|
Q
| Travel: I’m due to go on holiday to the UK, will I be allowed back or will travel be stopped? |
|---|
| A | There are no plans to close the Isle of Man or the UK by imposing travel restrictions, indeed the scientific evidence suggests that nothing would be gained by doing this now. If your travel plans include visits to other parts of the world, you should look at the specific advice for that area on the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. |
|---|
|
Q
| Travel: How can I reduce the risk of exposure to infection while I’m away? |
|---|
| A | Follow the basic hygiene advice on the Pubic Health website – wash your hands frequently using warm soapy water, or if this isn’t available you can use alcohol gels or disinfectant but these are not as effective as the cheap and cheerful alternative. In particular you should wash your hands before eating or drinking or touching your eyes lips or nose, or anything that is going in your mouth such as a cigarette. To protect those around you, if you do sneeze you should “CATCH IT, BIN IT, KILL IT” |
|---|
|
Q
| Public gatherings: Will Church Services/Pop Concerts/Sporting Events (including the TT Races) be cancelled? |
|---|
| A | At the moment there is no need to cancel these events, life continues as normal and people may feel better for being able to participate in these activities. If we do get confirmed cases of influenza A in the Isle of Man this advice will be reviewed. In the meantime, if you are suffering from a high fever then you should go home and telephone your GP for advice.
|
|---|
|
Q
| Face Masks: They are all wearing them in Mexico, when will we be getting them? |
|---|
| A | There is no strong scientific evidence to support wearing or not wearing masks. If you do not follow the basic hygiene precautions then a mask will not help you at all so our focus is on making sure that the message about washing your hands regularly and covering your coughs is followed. There are no plans to issue the general public with face masks. |
|---|
|
Q
| Tamiflu: Why don’t you give us Tamiflu now so that we don’t catch flu in the first place? |
|---|
| A | As with all these drugs, viruses can acquire resistance and if Tamiflu is used inappropriately and a resistant strain builds up, the community will be worse off. |
|---|
|
Q
| Winter Flu Vaccine: Will this protect me? |
|---|
| A | There is no evidence at present that Winter Flu Vaccine provides any protection against Influenza A (H1N1) - Swine Flu. |
|---|
|
Q
| School closures: When will the schools be closed? |
|---|
| A | If there is a confirmed case in a pupil (or teacher) at a local school and they have had contact with other pupils, it might be decided to close the school as a precaution so that their contacts can be minimised. There are no plans for widespread school closures at present. |
|---|
|
Q
| Holidays: Should I tell my staff that they can’t take their holidays? |
|---|
| A | This could cause ill-feeling and it is only something that you should consider if the risk to your business of not having the staff is outweighed by the inconvenience and cost that cancelling pre-booked holidays can cause. |
|---|
|
Q
| Animal health: Will you be culling pigs to prevent the spread of the disease? |
|---|
| A | There is no evidence to suggest that this disease is being spread from pigs to humans, it is spreading from human to human. |
|---|
|
Q
| Animal health: Can I eat pork? |
|---|
| A | There is no increased risk - as always, make sure you cook pork and indeed any meat properly to avoid food poisoning. |
|---|
|
Q
| Food stocks & medicines: What should I be buying? |
|---|
| A | The local stores are all operating normally, but if you are unwell it might prove difficult for you to get out to the shops. It makes sense to keep a supply of basic cold remedies as well as the sort of foods that you like to eat when you feel unwell, fluids, and “larder” staple foods. |
|---|
|
Q
| Hygiene: Should I buy a supply of alcohol hand gels? |
|---|
| A | Only if you don’t have access to warm soapy water, which is far more effective. |
|---|
|
Q
| Health: Why is the flu affecting younger people rather than old people? |
|---|
| A | All age groups have been affected by the this virus. We do not know yet why some age groups are relatively more affected than others. |
|---|
.
Change how menu appears
