Bracing for an outbreak of bird flu, the Ministry of Education issued a bird flu question-and-answer guide yesterday as well as announcing preventive measures to be implemented in schools nationwide.
According to information issued by the Department of Health, normal influenza and bird flu have very similar symptoms, but bird flu is marked by a more dramatic deterioration in the condition of the patient. The fatality rate, based on available global data, is also very high at around 50 percent.
Bird flu is also more likely to affect liver function than normal influenza, and the incubation period of bird flu can be anywhere from a few hours to several days, the department said.
The public has been encouraged to get influenza shots, not because it can directly prevent bird flu, but because those who take the shots are less likely to get seasonal influenza. This will make it easier to differentiate between normal influenza and bird flu during diagnosis.
The shots would also guard against panic if people catch a minor cold, and would steer them away from unnecessarily taking Tamiflu, a bird flu medication in limited supply.
The education ministry has also formed a "bird flu emergency response committee" and has asked schools nationwide to set up their own committees to facilitate communication in case an emergency scenario arises.
Schools should encourage students to take their temperature daily and immediately report symptoms of fever or respiratory difficulties to local health departments, the ministry said.
In addition, classes will be suspended immediately if symptoms of bird flu are discovered in a school.
Schools have also been ordered to provide information on bird flu on their Web sites, the ministry said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MOTC) yesterday banned passengers from carrying birds and poultry on public transport.
The MOTC said that from now until the government lifts its bird flu alert, it will bar people from carrying birds and poultry onto aircraft, trains and buses.
Taxis are not included in the category of public transport, but MOTC officials said taxi drivers would be permitted to refuse any passenger carrying birds.
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