The Ministry of Health wishes to inform the public that we are into flu season.
The general public is advised to maintain good hygiene and follow the instructions given in order to prevent the spread of communicable diseases such as influenza like illness and acute gastroenteritis in Dominica.
Seasonal flu is a yearly occurrence of flu infection caused by a flu virus. It is a contagious respiratory illness that may cause mild to severe illnesses.
• If you are experiencing flu like symptoms (i.e. fever, cough, sore throat, headache, chill and vomiting) or acute diarrheal symptoms (3 episodes or more of loose bowel in 24 hours) seek medical attention at your nearest health centre/facility.
If you are having flu-like symptoms please observe the following
* Avoid being in crowded place and close contact of others.
* Use clean tissue to cover nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing
* Place used tissue in a garbage bin after single use
* Wash your hands with soap and water and/or use hand sanitizer often.
* Do not take aspirin for fever
Gastroenteritis is a condition that causes irritation and inflammation of the stomach and intestines. It is caused by eating food or drinking water which is contaminated by a bacteria or virus. Lack of or improper hand washing, especially after using the toilet or handling of dirty diapers causes the spread of Gastroenteritis from one person to another.
• In case of diarrheal disease with three episodes or more of loose bowel in 24 hours you should submit stool samples to your nearest health care facility packaged in a clean, clear and tightly capped plastic container along with name, age, gender and address on the container.
• Drink lots of fluids to prevent dehydration. We recommend oral rehydration fluid, coconut water, diluted fruit juice or plain boiled water.
• Do not stop breastfeeding a child even if he or she has diarrhoea
• Observe good hygiene practices to help stem the spread of the illness.
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water or use an alcohol based hand sanitizer after using the toilet, before preparing food and drinks and before breast feeding or handling infants, children or the elderly
REMEMBER YOUR HEALTH IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY
For more information contact the Health Promotion Unit at 266 3469/3470.
Wasting hands for 20minutes if you don’t know the time. That means singing happy birthday 2time while washing hands
Try avoiding sneezing in the hands sneeze in your arm elbo front
The big thing that our family is doing to stay healthy this cold and flu season is to make sure we eat lots of fresh whole foods, drink only water and tea all day and we definitely take our Vidazorb – which is a probiotic. I have heard such great things about how much they can help people and I want to really boost my immune system and belly!
Good information. We need to keep on practicing good hygiene all the time. It is for our own health.
why these symptoms sounding so close to Cholera?
It’s amazing to see how many commets are here, something to do with our own HEALTH and no one pays attention, but just let DNO bring a beff and you see the amount of comments that would already be here< Dumbies-in-a-Can ( Dominicans )
if peeps practice cleanliness then we should have no fear,,,,it have the characters that cough,,sneeze n don’t have tissue or a cloth to block thier mouth,,,,,if u don’t have such at ur disposal,,,simply lift ur arm n block ur mouth with ur arm,,,,,,shheeessshhhh bear in mind not ur palms,,,, and u have the others who like belching out loud in presence of others i cannot stand them
MOTS
There I am laughing out loud again; the way you said “belching out loud”; because I have not heard “belch” for a long time. In Toronto they trained me to say “burp” but they both mean the same thing anyway–“a loud noise from the throat as one releases gas”. So it is not people’s fault that it comes out loud, but we have to try to be more discrete.
My grandmother used to go like when the engine of an old car started, and she would last for at least 10 seconds. It was a good thing she only stayed around her children, grandchildren, and their children. That would be so embarrassing to strangers!
The rest of the advice you gave, like not sneezing or coughing in the palm of our hands, and the better way to do it, are very good advice.