPH Emergency Operations Center says the CNMI is not affected yet.
DPH, however, advises parents not to send their children to school if they are sick, especially those with cough and fever. Sick adults, particularly those with cough and fever, should also not attend work.
In its latest health advisory issued yesterday, DPH reiterated that the H1N1 flu virus is a rapidly evolving situation and current guidance and other contents may vary in how this new H1N1 flu virus is referred to.
It was first called swine flu because laboratory tests showed that many of the genes were very similar to flu viruses that normally occur in pigs in North America. Further study showed that the new H1N1 flu virus is different from what normally circulates in North American pigs.
The new virus has two genes from the flu virus that normally circulate in pigs in Europe and Asia and avian genes and human genes.
A total of 226 cases of human infections in 30 states in the U.S. mainland has been confirmed. Mexico, which is considered the epicenter of the virus, has confirmed 506 cases.
As of 8am yesterday morning, DPH said there was no type A flu cases reported by the department’s six sentinel sites, which include all Commonwealth Health Center clinics, Marianas Medical Center, Medical Associates of the Pacific, Tinian Health Center, and Rota Health Center.
DPH assured that there is an adequate supply of medicines to treat individuals who have severe flu illness.
It said that because this is a new virus, most people will have no immunity to it and so illness may be more severe and widespread as a result.
DPH reminds the public that this virus is not transmitted by food and that a person cannot get H1N1 flu from eating pork and pork products.
