Dr. Vnay Goyal is a MBBS,DRM,DNB(Intenivist and Thyroid specialists) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has workded in institutions like Hinduja Hospital, Bombay Hospital, Tata Memorial etc. Presently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).
The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it’s almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much a problem as proliferation is.
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation o symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced.
- Frequent hand-washing(well highlighted in all official communications)
- “Hands-off-the-face” approach. Resist all temptations to touch Any part of the face (unless you want to eat or bathe).
- Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don’t trust salt). *H1N1 takes 2-3 days after infection in the throat/nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don’t underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful prevention method.
- Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least twice a day with warm salt water. Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
- “Boost you natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. If you have a supplement wtih Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
- Drink as much warm liquids, (Tea, Coffee, etc.) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating virus from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
- The government has sunk Billions into this vaccine, falling flat on it’s face with the inability to distribute with enough product. Mandating that all must be vaccinated, if this is any correlation to the govt. managing health care with a national plan is sure to fail. History is our sounding board, showing anything our govt. has ever touched to manage, has failed.
