Khalifeh oppposes school closures over H1N1 fears.Byline: Daily Star Staff Summary: The Health Ministry addressed on Wednesday the growing state of panic over the A (H1N1) virus after reports of swine-flu infections at schools increased during the last week and after a death incident related to the disease was confirmed.AaThe state of fear has led a number of schools to suspend classes in some grades and even close their doors for several days. BEIRUT: The Health Ministry addressed on Wednesday the growing state of panic over the A (H1N1) virus after reports of swine-flu infections at schools increased during the last week and after a death incident related to the disease was confirmed.AaThe state of fear has led a number of schools to suspend classes in some grades and even close their doors for several days, a measure Health Minister Mohammad Jawad Khalifeh considered "wrong" during an interview with the radio station Voice of Lebanon (VOL VOL Volume VOL Volunteer VOL Volcano VOL Volvo (stock symbol) VOL Verdingungsordnung für Leistungen (German) VOL Volatile Organic Liquid Vol Volscan (linguistics) ) on Wednesday.Aa Khalifeh said that the ministry would intervene if the number of infections exceeded four cases in one school but that there was no need to panic.Aa He added that it was the death of the pregnant woman during the weekend and the talk of a new infection of a Lebanese woman at a hospital that caused the state panic.Aa Nonetheless, he reassured re·as·sure tr.v. re·as·sured, re·as·sur·ing, re·as·sures 1. To restore confidence to. 2. To assure again. 3. To reinsure. the public that the second woman had been "treated and released from the hospital."Aa The Health Ministry also released a statement on Wednesday addressed to school administrations asking that decisions to cancel classes or close schools be taken with more severity so as not to jeopardize jeop·ard·ize tr.v. jeop·ard·ized, jeop·ard·iz·ing, jeop·ard·izes To expose to loss or injury; imperil. See Synonyms at endanger. the school year.Aa "It is suspected that cases of absence will occur repeatedly during this school year and the decision to close might keep the school from performing its main duty: to educate and finish the assigned as·sign tr.v. as·signed, as·sign·ing, as·signs 1. To set apart for a particular purpose; designate: assigned a day for the inspection. 2. curriculums," the statement said.Aa On Monday, the private school International College in Beirut announced it was shutting for six days following 31 confirmed cases of swine flu swine flu n. A highly contagious form of human influenza caused by a filterable virus identical or related to a virus formerly isolated from infected swine. .Aa On Wednesday, Aisha Um al-Mouminin School in Sidon announced it was shutting its doors after one student contracted the virus and 14 others from the same class did not make it to school.Aa The ministry also recommended in its statement that administrations at private schools look carefully into several points before taking a decision to close any class. Among these points were the number of absent students in each class and the severity of the illness the students suffered from.Aa The number of students in a class who suffer from chronic ailments such as asthma and diabetes and the school's ability to monitor its students and detect any cases of infection as well as its ability to provide basic hygienic hy·gien·ic adj. 1. Of or relating to hygiene. 2. Tending to promote or preserve health. 3. Sanitary. care like soap, water and tissues, are also to be taken into consideration.Aa The statement added that although schools and parents were abiding a·bid·ing adj. Lasting for a long time; enduring: an abiding love of music. a·bid  ing·ly adv. by the recommendations of the Health Ministry by keeping their ill
children at home and in a safer environment, they should be careful that
canceling classes might put healthy children at risk.Aa
"Healthy children might be at a higher risk of being infected in·fect tr.v. in·fect·ed, in·fect·ing, in·fects 1. To contaminate with a pathogenic microorganism or agent. 2. To communicate a pathogen or disease to. 3. To invade and produce infection in. because they could proceed to pursue social and entertainment activities at less hygienic and less safe environments," the statement said.Aa There have been over 414,945 confirmed H1N1 cases and nearly 5,000 deaths reported to the World Health Organization and 1500 infections reported so far in Lebanon.Aa The measures advised by the Health Ministry until now have been to stick to rules of hygiene, take precautionary pre·cau·tion·ar·y also pre·cau·tion·al adj. Of, relating to, or constituting a precaution: taking precautionary measures; gave precautionary advice. Adj. 1. actions and consult physicians if infection is suspected.Aa It has not however adopted the method of vaccination vaccination, means of producing immunity against pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria, by the introduction of live, killed, or altered antigens that stimulate the body to produce antibodies against more dangerous forms. , saying the vaccine vaccine Preparation containing either killed or weakened live microorganisms or their toxins, introduced by mouth, by injection, or by nasal spray to stimulate production of antibodies against an infectious agent. has not yet been distributed on the international level and that it would only be used for people with high risks of infection.Aa "The vaccine might however become mandatory if developments prove that it is necessary," Khalifeh told VOL. -- The Daily Star, with additional reporting by Mohammad Zaatari Copyright 2009, The Daily Star. All rights reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion