Notice from Kim McComb - WGH Infection Control

Good Morning, ALL;

The H1N1 Outbreak Status has been lifted for our Hospital. Therefore, all staff can enter the building through the flag pole or Administration entrance on Hospital Drive and NOT through the ER entrance to the Hospital.

Each of you will also be required to self-screen before coming to work. If you are symptomatic with at least two or more of the following symptoms please stay home and call in, or if you are in need of care please put on a mask and wash your hands when you enter the hospital, then present to the receptionist at A&D or to an ER nurse immediately.

The symptoms are as follows: Cough, Fever, Body Aches and/or Headache, Chills, Fatigue, Sore Throat, Runny or Stuffy Nose, Diarrhea, and/or Vomiting.

Visiting hours will return to the regularly scheduled times. Visitor will also have to self-screen, sign in and out, and WASH THEIR HANDS at the station inside the flag pole entrance. It is ALL of our responsibility to insure the community understands that these hours are to be adhered to and not have people wondering in and out at will.


Let's continue to keep our patients, colleagues, families, and community healthy and safe.

I would also like to take this opportunity to sincerely THANK YOU, ALL for your cooperation, participation, and diligence in keeping this virus at bay by participating in the screening, signing in, and washing your hands. We did a great job for round one, round two will be here, the experts expect, this Fall with the seasonal FLU.

Please watch for the different vaccination clinics: the first one is the Pneumovacs 23 (which is a vaccine that contains 23 different types of pneumonia) that should be taken by everyone that has any chronic respiratory disorder (asthma, COPD, CHF,…), diabetes, or any other chronic illness and it is on right now. So, please contact the Health Centre and roll up your sleeve. The next vaccine scheduled is the Annual FLU SHOT and we should be starting these clinics in late September or early October. And the third and last vaccine for this year, is the H1N1 vaccine and it should be available by early to mid December 2009.

WASH YOUR HANDS and TAKE YOUR VITAMIN D!

Thank you, ALL again and have a nice day!
Kim McComb

LATEST UPDATE

H1N1 Flu 2009 Updates ***

MOOSE FACTORY STATISTICS - AUGUST 21st 2009
"We have reviewed the information on new cases and now consider this outbreak over." - Dr Michael Green, Medical Officer of Health.
Public Health will continue with implementing prevention and awareness measures as done in these past weeks.

PLEASE KEEP UP WITH THE BEST PREVENTION OF WASHING HANDS, SNEEZING & COUGHING IN YOUR SLEEVE, KEEPING KIDS HOME IF SICK, STAYING HOME FROM WORK IF VERY ILL AND AVOIDING CONTACT WITH OTHERS WHO ARE ILL.

Community Members of Moose Factory, Community Organizations, MCFN & WGH Staff - You are doing a wonderful job of helping prevent this virus from entering our homes. Keep up the great work - you have our greatest thanks. - Moose Factory Health Centre

TOTAL OF 115 PEOPLE SWABBED/TESTED
5 positive cases - last positive collected August 8th & reported August 12th
1 positive case for Influenza A - untypeable
No hospitalizations
23 confirmed negative for both H1N1 and Influenza A
54 preliminary reports received as influenza A negative * virus culture pending
31 people waiting for results

MOOSONEE
THE DAILY PRESS HAS REPORTEDTHAT THERE ARE 2 POSITIVE CASES OF H1N1 IN MOOSONEE. WE HAVE CONTACTED THE PORCUPINE HEALTH UNIT AND CONFIRMED THAT THIS IS NOT TRUE. THERE ARE NO POSITIVE CASES IN MOOSONEE AT THE PRESENT TIME. - AUGUST 13, 2009

Dr. Trusler from Weeneebayko General has a public message that is being aired on channel 67 on local cable network. A new televised report will be provided next week.

TAMIFLU is an anti-viral medication and is available in the community to treat flu symptoms: runny nose, headache, nausea, cough, achy bones, chills, sore throat & Fever.

If you have symptoms of influenza, seek medical attention right away from Weeneebayko - then stay home and quarantine yourself & any other family members that are SICK with flu-like symptoms

Please take every precaution to protect our community, yourself & family members: OUR HEALTH IS IN OUR HANDS - SO WASH THEM!!!

VITAMIN D STANDING ORDER AT PHARMACY IN MOOSE FACTORY & MOOSONEE

We are updating the standing order for Vitamin D3, as further research has shown that many patients do not reach their therapeutic levels of Vitamin D at 2000 units per day. People that are over 35, heavier, darker skin, avoid the sun or use sun screen, and have chronic illness like diabetes or hypertension or other cardiovascular diseases, need more Vitamin D to get to their therapeutic levels. The higher dose will also give them greater protection from viral and bacterial infections. This will help in reducing the impact of the H1N1 INFLUENZA AND OTHER INFLUENZA on themselves.

This is all to be 3 months supply and repeat basically forever.
Please do two year repeats, and then start again.

Sincerely,

Dennis M Dahl MD

IMPORTANT PUBLIC HEALTH NOTICE from the MCFN Chief & Council
and Health Services

For the health and safety of your family, friends and our community, do not attend public events if you have one or more of the H1N1 Flu Virus Symptoms; Even if you have been tested and you are waiting for your test results. If you haven’t been tested, go to the Weeneebayko General Hospital for medical treatment.

As the local governing authority responsible for the health and well- being of our citizens, the Moose Cree First Nation Chief & Council & Health Services has directed the management of the EPR Centre and Thomas Cheechoo Jr Memorial Complex to take extra precautionary measures by implementing the Public Events Sign-In Sheet. Basically what this means is that everyone attending a public event at the EPR Centre or TCJMC will be required to sign the public event sign-in sheet declaring that they do not have any of the H1N1 Flu symptoms.

Also, in order to control and reduce the spread of the H1N1 Flu Virus, we need all community members to do their part by;

a) Taking this H1N1 Flu Virus seriously
b) Take the time to learn more about the H1N1 Flu Virus
c) Follow and practice the things we need to do to stop the H1N1 Flu from spreading more in our community
d) Take the time to educate your children about H1N1 Flu Virus
e) Understand, help and respect the community members that have/will get the H1N1 Flu

The only way that we will get through this health crisis is with your cooperation, and prayers.

Thank you.

LETTER FROM BLACKNED FAMILY

Dear Community Members of Moose Factory;

It has been brought to our attention and to our concern about the reaction of how our community has been coping and dealing with this flu H1N1.

As rumor has it and we are here to set the record straight, it is true a family member had contracted this illness while here in Moose Factory upon a regular summer visit which began at the begining of July. Three week later the baby fell ill after coming into contact with someone from this town. The baby was treated for pneumonia but later tested for this flu and as were the caregivers of this child. This personal private information was ours to be held in confidentiality but has been the talk of the town lately, so we are here to share and to hopefully address this problem of how people are handling this illness in our community.

As a family, we have kept to ourselves and as the doctor recommended we took the proper precautions to contain this flu virus from spreading any further. However, our mother has been doing our essential shoppings and has had NO SIGNS OR SYMPTOMS of this flu virus has encountered numerous incidents of discrimination specifically from store personnel, taxi drivers, random community members, restaurant owners to name a few.
If you are not sure about how you can contract this flu we advise you to seek advice from someone in the medical field or from the local Health Centre. The flu is here and its possible it was here already and we were just the first to receive testing.

Once again rumors and gossip escalate and thus in turn people react with mistreatment and prejudice because they are not informed or do not understand and need further information. We understand that this flu is new and thats scary but treating people differently is inexcusable. By following certain instructions such as washing your hands, coughing in your shirt etc can help you from getting this flu. However alienating someone who you think may have it is just cruel. Therefore, we ask you to question yourself. Would I treat someone I know differently if he or she has this flu? Most likely you would NOT because you love and care for this person dearly and its almost like a seasonal flu and you would try to make this person feel better.

It is our hope that this flu H1N1 is contained but it is possible it may be inevitable and spread. Not everyone in our household got this flu and it could be they are immune to it. So please try to be human and have some compassion for those people who have the flu and who may not!

Yours truly without prejudice

Liz & Cheryl Blackned on behalf of Marjorie Blackned & family

Caring for H1N1 Flu Cases and Contacts Information

Instruction for Confirmed or Suspected H1N1 Cases

Avoid contact with the rest of the family by using a separate bedroom and bathroom, if possible. If the bathtroom must be shared, make sure you have your own towel.
Cough into a tissue or your sleeve. Throw tissues away immediately.
Wash hands frequently using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
Don't share anything that goes in your mouth like utensils, drinking glasses and toothbrushes.
Don't have visitors in the house.
If you need to leave the house for a medical appointment, or need to spend time within 6 feet of other people, wear a surgical mask. These can be purchased at pharmacies, or handware stores.
Self isolate for 7 days at onset of your symptoms.
Follow the advice of your health care provider. You can also call Telehealth Ontario for advice (1-866-797-00000. Avoid the use of aspirin and aspirin-containing products for children and teenagers.

Instructions for Contacts of H1N1 Cases

1. Contacts who have symptoms should be assessed by a health professional.
2. Contacts who have no symptoms should:
Limit activities in the community to only what is essential(eg.work/school)
Watch for symptoms that include: fever, cough, sore throat,
sore muscles, joint pain,fatigue, and sometimes diarrhea and vomiting.
At the first sign of Influenza-like symptoms, get health care
advice and inform your provider that you are a contact of a known case.

Instructions for Caregivers of H1N1 Cases

1. If possible, only one family member should care for a sick person. Pregnant women shold avoid providing care to others.
2. Have as little close contact as possible with the sick person. Stay at least 6 feet away from the sick person if possible.
3. Wear a surgical mask if you must be in direct contact with a sick person. These may be available at medical surgical supplies vendors, pharmacies or hardware stores. Whenever you take the mask off, throw it out. Do not re-use masks.
4. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub and after each time you care for the sick person and/or you remove your mask.
5. Provide extra cleaning in frequently touched areas of the house (e.g., table tops, keyboards, door knobs, counter tops, remote controls, telephones, light switches). Dishwashing and laundry can be done normal.