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Korea
As of 7 January 2010
Spread and severity of H1N1 Influenza :
Since first outbreak of H1N1 in Korea on May 2nd, 2009, the infection rate and number of fatalities had rapidly increased. With help of massive vaccination efforts to create a firewall against the disease, current the number of the outbreak is being dramatically dropped as figures.
Unfortunately 132 people died between first outbreak up to Dec 06, 2009. However Korea government has downgraded the country's alert level to "orange", the second-highest level on Dec 7 as the pace of domestic Influenza A(H1N1) infections appears to have slowed in recent weeks.
Major activities to prevent flu
1) By Government
Government does and did step up a lot of measures to prevent further spread of the H1N1 flu virus.
The counter-measures are listed below :
Enhancement of government system
- Build up central disaster relief headquarters
- Establish disaster headquarter each province & City
Enhancement of infra
- 1399 emergency call center and monitoring
- Designate the hospitals to take care of H1NI patients & Diagnosis Vaccination shot
- Until the end of Dec, 20% of people will take the Vaccination shot
- All school children have already taken the vaccination shot
Easy to prescribe Tamiflu
- Non-confirmed patients can take Tamiflu
- Secure the sufficient volume of Tamiflu
Others
- Overall campaign to prevent flu
- Control of military, prohibiting the leaves
- Reserve forces training postponed
- Lead to postpone or cancel festivals and events
2) Citizen
H1NI is improving and changing the people minds of sanitation to prevent the flu. - Wash your hands as often as possible
- Never pick up used tissue paper. That's just dumb
- Never share drinks or eating utensils with others
- Stay home from work and stay home from school when you have the flu
- Cover your mouth and nose when you cough and sneeze
Sales of face masks, hand sanitizers and other items that help prevent the spread of the swine flu virus are increasing as Korea reports a growing number of suspected cases of the virus. The sale of health foods to strengthen immune to H1NI are increasing (ginseng, red ginseng.)
3) Others
At this moment, volume of Tamiflu has been supplied to the medical centers in Korea and government has allowed doctors to prescribe the Tamiflu for any suspicious symptom even before the flu is confirmed.
Business Community Reaction
- As government has recommended the business unit to implement BCP(Business Contingency Plan) for pandemic dieseas and issued the guide of BCP for business units to take as sample.
- Stay at home for 7 days if employee has any suspicious symptom.
- Prepare their own BCP as government has guided.
- Take measures to enhance office sanitary and encourage employee to keep good health condition.
Travel advisory by local authorities
Advice and Guide by Q&A
- Check information & situation of new flu at destination country before departure.
- Make sure to main personal sanitary clean by washing hands & etiquette for coughing.
- Check information to contact medical center, Korean embassy or consular office in travelling country.
- Follow up strictly any guideline to prevent new flu issued by the government of travelling country.
- If you have any symptom of the new flu in travel country, should see a doctor for medical. treatment and inform Korean embassy(or Consular) office the treatment.
- Refrain to go out or travel overseas for 7 days after medical treatment or before you recovered fully.
- Check your condition closely for 7 days after return from overseas travel.
- If you have any suspicious symptom of the flu, take face mask and see a doctor or report nearby public health center.
- Q&A issued by Korea Health and Welfare Department / KCDC
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