On April 28, the two Canadian Health Inspectors visited an Alberta farm that eventually culled 500 hogs infected with the H1N1 virus.  According to a provincial report, the inspectors had the wrong protective equipment and had not been trained in proper decontamination procedures.  The report also noted that the full-face masks the inspectors used had been borrowed from a fire department and didn’t fit properly.    Additionally, the inspectors stated that ” they lifted the masks inside the barn to allow the sweat to drip down.”  Both inspectors became infected with the H1N1 virus the very next day.

A CTV news story from July 12 reports that “About one third of the North American population may become infected with the H1N1 virus this fall, according to a Canadian microbiologist. The disease has already infected thousands across Canada and is linked to at least 41 deaths.  “What we think will happen in the fall in North America is a more complete wave, in which 30-40 per cent of people become infected over a 12-16 week period,” said Allison McGeer, microbiologist and infectious disease expert at Mount Sinai Hospital.”

I hate to be a fear monger, but at the same time I hate to be ill prepared, when I could have taken adequate precautions.

Try and stay away from people who are affected, and make sure you frequently wash your hands.  That is what is constantly preached on the radio.  But the fact of the matter is that if 1/3 of the population is anticipated to become infected, it’s going to be very difficult to stay away from those who are affected.  I’ve written a blog about this before, but I think that the point needs to be re-iterated in light of the Canadian inspectors who are now infected with H1N1.  Grabbing any available mask is not going to do anything to prevent the spread of H1N1.

I am saddened that these inspectors contracted H1N1, because they were careless and did not take proper precautions.  If this flu is going to continue to spread as predicted, it is important that the general public realize that wearing a mask can prevent it from spreading.   But it has to be the proper type of mask and it has to be fit properly.  Before you purchase a mask to wear during this pandemic, get a proper mask fitting for an N95.  The test administrator will teach you how to wear the mask properly and ensure that it fits properly.  SureHire recommends getting a quantitative mask fit test done for any N95 mask.  Quantitative mask fitting is far superior to traditional qualitative testing methods.  Find out about the differences here:
Quantitative Mask Fitting
Qualitative Mask Fitting
It is important that you are fitted for and purchase an N95 mask, not a basic surgical mask.  There should be the term N95 somewhere on the packaging.  The company that does your mask fitting should give you a card stating exactly what type of mask you have been fitted for (brand and model number).  That is the mask that you need to purchase.   Keep in mind that different brand sizes fit differently, so be sure to buy the exact mask you have been fitted for.  A surgical mask will NOT prevent the spread of H1N1.

If you have any questions regarding N95 masks and preventing the spread of H1N1, or if you would like to book in a mask fit test, please contact SureHire’s office at 1-866-944-4473.

Now is the time to prepare, before this flu begins to grow exponentially.  My hope is that the predictions do not come true, but initial indications do not look promising.

For more information on the North American predictions for the spread of H1N1 view this CTV article:
Will H1N1 infections rise in Canada this fall?

Update:

Several of the world’s leading drug makers announced that the virus they are growing to make H1N1 vaccine doesn’t yield enough of the antigen needed to protect people.  The problem now is that back-up facilities for vaccine production do not exist.  The much anticipated flu vaccine may not even be effective.  It seems as if properly fitted masks are more important than ever.