Posts Tagged ‘Medical Advice’

Author: Stacey Beattie

All over the world news rooms are filled with the topic of the outbreak of Swine Flu which countries have it, number of cases in each country and the unfortunate deaths. The UK is by no means any exception to that with 5 cases now confirmed.

Death Toll has stabilised in Mexico where the virus first took hold. Despite a total of 159 deaths it is believed medical treatment does work if medical assistance is gained quickly. The UK is currently awaiting test results to see if there are any more confirmed cases.

So what does this mean for us?

An epidemic infectious disease which can spread through populations is known as a pandemic. Currently the World Health Organisation (WHO) has placed the situation at Level 5 one level away from a full pandemic. Level 5 means there is human to human transmission of the virus across two countries and that governments need to be ready to act immediately for a full scale pandemic. It is said that a pandemic could be disastrous for poor countries that may not be able to stock up on anti virus drugs if the virus spreads across the globe.

So what is Gordon Brown doing?

Gordon Brown has expressed that the UK is among the worlds most prepared countries for such an eventuality. He has said that Britain has been preparing for a scenario like this for years and is taking all the urgent action that is necessary. Leaflets about the outbreak of Swine Flu are to be put through the doors of every single home through out the UK in the next couple of days which will aim to inform people on the precautions and risks of a pandemic of Swine Flu and how to minimise spread.

A call line has been put in place for the public which will provide recorded information 0800 1513513

What should you do?

Swine Flu produces similar symptoms to normal flu such as a fever, cough, aches and fatigue. If you have symptoms and have recently visited Mexico then it is advised you seek medical advice. Face masks are not proven to provide any benefit. Conceal sneezes into a handkerchief or tissue to stop germs spreading and wash your hands regularly. If you are concerned you may have the virus then you are urged to stay at home and contact a doctor initially to try and minimise risk of spreading the disease.

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Business Writer

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – The World Is On The Verge Of A Pandemic

Author: James Carmody

Forget the economy, panic is sweeping the nation and it’s called Swine Flu. Whether it becomes a global pandemic or whether it turns out to be no worse than any other flu virus that sweeps the nation every winter remains to be seen.

However this is an issue that employers should give a thought to now. What if someone phones in saying ‘I’m not very well, I’ve phoned the doctor but she just tells me to stay at home. I might have the flu but I’m not sure. Do you want me to come in?’. In this kind of situation, the employer has to balance the interest of staff attending work against the risk of a sick member of staff infecting others. Of course if he really did have the flu, he probably wouldn’t be well enough to come in anyway, but he may be in the early stages.

Staff who do not receive contractual sick pay may have no qualms about taking time off sick, but employees who receive SSP only may think twice before taking a day off work and struggle in regardless.

Swine flue does present the perfect opportunity for anyone who wants to take a few days off work, as they can claim they erred on the side of caution by staying at home rather than risk infecting their colleagues.

Employers would be wise to think now about how to deal with this problem before it becomes more wide spread, both in terms of whether to risk someone coming in to work and whether to give discretionary sick pay if you ask them to stay at home. The first step for employers and affected staff alike though will be to get up-to-date medical advice.

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About the Author:

James Carmody is lawyer advising on UK employment law in Central London

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Swine Flu at Work