Esperer Dance

WHO begins to ship anti-flu drugs

Source: irishtime
Last Updated: Tuesday, May 5, 2009, 20:36

The World Health Organisation began to ship 2.4 million treatments of anti-flu drugs to 72 needy countries today, and its flu chief said the swine flu epidemic was still spreading.

WHO flu chief Keiji Fukuda said new infections were among the 405 confirmed swine-flu cases reported to WHO in the last 24 hours.

“We are seeing testing of specimens that were collected from previous infections and then the laboratory work is catching up to it,” Mr Fukuda said.

“But we’re also seeing new infections occurring.”

“So, there’s both of these things going on simultaneously,” he told reporters.

The countries getting Tamiflu included Mexico, Afghanistan, Angola, Bhutan, Bolivia, Eritrea, Haiti, Moldova, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Uganda and Zimbabwe, among others.

The drugs are from a stock of five million treatments of Tamiflu that manufacturer Roche Holding donated in 2005 and 2006, WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib said.

They were being shipped from Geneva and Basel in Switzerland, Maryland in the United States, and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates.

The global body says there were now 1,490 cases and 30 confirmed deaths from the swine flu epidemic. Of those, 822 cases and 29 deaths were in Mexico; the US had 403 cases and one death; Canada had 140 cases, Spain 57, Britain 27, Germany nine, New Zealand six and Italy five. Israel and France had four cases each, Korea and El Salvador had two each, and Austria, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Colombia, Denmark, Ireland, the Netherlands, Portugal and Switzerland had one case each.

Most of the people infected with the so-called A/H1N1 virus were young people in their mid-20s, Fukuda said, and most had been travelling to Mexico, the hardest-hit country.

Travel could also explain why mostly younger people appeared to be affected, as they tend to be the ones travelling, Mr Fukuda said.

“With influenza, often we see the infections go to younger people first and then go to older people later,” Fukuda told reporters.

Another reason could be that older people already have some kind of protection against the virus from previous infections, he added.

Mr Fukuda said patients who recovered from the new swine flu virus would be likely to gain some immunity to future outbreaks, if only for a few years.

“With influenza viruses, when you are infected it provides some protection against future influenza viruses similar to the one which infected you,” he said.

The protection lasts “a couple of years and then the viruses themselves change enough so that it’s kind of a new virus for your body so that you are susceptible again”.

The disease is affecting females and males equally, Mr Fukuda said, and the incubation period has ranged from around one day to a week, the same as seasonal flu.

Reuters

Swine flu-hit Mexicans go virtual

Published by

Published: Tuesday May 5, 2009 MYT 10:57:00 AM

MEXICO CITY: Churchgoers celebrate Mass via television. Congressional candidates campaign with real-time speeches on the Web. A magazine promises Internet tours through the real Mexico — the one with open museums and pyramids. And rock bands plan online concerts.

Swine flu is creating a virtual Mexico. With school cancelled nationwide and many parents forbidding their kids to party, teenagers are logging a lot more time chatting on Facebook, Twittering and downloading music and movies from the Internet.

So are many adults, especially after most business and government offices in Mexico City shut down last Friday for five days.

Two rock bands are making a go at reaching shut-in fans, announcing a virtual concert for today. Los Estramboticos, a Mexico City group, and Pastilla, a Latino band from the United States, will perform in a studio and broadcast it online. At least they can get exposure while Mexico’s ban on concerts lasts.

“Entrance is free and you can come without a surgical mask or fear of getting diseases,” the bands proclaimed in a web advertisement. The problem is that even teenagers — gasp! — are starting to get bored of the virtual life.

“I am like, sick of it,” said Bibiana Perez, 16, a Mexico City high schooler whose daily routine has consisted of morning Facebook chats with her friends, watching movies in the afternoon, and evening Facebook chats with her friends.

“I’ve started to cook and do things I don’t I normally do,” she said. “I’ve never made brownies, so I made brownies. I tried lasagna, but it didn’t turn out so good.”

Alex Pradillo, 17, has reached his limit, too. Rugby practices that normally take up two hours of his day have been suspended. He tried to invite a few friends over but their parents forbade them to go. So he finds himself spending six to eight hours a day downloading music from the Web or chatting with friends.

“It’s definitely getting boring,” he said. “It’s tedious sitting around all day and the computer is starting to annoy me.”

But boredom was still not enough to woo many Mexican City residents from their homes on Sunday, 10 days into a flu outbreak that killed at least 22 people and sickened more than 560 in the country, most of them in the capital region.

Normally packed churches were all but empty. Priests in surgical masks offered Mass before a handful of faithful — also wearing masks. Cardinal Norberto Rivera held a televised service from the Metropolitan Cathedral for those staying home.

Sunday also marked the official start of campaigning for the July 5 congressional elections — but the government urged candidates not to hold rallies where the virus could spread. So candidates turned to the Internet to reach a population afraid join screaming crowds, shake hands or hold out babies for kisses.

Gabriela Cuevas Barron, a candidate for the conservative National Action Party, giddily claimed she was launching Mexico’s first virtual campaign, promising in a webcast to work for a cleaner and safer Mexico City — for now, through Twitter, Facebook and YouTube.

“Nothing is more important than health,” the smiling candidate chirped on her website Sunday morning. “I can listen to you from here through this page.”

Her opponents beat her to the punch. Political activist Oscar Romero, 34, launched a Facebook and Twitter page at the stroke of midnight Sunday for candidates of his leftist Democratic Revolution Party.

But Romero worries that voter turnout could be swine flu’s next victim if the disruption to everyday life drags on much longer. The Web is no substitute for old-fashioned rallies and canvassing in a country full of sprawling shantytowns and remote villages.

Party members “are pretty worried, I have to tell you. Because, effectively, they really can’t campaign right now,” he said.

Mexico has shut all its museums, archaeological ruins and theatres, and even nightclubs and bars in the Pacific resort of Acapulco are closed. Mexico City residents are discouraged from leaving the city.

The local magazine Inside Mexico jumped at the chance to promise an alternative: Virtual strolls through “cobblestone medieval-tinged streets,” biking and hiking in spa towns and even jungle treks.

“Are you suffering from flu-overload and hankering for a break (even if it’s a virtual escape) from it all?” a web blurb from the magazine asks. “We thought you might like to pause and remember some of Mexico’s beauty.”

Still, the magazine catered to the swine flu obsession. One of its most popular online articles? “How to make your own anti-flu protective mask: Part II.” — AP

Office Layout

These are great layout or design and furniture and fixtures for a small office or also can be ur study room, with a little twick here and there.

Very unfortunate I was unable to give credit to the owner of the pix mostly they are in my hadr drive for ages already, some received from emails too. But if can find the owner link, I will surely give the credit to them here.

Very suitable for small office, looks neat and tidy. 

Can put many workstation in such a small area.

Home office. Very good idea.

This is also gud but not really what I had in mind, if I do have my own office. Probably u out there like this layout.

Simple but to save space this is to be considered.

I find this one kind of unique. with the almost round shape.

This is pretty! I like it. I kindly like white environment.

another simple but elegant look for home office or study room.

Another white layout... I like it.

Colorful. 

Whoaa... this is definately not in my head. This is too grand.

Very relaxing atmosphere.

Great idea but won't be applicable for small office.

What a unique workspace. Very nice but the question is, how to get such monitor?

This is pinkies.... hmmmm 

For front counter this would be exellent!

This is good for home office or study room

I like the idea of this one

Whow... what a library?