“Ninety percent of the things we tend to worry about we have no control over, so why worry about them?” Author Unknown
With the swine flu having already spread to at least six other countries, authorities around the globe are like firefighters battling a blaze without knowing how far it extends.
WHO spokesman Peter Cordingley singled out air travel as an easy way the virus could spread, noting that the WHO estimates that up to 500,000 people are on planes at any time.
Governments in Asia  with memories of previous flu outbreaks  were especially cautious. Singapore, Thailand, Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines dusted off thermal scanners used in the 2003 SARS crisis and were checking for signs of fever among passengers from North America. South Korea, India and Indonesia also announced screening.
Source : Deadly Swine Flu Spreads to Mideast, Asia
My husband has been worried sick of this Swine flu. Travel outside the Philippines is part of our graduation present to my daughter and she leaves on May 6. That’s all he talks these days during dinner time. It is natural for parents to worry but up to what degree?
Should I worry? I think about things I can control. I told M to continue taking her Vitamin C and her other multi-vitamins.
Secondly, there are precautions to keep in mind:
1. Frequent handwashing
Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands! “Hand washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds after touching objects, surfaces or another person’s hands can physically remove cold viruses,” Dr. Clifford W. Bassett, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital and faculty member of NYU School of Medicine (Read 10 ways to prevent Swine Flu)
2. Covering up coughs and sneezes,
3. Staying away from work or school if not feeling well
4. Avoid hugging and kissing at public gatherings or the beso-beso. Let’s just wave at each other instead.
I read that the virus appears responsive to the antiviral drugs, like Tamiflu and Relenza, which can be used to reduce the severity of the flu if used within two days of the appearance of symptoms. . Now that is some measure of comfort than none at all since an anti-swine flu vaccine is not available in approximately 13 weeks. I have to check if Tamiflu is readily available in the Philippines though. Is our country ready for the Swine Flu Infection? Oh God, that’s another worrisome scenario.
I know we all need to monitor ourselves closely and check for symptoms that include a fever of more than 100, coughing, joint aches, severe headache and, in some cases, vomiting and diarrhea.
Now that is out of the way, I just have to remind my husband and myself to let go of worry. We can control some precautions but we can’t control the future to some extent.
Questions like “What if” usually runs in my mind but I can choose to also ask:
What if…I knew everything was okay and I didn’t have to worry about a thing? What would I do then?
I’d be free to let go and enjoy life.
I just remember that I don’t have to worry about anything. If I do worry, I will do it with the understanding that I am choosing to worry and it is not necessary.
Are you worried of the swine flu?
“As a rule, men worry more about what they can’t see than about what they can.” Julius Caesar
Swine Flu Interim Care and FAQ
