Quarantined in Doha!
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I recently returned from a trip to New York. After developing some basic flu symptoms (running nose, congestions, headache) I decided to head over to Al Ahli to have it checked out. With all the media talking about swine flu, I thought it would be best to be safe than sorry. The Doctor at Al Ahli was really fantastic- once I told him I had arrived from New York, he decided to take some blood tests to be sure it was nothing serious. A few minutes later, the doctor came over to tell me that he had to report the case to the Ministry of Health and even though my blood tests were clear, I needed to go to Hamad hospital for further tests to be 100% certain it was not swine flu.
Hamad hospital was incredibly busy and it did not seem that anyone had any specific details on swine flu tests. After a few minutes I received a call from the Ministry of Health, asking me to stay at Hamad and they were coming over personally to check on my health. I have to give them credit for doing a very thorough follow up and check up. The second they arrived, I was pushed to the top of the que. They cleared out an emergency room and turned it into an "Isolation Room" - a room where I spent the next 5 hours of my life. As I did not have all the symptoms of swine flu, their main concern was that it was still early from possible time of exposure- as such they needed to carry out all tests. Also as I was the first person in Qatar to come in with this problem I served as the guinea pig (pun intended) for them to teach the nurses/doctors on what to do if further cases came in. I was quickly surrounded and visited by all the top specialists and doctors in the hospital. At one point I think I had 4 doctors in the room. I even received a call from the Chairman of Hamad Hospital talking me through the procedures and the way forward. I have to commend the Ministry of Health and Hamad hospital for the way in which they dealt with this.
The tests considered of the following:
- General Flu symptom check
- Interview (I was asked many times about my symptoms)
- Blood tests (a few too many)
- Throat Swab - this is the most important test. It will tell you if you have type A or B influenza. Fortunately my tests came back negative (meaning I do not have swine flu- Alhumdulilah), however they still wanted to be completely certain, as such they had to send my tests to Oman for further testing.
The doctor prescribed two medicines:
- Tamiflu - an anti-viral drug (cannot get it over the counter) that should sort out any flu within a few days
- Panadol- for general headache ease
Even though I do not have swine flu (or H1N1 as its now known), as a precautionary measure, I've been placed under "Quarantine" at home. Which means I'm not supposed to leave my house for the next 10 days until my symptoms clear up. They even issued me with a letter so that these days count as sick leave and do not come out of normal working days.
Some precautionary tips they gave me:
- A face mask is excellent for prevention/spreading of the flu. Yes, you look like someone from Star Wars, but its the safest bet. If you're traveling abroad anytime soon you will most likely be issued a face mask by the airline.
- Hand Sanitizer - always important to use a hand sanitizer as often as possible. Especially between your fingers and the joints- thats where the germs like to hang out.
- If you have flu symptoms keep your distance from other people- at least 1 meter. The flu is spready by coughing, laughing or physical contact. So a distance is always recommended.
Starting in a few days, anyone arriving into Doha will be tested for flu symptoms at the airport. If you have recently come in from one of the affected countries and have symptoms of the flu I do highly recommend you contact the doctors so that they can do the tests/provide treatment. The doctors all seemed to genuinely care about the situation and try their best to help out. Swine flu is a serious issue- and by getting checked up, you're not just looking out for yourself- but also for your family, friends, neighbours and the people of Qatar. All it takes is one person to not know they have the flu to go out into public and spread it unknowingly- causing countless other people to get affected.
The final thing that I was told by one of the doctors on my way out of the hospital -"Young man, unfortunately you seem to be a victim of circumstances."
You can't teach experience...
Good post apart from those who do not seem to realise that when you contract this version of influenza you have no symptoms whatsoever for about three days AND you can pass it on to others before you know you have got it.
Understand that a family who have been abroad reported to HMC on Wednesday night(18 May ) and are in strict isolation, could be the first cases. Wonder if MinHealth remember to report it to W.H.O.
on vaction now...And half of doha...July Aug...
I hope they don't bring it back...
cause it on the rise world wide...
Seems like it just a regular flu if you healthy...
The peeps that died had other complications..
Either way I don't wanna be sick...
:(
You can't teach experience...
How much does Flu vaccine cost in AmeriCAN hOSPITAL ( THEY TOLD ME i'LL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL sATURDAY MORNING TO KNOW THE ANSWER !!!)
- Is Tamiflu still available in LuLu Pharmacy ?
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"Return Flight to Tunisia @ 540 $ with Turkish Airlines THY.com travel by 15/06/09"
Fly around Doha, mate. But be careful. Don't let the happiness get to you. Congratulations again for getting out of there safe and sound!
YeaH! Good to hear you're feeling better and free to roam outside!
jack - no cure perhaps, but there are anti-viral drugs which can lessen the effect of the illness and lead to a speedier recovery. They're more effective than painkillers.
There is no Cure for Flu...yet!!!
You might as well take painkillers!
riy, enjoy your freedom!:-)
kadaut...
If you don't have any symptoms what does it matter if they check or not?
Im commin to Doha next month from UK... are they gonna check on every passenger... I dont have any flu like symptoms...
Way to go! You'll see Doha in a whole new light now!
i'm freeeeeee. w00t. now to find some fresh air in this city.
Its good that you decided to get the thorough check up!
Its better safe now than to be sorry in the end.
"Life is a cyle, one must go up and go down."
I am planning to visit Japan by end of May and transiting bye Mumbai. Can I request for Tamiflu (as a prevention : http://www.tamiflu.com/treat.aspx)
Or can I have a vaccin ? (how much will it cost ? )
Thx
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"Return Flight to Tunisia @ 540 $ with Turkish Airlines THY.com travel by 15/06/09"
Boycott Israel Campaign
how long are you stuck in quarantine?
its called the N95 Particulate Respirator
well Riy, it's a good idea to extend your vacation. did they give you sick leave? I suppose they did.
about 50% of people wearing masks in the city...although, the general consensus is the press is having a slow month and needed something to fill print paper...Everyone IS being carefull though, and taking it serously....The one reported death in USA was a child brought in from Mexico
I read the story with much interest and wish all of you be safe
You can't teach experience...
The regular flu every year kills 36,000 Americans a year. So its good for people that are ill not to go out and give the flu to everyone. Its stupid for the airport to let people through that have been to Mexico as it can take 2 days before they show symptoms by then they have given it to others. You also need a special mask if you want to provide any protection, not all masks are helpful.
WOW, next time I need to skip the que's I'm saying I have flu, possibly swine flu.
You can't teach experience...
When flying out the other day some of the staff had masks and some did not not. We decided to rename them quacka airways.
nice speech :P keep it up
even some one can think OH no it is tooo much but as other QLR`s said it is Better to be safe then to be sorry
Speedy recovery.. if u need any kind of help ...let us know
Regards
riy may not have swine flu but he's obviously got some kind of flu..and tamiflu relieves the symptoms.
Tamiflu...you can get in without a prescription here in Doha...I always keep two packets on hand just in case, especially during flu season.
Yogurt??? that is only for the BACTERIAL medications..because the antibacterial medications also kill the good bacteria in your intestines...which can give you the "runs"..yogurt replaces the bacteria that is killed off.
Tamiflu...JackMohan...come on...what a crock of bs....Tamiflu has been on the market at least in America for many years...
Having taken it when I got the flu last year, it kept me from wishing someone would shoot me and put me out of my misery. BUT, it has to be taken within 36 hours of the initial symptoms or its useless. It doesn't cure you but relieves the symptoms and shortens the span of illness.
If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you; that is the main difference between a dog and man.
-Mark Twain-
mallrat: i do have the flu... just not swine flu. thats why they prescribed tamiflu...
Wow. I very much admire your patience. Not many people would actually do what you did. I’m glad it was nothing serious. Hope you feel well soon.
riy, you do not have swine flu?
why are you taking Tamiflu?
.
according to this:
http://social.moldova.org/news/scientists-antiflu-drugs-tamiflu-and-relenza-treat-swine-flu-199943-eng.html
those who are not suffering from the flu should not take Tamiflu as it might in fact cause the drugs to be ineffective in the event of influenza.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/firm-offers-patented-machine-to-kill-flu-virus/356765/
My friend that has been in Mexico City for the last 10 days arrived safe and sound here in Doha on Friday. she asked in the airport if she needed to report somewhere (if it was me I would have kept quiet!) They asked her "How do you feel?" she said "fine, no symptoms" so they told her to go home.
...for sharing your experience with us and sorry to hear they made you the first local Guinea Pig. Not fair but better to be on the safe side. I hope you recover quickly and enjoy your 10 days off work :)
With so many doctors on QL we've nothing to worry about in Doha.
Seriously, while there is no need to panic, this is looking increasingly like the start of a global pandemic. Whilst currently the strain is not hugely virulent pandemics have historically started with a mild phase followed by a second more deadly phase.
Yoghurt?? Idiots.....
hospitalization.but still there is "PANADOL".a lot of alternative medicine instead of PANADOL.hmmm!i forget it is hamad hospital..they must change the name od hospital.PANADOL HAMAD HOSPITAL....
Tooooo good to be true...
Tamiflu....Donald Rumsfeld's Company...
There are concerns that oseltamivir (Tamiflu is Brand name) may cause dangerous psychological, neuropsychiatric side effects including self harm in some users
According to Japan's Health Ministry, between 2004 and March 2007, fifteen people aged 10 to 19 have been injured or killed by jumps or fallen from buildings after taking oseltamivir, and one 17-year-old died after he jumped in front of a truck.
The company Roche points out .... influenza may itself cause psychological problems......Really?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamiflu
Good luck....lol
quarantine for seasonal flu sufferers. mass culls of pigs in turkey. friday sermons saying it's retribution from god. body heat monitors deployed that have proven worthless with sars.
One person has died in the USA out of over 100 confirmed infections. Data from Mexico is worthless because of the poor reporting. The WHO is waiting for reliable data of fatality rates in the USA. Within a week, we will discover how dangerous the disease really is, but it's likely to be only slightly more deadly than seasonal flu.
another interesting point (i've learnt quite a bit about the flu recently).....
tamiflu is an anti-viral drug. As the flu is a viral infection, it goes straight for the virus... If you're taking it, you should try having yoghurt as well... this should help prevent you getting a secondary bacterial infection (which happens with the flu). This should be the case with the normal flu as well...
Wow, hope you're feeling better! Keep up the good attitude, we're all pulling for you.
Mandi
Great write up. Thanks.
As a precaution I think La Paloma should also be quarantied, if only to stop the awful singers !
tallg- they dont have guard out the door (not that I've been out to check).... i guess its trust thing. they did take down my address/details to follow up though.
with regards to tamiflu- I was told that I needed to wait to get a prescription from the specialist in order to get it. It could very well be available over the counter as most medications are in Doha.
why 10 days? well the flu virus stays in your system for 7 - 10 days from first symptoms. So they pushed it to the maximum to be safe. (thats what I was told)
scorpio79: you cant change the circumstances you find yourself in- you can just make the most of it....
to everyone else: thanks for the replies, much appreciated. If I've missed anything please let me know... I do have quite a bit of free time these days to reply :-)
"Young man, unfortunately you seem to be a victim of circumstances." LOL
Thanks!
harts off. Thanks for putting that down in such a sensible way. But I think I'm just repeating what the others are saying. Very well written indeed.
having been a victim of circumstances, you seem to have taken it quite patiently..
...as people who don't start any treatment soon CAN die. Not how they tried to make us think the first days after the outbreak. But people panic very easily and of course, exaggerate everything.
So far, only 19 deaths are confirmed to be caused by H1N1, all of them in Mexico (except for the little boy who died in Texas).
Let me know if you need some books/DVDs...:)
thanks for posting..
May I add that people shouldn't be spitting and blowing their nose onto the pavement
Now we know how to take take few days off?just jokiing good to know some one cares about it here as well.
You have posted the information in a very nice way.Glad to hear that u are doing good.
Thanks once again!
donosa - the virus is deadly in as much as some people who've contracted it have died. However, arien, it is not "such a deadly virus". Don't believe the media hype guys.
The media coverage in this whole Swine Flu thing it's crazy! this flu is as deadly as the regular flu is, meaning, whoever gets the symptoms should go ASAP to get diagnosed! But it doesn't mean that you are going to die of this flu. You get the same chances of dying of any flu if it is not treated properly and on time.
I think is good that you are now on a quarantine, just to avoid spreading any kind of flu, but 10 days it's a bit too much hehe.
The virus is not deadly, I'm telling you, my whole family and all of my friends live in the north of Mexico, and they are all O.K. My city, one of the 3 largest cities in Mexico, hasn't reported any H1N1 cases so far!
Just relax people, and still be cautious! I mean, for sure you don't want to get sick of any kind of flu!
Baldrick not a bad idea for a quick detox and free health check up.. Just tell them that you have just returned from North America.lol
Suspected carrier of such a deadly virus had a fair through and reported himself at a private hospital.wow!! great steps to prevent.. I guess the ones landing from the infected areas should be checked before entering the country..
God knows howmany of them who has the H1N1 is walkin around the town..
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- Listen to Many...Speak to a Few -
thank you for posting this ...
I also being told that you can just walk in into private hospital or medical centre and ask for Tamiflu.
Wow indeed. Next time I want a free full medical check up and 10 days detox, I'm checking in with a new rare disease!
Glad to hear you are OK though.
Wow. I guess better safe than sorry, but 10 day quarantine when they've proved you don't have it seems a bit over the top.
How are they enforcing the quarantine? Is there a guard outside your house?
Anyway, kudos to you for posting this in a sensible and informative way. The normal QL way would have been to fly into an outrage and post a sensational piece of nonsense about how poorly they'd been treated.
btw, I thought tamiflu was available over the counter. Someone told me they'd bought a bucket load the other day.
Why are you quarantined if you don't have H1N1?
Welcome to Qatar
Better to be safe then sorry
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