Balik kampung – beware of h1n1

WITH Hari Raya Aidilfitri just a week away, most of us are preparing to return to our hometowns, either to celebrate the festival or enjoy the long weekend.

However, when we gather and come into close contact with each other, there is a risk of spreading the A(H1N1) virus if any one of us has already been infected. Nonetheless, we can still enjoy the celebrations as long as we practise the following recommendations from the Health Ministry.

I. Should we travel if we are sick?

·It is always wise to avoid social contact (which includes travelling with others) when we are sick. However, if we have no choice, we must wear masks and practise good cough etiquette to avoid infecting others.

II. What should we do when we go back to our hometowns?

a. Before leaving town

·First, we should choose an appropriate mode of transportation – either by public transport or a private vehicle.

·Those of us who are at high-risk of developing complications or severe illness (children who are less than five years old, adults more than 65 years old, pregnant women, and people who are immunosuppressed or have chronic diseases such as asthma and diabetes) should try to use transport options that are less likely to be crowded. This is because when we are gathered in a closed space with many others, there is a greater risk of us getting infected with the A(H1N1) virus.

·Therefore, if we have family members who belong to those groups, we should try our best to use our own vehicles. But if we have no choice but to use public transport, we should remind them to wear masks to protect themselves. If possible, we should also minimise the time spent in the vehicle.

b. On the way there

·Be proactive: We can prepare our personal H1N1 kit for our journey. All we need are a few masks (to protect ourselves in crowded places), a bottle of hand sanitiser (to clean our hands) and tissues (to cover our mouths when we cough and sneeze).

·If we have influenza-like illnesses (ILI) or belong to a high-risk group, we should wear masks in crowded terminals.

·However, if we are healthy and do not belong to any high-risk group, there are no restrictions for us to wear masks.

c. At the kampung

·Those of us who are sick or have ILI should avoid family gatherings and close contact with other family members.

·It is also important for those of us who are sick to wash or sanitise our hands before shaking hands or performing the traditional Malay greeting (salam).

·If we are sick and wish to participate in family gatherings, we must wear a mask. We should also make sure we stay at least one meter away from other family members, especially those who belong to the high-risk group.

·It is also wise to avoid sharing linen, utensils, or plates with others when we are sick. When we eat with the family, we should also use separate serving utensils instead of dipping our hands or utensils in shared dishes.

·For those of us who are healthy, we should keep ourselves as healthy as possible – eat well, rest well, and exercise regularly. We should also wash or sanitise our hands after shaking hands.

III. What can public transport operators do to help prevent the spread of H1N1 this Raya season?

·Public transport operators are encouraged to provide hand sanitisers for their passengers as a corporate social responsibility.

·They are also encouraged to provide masks for passengers who have symptoms of ILI.

·Whenever possible, bus conductors should encourage people with symptoms of ILI to sit further away from other passengers in the bus.

IV. What about open houses? Is it advisable for us to attend?

·We should be selective and limit our participation in large gatherings such as open houses or kenduris. This is important, especially for those of us who belong to the high-risk groups.

·However, if we must attend the gatherings, we should limit our time spent amongst crowds and ensure that we distance ourselves (preferably one meter away) from people who are having symptoms of ILI.

V. After Raya

·The above recommendations are not exclusive to Hari Raya. In fact, we should continue to wash our hands regularly and practise good cough etiquette even after we return from our hometowns.

·If we belong to one of the high-risk groups, we should seek medical treatment immediately if we have symptoms of ILI.

·If we are not considered at high-risk of developing complications, we should stay home and monitor our conditions instead of returning to work or school if we have ILI symptoms.

·However, we should seek medical advice immediately if we experience any of the emergency warning signs (see below) or if our symptoms continue for three or more days.

·Apart from that, we should also follow the latest developments on the pandemic and take note of the latest prevention guidelines and recommendations issued by the Health Ministry.