A medical expert specialized in public health is writing a booklet on swine flu – facts and figures – aimed at creating awareness among Saudis and expatriates of various nationalities. Dr. Abdul Azeez Zubair Kunju, a Resident Doctor at a Primary Healthcare Center, Ministry of Health, said the booklet will focus on all aspects of swine flu and preventive measures that the common man should take to reduce the chances of contracting the H1N1 virus. “There is a need for intensifying awareness among the masses by highlighting preventive measures against swine flu,” he said. The booklet, soon to be published, will cover all aspects of public health in general and preventive measures on swine flu in particular, said Dr. Kunju, who has to his credit about four publications on various communicable diseases, including dengue fever and Chikungunya. He said he will have a power point presentation at the auditorium of Classic Restaurant Thursday in Batha. The awareness program is being hosted by Trivandrum Expatriate Association (TEXA), a Riyadh-based social organization of which he is the president. Dr. Kunju said around 200 invited guests, mostly Indian expatriates from the southern state of Kerala, are expected to attend the lecture aimed at creating basic awareness among the Malayalis living in Riyadh. “It is important for people to know that the secondary attack rate of the swine flu virus is very high. People who are at high risk are chronically ill patients, pregnant women and children below 12 years of age,” he said. He said A-H1N1 remains in the incubation stage for around five to seven days and the virus can be transmitted to others just one day before a person starts experiencing the first symptoms. He said the best way to control the spread of the disease is to quarantine infected persons who show flu symptoms, such as upper respiratory problems accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, increased confusion or disorientation, worsening fever and chills. The second most important step would be to screen people at international airports, Dr. Kunju, who was part of the screening team at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, said. He said the KKIA has installed thermal devices at each of its international terminals and can effectively screen passengers even with a temperature of 38 degrees Centigrade.
