Rumours of Swine flu outbreak dismissed
Various schools in Roodepoort have warned parents of the possible swine flu infection among the learners and cautioned them to keep their children away if the child shows any suspicious symptoms of the virus.
In light of the current panic about the alleged outbreak of swine flu, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) has issued a statement dismissing the rumours.
The NICD is in charge of monitoring the influenza season each year through its surveillance programmes.
In a statement, the NICD wrote, “The 2019 South African influenza season, which started towards the end of April, is ongoing. Transmission of influenza has reached high levels in the Viral Watch programme; however, the increase in influenza cases is a normal expected increase that takes place in winter.
“Every year in South Africa, we see a marked increase in influenza transmission during the winter, called the influenza season. During this period, the number of people infected with influenza increases, including patients seeking outpatient care and hospitalised individuals. It is also common to observe clusters of influenza cases within homes and workplaces as people spread the infection to one another.
“Another common site of clusters of influenza infections is within schools, because children are important transmitters of influenza and often have close contact with one another in the school environment. These clusters are expected and are not a cause for alarm,” the statement read.
Various schools in Roodepoort have warned parents of a possible swine flu infection among the learners and cautioned them to keep their children away if the child shows any suspicious symptoms of the virus.
These symptoms include fever, sore throat, coughing, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue.
The NICD added that they do not recommend the closure of schools as this can be disruptive and will not necessarily stop the spread of influenza.
Lastly, the NICD provided some ways to prevent the spread of influenza:
· Stay home from school or work, if you are sick, so as to not transmit the infection to others.
· Wash your hands frequently and dispose of tissues away from others.
· Bed rest and taking lots of fluid is recommended.
· You should seek medical care if there are worrying signs such as chest pain or shortness of breath.
