Ministry Of Health dispatches samples to Trinidad

And while the masks and gloves are uncomfortable and the personal hygiene is demanding, Dr. Edwards advises to get use to it because it is for the long haul.

Marion Ali
“Dr. Edwards I know there’s been no detection yet and it’s still very preliminary right now, but how long do you foresee all of these inconveniences to last while we fight to prevent this disease from spreading?”

Voice of Dr. Paul Edwards
“Certainly so, we talk about a swine flu type H-one-N-one which is another strain or a new strain, sol we don’t know much specifically how it behave and how long. However though, we normally look at past experiences and when we examine the 1957 and the 1958 pandemic, we’re then talking about a first wait of six weeks. So we are anticipating public—things might last right now for six weeks based on that. What I don’t what to say that that is one hundred percent correct, like I said we don’t know specifically as it relates to this virus but we anticipate that time period of six weeks. What are the recommendations I’d like to make is for people to start stocking up little by little in relation to food supply. When we think about something like a worst case scenario, where we talk about foreign things at home and things like that. I am not trying to send out any message of fear but we got to be prepared, just like in the case when we talk about hurricanes and we talk about hurricane is coming, we’re trying to say stock up the food for three days. We’re talking now about some six weeks, so if you can start doing that little by little now, I am certain that will help the situation.”

From the preliminary information gathered from the four persons currently being treated, Dr. Edwards says a couple of them had one possible common factor – they had recently visited Chetumal. The Ministry of Health has set up a hotline number for people to call for information on Swine Flu. That number is 629-5604.