Flu hitting first nations as pandemic looms

Many people are wondering - is there a pandemic or not? The World Health Organization (WHO) is considering announcing a worldwide pandemic as I write this. Just talking about the idea that a pandemic might be taking place is a scary proposition. In the past few years we have created a media frenzy about the idea of what will happen during a global pandemic. Just about every movie I have watched that has a pandemic in the story line involves images of hoards of sick and dying people, angry mobs, death, destruction and total chaos. Many of the story lines in these movies have an apocalyptic end where there are a few survivors left to start life again. These movie realities of pandemics have helped to fuel a panic sense when people think of such a situation.

The World Health Organization has been having a difficult time in making an official announcement that the current situation with the H1N1 influenza A virus, or so called Swine flu is actually a global pandemic. I think that our mass media perceptions and ideas about what happens during a pandemic is making it difficult for these professionals to push the pandemic button. It is not beneficial to panic.

It is difficult as an individual to know these days just what to think when presented with the idea of a worldwide pandemic. The messages I have received from all sources are confusing and misleading most of the time. At the start of the so called Swine Flu in Mexico, the media sent out all sorts of reports and high impact coverage presenting the idea that this was the start of something terrible. Then the near hysteria seemed to calm down and the reports dropped off and not so many were getting sick or dying.

Presently, the worldwide count is just over 25,000 reported cases and 139 deaths. Although any death by disease is bad news these numbers are confusing when we know that annual seasonal flu infects many all over the world and thousands die each year. Still this new H1N1 influenza A virus or Swine Flu virus is spreading daily and the concern is that although it has been relatively mild it could take a serious turn for the worse. As I write this the WHO pandemic phase level is set at five and could be changed over the next little while to level six, an official pandemic. Level five is identified when the flu virus appears in one of six WHO regions. Level six is announced when the same virus begins to appear in sustained community transmission in more than one WHO region. This change in pandemic phase levels means that this flu is worrying, considering that there is no vaccination for it at this time although pharmaceutical companies are working on developing one.

Canada is now reporting the third largest number of cases of the H1N1 influenza A virus in the world and there is a troubling development in the First Nations of St. Theresa Point, Split Lake Cree First Nation and Garden Hill First Nation in Manitoba. Many Native people are on ventilators in a Winnipeg Hospital and the disease seems to be spreading more rapidly and with more severe consequences for First Nation people. The health care providers believe that this is happening because of the dire third world conditions of many First Nations considering that there is poor sanitation, limited access to health care, too many people are crowded into one home and there are many with health complications such as diabetes and heart disease.

First Nation communities should be taking this pandemic alert very seriously in light of the current outbreak in Winnipeg and nearby First Nations. Our leadership and health professionals should be making sure that our communities are ready to deal with a lot of very sick people over a short time. Plans must be in place to protect First Nation people from these outbreaks and to recognize the danger and control the situation before it gets out of hand. People need to be educated very quickly on how serious this flu might be and what to do to try to stay healthy and disease free.

Some things you can do to protect yourself include: wash your hands frequently with soap and water and do it well, keep away from anyone who is ill or has flu symptoms and if you get the flu stay home and away from other people.

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