CommInsure has released a summary for advisers on the impact of the Human Swine Flu Virus, to assist them in providing appropriate advice to their clients, based on their circumstances.
Taken from the latest in CommInsure’s Did You Know? series, the article, written by CommInsure’s Executive Manager, Business Growth Services, Jeffrey Scott, focusses on summarising key facts about Human Swine Flu and pandemics in general, including:
- While not all people ever become infected during a pandemic, nearly all people are susceptible to infection
- The Swine Flu (H1N1 Virus) appears to be more contagious than seasonal influenza
- The occurrence of large numbers of people falling ill at or around the same time is one reason why pandemics are socially and economically disruptive
- Pandemics usually have a concentrated adverse impact in specific age groups
- People with underlying chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, asthma, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and several others, are more likely to experience severe or lethal infections
- When Human Swine Flu began spreading in Mexico, a substantial proportion of the cases of severe illness and death occurred among young and previously healthy adults
- As with seasonal flu, severe illness and deaths have also been reported in adults with underlying medical conditions
- One of the most effective ways to protect you, your friends and family from the flu (whether seasonal or pandemic) is to practise good personal hygiene
- For those individuals who believe that serious illness can never happen to them, now is the time to reconsider their opinion
- As recovery make take weeks, it is worthwhile for all individuals to ensure they have adequate financial protection in place via adequate life insurance
This is a very good summary, as it concentrates on the facts rather than on the sometimes overly drastic messages being sent to the public by elements of the mass media and by some health authorities.
The full article can be accessed from the riskinfo Resource Centre by clicking the following link: CommInsure Did You Know? - Swine Flu.
According to the Federal Government’s Department of Health and Ageing, the national tally of confirmed Human Swine Flu cases in Australia as at 16 June 2009 is 1,853, with Victoria the hardest hit:
- Victoria: 1,210
- New South Wales: 227
- Queensalnd: 146
- Western Australia: 75
- Southy Australia: 75
- ACT: 55
- Tasmania: 34
- Northern Territory: 31
