Infection Control Management of Suspected or Confirmed Cases of Influenza A/H1N1 (“S-OIV”, "Novel A/H1N1 Influenza" or "Swine 'Flu")

Abstract

What healthcare workers have been dreading has happened -“swine ‘flu” has entered South Africa’s population. As nursing staff all over the country prepare for work in the early hours of the morning or evening, news of this fact is broadcast over the national airwaves: Both radio and TV announcers make the number of cases of confirmed infection sound absolutely earth shattering when announcing any news re the South African epidemic. A sound insert by Professor Barry Shoub over the radio was announced as a report about “the deadly virus…”. And then the professor is heard, speaking about the “mild, self-limiting nature” of swine influenza. Who do we believe? And the next question on everybody’s mind is: How bad is it going to become?