Jul 30 2009
How to prevent Swine Fever
Over the past few weeks, you have no doubt been bombarded – sometimes unwillingly – with the information about H1N1 Flu. Otherwise known as the swine flu. Fortunately, it appears that all but a few of the 3,009 confirmed cases in the U.S. (as of May 12, 2009) are milder than predicted and completely treatable with anti-viral medication. But now that we have shed some of our hypersensitivity concerning this virus outbreak, health officials are turning their gazes to the fall flu season, and to the possibility of a more severe H1N1 flu strain returning.
Prevention is on everybody’s mind, including ours. In fact, we’ve learned that many of the products we carry, particularly a few of our air purifier models,can help reduce your risk of contracting and spreading swine flu. Here’s the lowdown.
Swine flu, like the common seasonal flu, spreads from person to person primarily through tiny airborne droplets released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. If you inhale these droplets when you are in close proximity to someone with the virus, there is a high risk that you can contract it as well.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), air cleaners – specifically those designed for infection control – can help clean the air of these contaminated droplets, in addition to common germs, allergens, and other particles. Air purifiers for infection control often include one or more of these components:
- High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter
- Antimicrobial protection
- Ultraviolet germicidal light
- Steam sterilization
Our Air Purifiers adopt HEPA filter, Antimicrobial protection and Ozone,it can kill microorganisms on contact. It is often used for microbiological control in hospitals, research areas, and pharmaceutical labs. It is regularly used in tuberculosis isolation rooms as well as in containment rooms that house patients affected by MRSA, the avian flu, and SARS. It was used in quarantine rooms in Hong Kong hospitals during the 2003 SARS outbreak.
Air purifiers are well-known for their ability to clear out allergens, odors, dust, and bacteria with multi-stage filtration. But what consumers may not know is that the HEPA filters used in these air cleaners feature an anti-flu coating and antimicrobial protection. This coating is composed of a special anti-influenza agent that has been proven to lower the viral infectivity of certain airborne flu viruses – particularly the H3N2 virus, a strain similar to avian flu. No studies have been conducted to determine whether the coating is effective against the swine flu strain. However, when combined with antimicrobial protection, the coating may lessen your susceptibility to viruses.
Air Purifiers with UV Light – We have yet to see confirmation about whether or not air cleaners equipped with ultraviolet sanitizing light are effective in stopping the spread of the swine flu. However, many experts in the air purifier industry are already hinting that these types of air purifiers – like ultraviolet sanitizing light wands– can help prevent and kill the H1N1 virus.
Follow the CDC’s Guidelines
As medical experts continue working to develop an effective swine flu vaccine, it is most important to follow the swine flu prevention guidelines recommended by the CDC and the World Health Organization. These are very similar to the things you do to protect yourself from the common flu. They include:
- Covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and throwing the tissue away.
- Washing hands with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.
- Not touching your nose, mouth, or eye areas, as these areas are highly vulnerable to germs.
- Avoiding contact with sick people.
- Staying home if you are sick. It is safe to leave home after you have been symptom-free for 24 hours.
Disclaimer: It’s important to note that the products mentioned in this article are not a guarantee that you will be not infected by the swine flu. They are merely suggestions for precautionary measures you can take – in addition to the CDC’s prevention measures – that may help to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus.