On the Arrive Alive website we have information about “Pregnancy and Safe Driving”. I have just come across a story titled “H1N1: Department warns pregnant women” and decided that it is important to share this with our pregnant road users as well!
This was written by Wendy Jasson da Costa and was originally published on page 1 of The Pretoria News on August 18, 2009:
“Pregnant women are most likely to develop complications as a result of swine flu and should seek medical help immediately if they display any severe flu-like symptoms, the Health Department has warned.
So far, two pregnant women have died in South Africa as a result of the H1N1 virus, taking to six the number of people who have died of complications resulting from the virus.
One pregnant woman was admitted to Durban’s Addington Hospital last week, but neither she nor her unborn baby survived.
The second pregnant woman was a 27-year-old from the Eastern Cape.
KwaZulu-Natal Health Department spokesperson Chris Maxon yesterday said pregnant women should seek emergency medical assistance if faced with the following symptoms: difficulty breathing or shortness of breath; pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen; sudden dizziness; confusion; severe or persistent vomiting; decreased or no movement of the baby; a high fever which does not respond to treatment.
At its last count on Friday, the Health Department had recorded a total of 296 people with H1N1 in KZN. Of those, 175 were in the Durban area, 58 in Pietermaritzburg and 25 in Empangeni/Richards Bay.
The first confirmed H1N1 death occurred in Stellenbosch, where student Ruan Muller died of the disease.
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The H1N1 /Swine Flu hotline is 0861 DOH CDC, or 0861-364-232
Also view:
• What do I need to know about Swine Flu?
• A few more facts about Swine Flu
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