Households to receive leaflets on swine flu

Households around the island will be receiving an information leaflet about swine influenza in a bid to allay fears, as the world remains on the alert to minimise the impact of the virus.

The leaflet is part of a €3.5 million spending package that will also go towards antiviral supplies, antibiotics, protective gear for hospital workers and the stockpiling of alcohol-based hand rubs.

Community Care Parliamentary Secretary Mario Galea said the cash injection was over and above the about €4.5 million invested in past years to combat a potential pandemic. Swine influenza broke out in Mexico two weeks ago and spread around the globe, with more than 1,500 cases confirmed so far.

"We have included (in the leaflets) information about the H1N1 influenza written in simple language," he said.

The leaflets, similar to the ones produced by Britain's NHS, also explain the symptoms of swine influenza and how it is spread.

"Apart from airborne droplets, influenza can be spread after a person touches a lift button, a phone, keyboard or door knob which had been touched by a sick person, and then touches his nose or mouth," Mr Galea said.

Frequent hand washing, regular cleaning of surfaces and covering one's mouth when coughing or sneezing can go some way to help stem the spread of disease. Similarly to Britain, Maltese authorities are urging people to set up a network of flu friends, who can help patients by collecting medicines, food and other supplies so the sick person does not need to leave his house.

Mr Galea said Malta's antiviral supplies were being increased after the government ordered 10,000 courses of the antiviral Relenza.

When in 2005 there were fears that avian influenza would cause the next pandemic, the government had already bought 100,000 doses of Tamiflu, some doses of Relenza and a substantial amount of oseltamivir powder, which can be turned into capsules or syrup.

Martin Meltzer, a senior health economist at the Atlanta Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, had told The Times at the time that an influenza pandemic could cost Malta €18.5 million (Lm8 million) in medical costs alone. He said between 3.8 million and 4.5 million working days could be lost if the pandemic struck.