Latest news with #SwineFlu
The Citizen
14 hours ago
- Health
- The Citizen
Swine Flu has many in bed in eMalahleni
Look after yourself, Swine Flu has taken hold of eMalahleni. Doctors' rooms are full, and pharmacists are running around trying to fill everyone's prescriptions. More than 10 years after the 2009 pandemic, Swine Flu, officially called Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, continues to appear in South Africa during the cold, dry winter months. Though many people now think of it as just another seasonal illness, health experts warn that it can still be serious, especially for those at higher risk. Professor Cheryl Cohen, a South African expert in respiratory viruses, explained, 'Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 is one of the three main types of seasonal flu. Even though it originally came from pigs, the version we see today spreads easily from one person to another and is fully adapted to humans.' Since the 2009 outbreak, H1N1 has become a regular part of the flu season. The symptoms are like a strong cold: fever, chills, body aches, tiredness, and a dry cough. But in some people, the illness can quickly get worse. 'It can cause serious problems like pneumonia,' said Cohen. 'Most people get better, but people with other health problems or weak immune systems are much more likely to end up in hospital or worse.' People most at risk include the elderly, young children, those with heart or lung diseases, and individuals with compromised immune systems, especially people living with HIV/AIDS. In communities where access to healthcare is limited, the virus can become life-threatening. The National Institute for Communicable Diseases (NICD) urges people, especially those in high-risk groups, to get vaccinated annually. The flu vaccine, which includes protection against H1N1, is available at public health clinics and private pharmacies across the country. It is free for children, the elderly, and people with chronic conditions at government clinics. Simple preventive measures can make a big difference: Get vaccinated every year. Wash your hands regularly. Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing. Avoid close contact with sick individuals. Stay home if you are unwell. Seek medical attention if symptoms worsen. Local resident Renate Viljoen, who is currently recovering from the flu, said, 'It started with body aches and a fever, and I thought it was nothing. But by the next day, I could hardly get out of bed. People must not wait; go to the clinic early.' Breaking news at your fingertips … Follow WITBANK NEWS our website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or TikTok Chat to us: info@ At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Business Wire
a day ago
- Health
- Business Wire
e4life Devices Take Stage at Japan Health in Osaka from 25 th to 27 th June
ROME--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Can electromagnetic waves neutralize respiratory viruses? The answer is yes: on the stage of the Japan Health fair, from 25 th to 27 th June, e4life, the Italian company active in the biodefense industry, will be among the leading players presenting its innovative devices which use electromagnetic waves to render harmless respiratory viruses present in the air (transported via bioaerosol). Vincenzo Pompa, e4life CEO: 'e4life marks a breakthrough for applications in high-risk environments, both human and animal, to minimize contagion among the animals themselves and also to reduce the risk of spillover". Share This solution is a world first, with efficacy of over 90% and an almost instantaneous sanitizing action. Since it is 100% harmless to humans and animals, it does not require the evacuation of spaces and environments. This Italian patent does not use chemical agents or filter materials, and is based on the transmission of microwaves which, at a specific combination of frequency and power, act on the balance between the internal positive charges of the virus and the negative charges present in the capsid or outer shell, giving rise to a 'resonance' phenomenon that destroys the external envelope of the virus and effectively inhibits its power to spread and to infect. The key intuitive moment came during the pandemic period and required two years of studies and in-depth analysis, starting from a research carried out by Taiwanese scientists published in the Nature Scientific Report. The first results came from testing different frequencies of electromagnetic waves on Covid and later, on other pathogens. One of the most interesting features of this new technology is the possibility of having a targeted action, allowing it to be calibrated on specific pathogens changing the resonance frequence. Its effectiveness has been validated against Covid, including recent variants, RSV and seasonal flu (in this case the effectiveness exceeds 95%), Avian Flu and Swine Flu. e4life has an important roadmap of research focused on constantly evolving and adapting the devices to an ever-increasing number of viruses and, in the near future, also bacteria. There are currently three products available using this technology, two for humans and one for animals. e4life personal is the portable, lightweight, compact version (100 grams x 8.5 cm) which is SAR certified. It is comfortable and safe to wear and is able to inactivate viruses by generating a 'bubble' with a diameter of about three metres. Then there is e4life ambient which is the 'fixed' version to be installed either on ceiling or walls with a range of action covering about 50 square metres. Lastly there is e4life FARM, the device dedicated to livestock farms and designed to combat animal viral diseases (actually Avian Flu and Swine Flu) which represent a threat to chicken, turkey and pigs. 'This technology marks a breakthrough for applications in high-risk environments, both human and animal, such as farms, where controlling airborne virus transmission is essential, to minimize contagion among the animals themselves and also to reduce the risk of spillover - declares e4life CEO Vincenzo Pompa -. The focus and efficacy of our devices perfectly represent the meaning of what we are doing: it is the starting point of our commitment and it is closely linked to the concept of "One Health", an approach that recognizes and promotes the fundamental interconnection between human, animal and environmental health. Our goal is to revolutionize the biodefense sector through our solutions which allow each individual to enjoy a natural social life, interacting in safe spaces with no concerns or worries'. Further confirmation of the value and importance of the results achieved by e4life are the numerous examples of recognition it has now received. In actual fact this technology has been subjected to scientific tests and has been validated by the Celio Military Hospital, the independent ViroStatics Institute and two studies published in the Viruses and the European Society of Medicine journals (Source: The technology has also been the subject of a test campaign carried out at Milan University's Department of Biomedical and Clinical Sciences. The results confirm those already obtained from previous test campaigns, i.e. a replicable efficacy of close to 90%. The Bio-Medico Campus at the University of Rome has instead collaborated in working on the control and efficacy of this technology. Furthermore, the JRC–HERA technological prospective study by the European Commission Joint Research Centre includes this technology among those which are currently available that can guarantee an increase in air quality in indoor environments. The already considerable number of validations has been expanded to include certification obtained from the University of Genoa, which has tested the technology's efficacy of over 90% on influenza and Covid viruses. A final further 'seal of guarantee' comes from an article in the scientific journal Nature Scientific Reports, which describes a study demonstrating the effectiveness of electromagnetic waves in inactivating the avian flu virus. Moreover, the inactivation systems for respiratory viruses using electromagnetic waves have been included in the UNI/PdR 173-1 Reference Practices for Indoor Sanitization, a document drafted by UNI — the Italian Standardization Body — in collaboration with the National Institute of Health (Istituto Superiore di Sanità). This document sets out the requirements for managing indoor sanitization and the solutions that, even though they are not classified as medical devices, may be used for that purpose. The e4life devices are currently certified to be marketed in Europe, Australia, Japan, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Morocco and Egypt.
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Science Quiz: On H1N1
DID YOU KNOW THE ANSWER? YES NO Answer : There have been three H1N1 influenza pandemics . 1) 1918 – The 'Spanish Flu,' caused by the H1N1 virus, resulted in an estimated 50 million deaths worldwide. 2) 1977 – Known as the 'Russian Flu,' this pandemic was caused by an H1N1 virus similar to the one from 1950, leading to a milder outbreak. 3) 2009 – The 'Swine Flu' pandemic, caused by a new H1N1 strain, led to widespread illness but fewer deaths compared to earlier pandemics. The most recent H1N1 pandemic occurred in 2009.
