Realities on the Ground in Mexico ’s Swine Flu

By Gideon F. For-mukwai, CEM

According to Dr. Juan Manuel Fraga in Queretaro, Mexico, a sense of optimism is returning to the city. One in ten people wears face mask on April 29, 2009. A day before, 0ne person in three or four had a face mask. It is a sign the tide is changing. Dr. Fraga is an emergency physician and professor at a local University.

He spent his day work, while his two boys can’t go to school. His wife goes to the market without the boys. Like most people, she can go out for shopping, after a few days of fear and isolation.

He credits the media for encouraging people not to panic. Locally, he has observes the authorities are not as effetive as the federal authorities in managing the incident. Meanwhile the federal authorities are more systematic, the local authorities are a bit laxed on procedures and in enforcing proper procedures.

Because he spends most of his day at work at Emergencia, sometimes, he uses facebook to give some basic advice to his patients. He added that Mexicans have been using social media to poke a little fun at each other to lighten up the heavy stress of the disastter in Mexico.

Dr. Fraga wears multiple hats. I first got to know him as a member of International Association of Emergency Management (IAEM) in 2004. Today, he is the Country Representative for IAEM in Mexico and he has been feeding the emergency management world with lots of updates on the swine flu. He teaches at a local University and works of course as an emergency physician.

If you have a specific question to ask about the realities on the ground, leave us a comment and we ‘ll be happy to forward to Dr. Fraga.

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Washoe County Gets First Swine Flu Case in Nevada

Gideon F. For-mukwai, CEM

A pre-school in Washoe County, has become the first place in Nevada to have a confirmed case of swine flu. Fundamentals Pre-School, a daycare in Reno was informed by authorities that one of its students, a two years old, was sick of swine flu.

Even though the toddler ’s situation is improving, this has suddenly put the spotlight on Washoe School District in terms of what kind of response they will embrace in the days ahead. The two year old had a fever with temperature of 104 degrees Fahrenheit and her mother is currently sick.

In the meantime, the school authorities said on local Channel 4 Tv that they have initiated a disinfection response plan to limit any possibility of cross-contamination.

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