Quotient TravelPlanner's Blog » Swine Flu http://travelquotientblog.com Spreading the joy of travel, one traveller at a time Thu, 28 Jul 2011 04:45:10 +0000 en hourly 1 Pig in Afghanistan http://travelquotientblog.com/2009/05/pig-in-afghanistan/ http://travelquotientblog.com/2009/05/pig-in-afghanistan/#comments Thu, 07 May 2009 06:18:21 +0000 blogadmin http://travelquotientblog.com/?p=121 Finding it hard to imagine there’s a pig in Afghanistan, a nation of muslims? Well, apparently there’s one in the country, in the Kabul Zoo. It was a gift from China, and now the country’s only known pig is under quarantine, thanks to the swine flu.

Here’s a link to the original article: The Loneliest Pig

]]> http://travelquotientblog.com/2009/05/pig-in-afghanistan/feed/ 0 Staying safe during the Swine Flu Outbreak http://travelquotientblog.com/2009/05/staying-safe-during-the-swine-flu-outbreak/ http://travelquotientblog.com/2009/05/staying-safe-during-the-swine-flu-outbreak/#comments Mon, 04 May 2009 06:22:11 +0000 blogadmin http://travelquotientblog.com/?p=110 4may-swine

Photo: Straits Times.

While it is impossible to guarantee 100% safety during this Swine Flu outbreak, here are some tips extracted from The New York Times to help reduce your chances of contracting the disease during flights.

Minimize exposure while aboard aircraft

By keeping the air vent over your seat on low and pointing it so that the airflow is just in front of your face. This may prevent any infectious droplets from landing on your mucous membranes. Most infectious agents gain a foothold in our body through entering the mucous membranes of our eyes, nose and mouth.

Make good hand hygiene part of your travel routine

Good hand hygiene is paramount in reducing the risk of disease transmission. Studies show markedly reduced rates of influenza transmission in public spaces that have alcohol-based hand sanitizer dispensers. The product should have an alcohol content of at least 50 percent to be effective against viruses.

Consider a face mask

Face masks may help but only need to be used when outbreaks become widespread and are declared a pandemic. The most commonly used simple face masks only filter about 62 percent of very small particles, compared to about 98 percent for professional-grade face masks (these are typically designated N-95). Simple face masks are designed to prevent large droplets that are coughed or sneezed from contaminating the environment rather than protecting the wearer. Bring an extra mask along, and kindly offer it to anyone coughing or sneezing who looks sick. This will keep any droplets from landing on you.

Click here for the original article: Is It Safe to Fly During the Swine Flu Outbreak?

]]> http://travelquotientblog.com/2009/05/staying-safe-during-the-swine-flu-outbreak/feed/ 0 Swine Flu Alert Raised http://travelquotientblog.com/2009/04/swine-flu-alert-raised/ http://travelquotientblog.com/2009/04/swine-flu-alert-raised/#comments Thu, 30 Apr 2009 03:55:54 +0000 blogadmin http://travelquotientblog.com/?p=97 30apr-swine

Photo: BBC News.

The Swine Flu alert level was raised to five out of six on Wednesday, signalling that a pandemic is now imminent. Travellers are advised against non-essential travel to the following places:

Mexico

United States – California, New York City, Texas, Kansas and Indiana

Canada – Nova Scotia

For more details: Swine Flu Outbreak

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