Stemming winter flu pandemic

Winter is often a bad time for workplaces, with many workers falling ill with colds and flus. Productivity is affected, with time away from the office resulting in lost man hours.

In an effort to curb lost productivity this winter, the NSW Health department has announced an action plan, amid emerging concerns with the potential for pandemic influenza in humans in the future.

"NSW Health has started work on a public awareness campaign aimed at reinforcing health messages with the community to keep people well and avoid seasonal influenza and other winter illness," said Dr McAnulty.

"With pandemic influenza in mind, NSW Health will ramp up its usual vaccination calls and will initiate a new strategy to reduce the spread of influenza in winter," Dr McAnulty said.

Dr McAnulty pointed to research undertaken in Hong Kong after the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) epidemic that indicated that when good public hygiene was followed the rate of seasonal influenza declined.

To stem the spread of disease this winter, and later on if pandemic influenza were to take hold in NSW, the Department's public awareness campaign will promote the following steps:

• Get immunised against influenza, especially if you are in a high risk group
• Always cough and sneeze into disposable tissues
• Wash your hands with soap and water regularly
• If you have influenza, stay away from crowded, public places, and wear a face mask when you see your doctor to stop the spread of disease
• Don't shake hands with unwashed hands - coughing into your hand then shaking hands with someone is an easy way to spread what you've got.
• Take your temperature at home with a thermometer - this information can help your doctor assess your progress.

Former Chair of the NSW Health SARS Taskforce, Professor Ron Penny says he advocates people taking personal responsibility to avoid the spread of infectious diseases.

Professor Penny said the threat of influenza pandemic was a good time to educate the community about steps that they could take to reduce their exposure to infectious diseases - including winter influenza.

"The use of surgical masks is common in a number of countries and they serve as an economical form of protection from common winter illnesses," Professor Penny said.

"Individuals with influenza or colds should consider making use of face masks if they need to travel on public transport or visit places where there may be large crowds.

"Surgical masks can help against the spread of disease and protect against infection," Professor Penny said.

Dr McAnulty said people should also consider wearing a surgical mask if they have a severe infection and are going to their GP or emergency department for treatment. This will help clinical staff and others in the waiting room remain free from infection.

"The best strategy is to avoid influenza in the first place. Anyone who wants to avoid getting sick should get an influenza vaccination now," said Dr McAnulty.