H1N1 (Swine) Flu Information

What to Do If You Get Sick

Contact your physician if you become ill with flu-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. Your doctor will determine if influenza testing or treatment is needed.

If you are sick, stay home and avoid contact with others as much as you can. If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Bluish skin color
• Fast breathing or difficulty breathing
• Fever with a rash
• Symptoms improve; then return with fever and worse cough
• Irritability
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Confusion
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in chest or abdomen
• Severe or persistent vomiting
  Sudden dizziness

H1N1 (Swine) Flu Information

• People, not freight or vehicles, spread flu.
• Flu is spread through person-to-person contact, not through any food products, so it is wrong to imply that Swine Flu is connected to pork consumption.
• Flu appears to spread more rapidly through air travel by infected people, and this is much more rapidly than single drivers coming from the border area could cause.
• Trimac is following our sources which are staying in close contact with the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health and Human Services and monitoring any potential implications on trucking companies.
• Depending on how aggressively the Swine Flu continues to spread, the U.S. government may take action. These future actions could affect trucking operations, especially cross-border operations with Mexico and Canada, and potentially at a domestic level.
• There are no current travel restrictions and policymakers considering travel and border restrictions heed the advice of the WHO Director General to keep borders open because “Given the widespread presence of the virus … containment of the outbreak is not feasible.”
• Concern is that during a pandemic, local or state officials may close roads or borders to quarantine their communities. Any shutdown of roads or borders could have severe economic effects and potentially prevent delivery of food, fuel, medicine and other essential supplies.

Swine Flu Facts

• As of April 29 there have been at least 91 diagnosed cases in the U.S.
• Believed to have begun in Mexico, where there have been more than 160 deaths.
• Swine Flu now confirmed in seven countries.
• TSA looking for those exhibiting flu-like symptoms.
• On April 27, White House urged against “non-essential” travel to Mexico.

Trimac has adopted the Pandemic Influenza Guide, developed by Homeland Security. In the case of an elevated pandemic, Trimac will implement actions relating to our essential services, functions and processes. Protect yourself from contracting the flu by following CDC's advice for preventing PanFlu (below). Please see your branch manager if you have any concerns or to review a copy of the Pandemic Influenza Guide.
 
Preventing the Flu: Good Health Habits Can Help Stop Germs 

The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated each year, but good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu. There also are flu antiviral drugs that can be used to treat and prevent the flu.

Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

Stay home when you are sick.
If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.

Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.

Clean your hands.
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

Practice other good health habits.
Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

Safety begins with teamwork.