The Flu Pandemic and You A Canadian Guide

by Lam, Vincent; Lee, Colin; Atwood, Margaret

• ISBN13: 9780385662772
• ISBN10: 0385662777
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-09-26
• Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Summary

An essential survival guide—both to pandemic influenza, and to the hype surrounding it.

Written by an emergency physician and a public health physician, The Flu Pandemic and You is a timely and forthright guide on how to prepare for an influenza pandemic, and how to understand the broader context in which this health threat exists.

With cool heads and professional expertise, Drs. Lam and Lee carefully explain how readers can assess their level of risk, and set out practical advice on how to contend with a pandemic, addressing such issues as:

• How the flu virus works and what level of threat Canadians really face
• How to help protect yourself and your family from contracting influenza
• How to identify symptoms
• What you need to know about antiviral drugs
• What to do in a worst-case scenario

The Flu Pandemic and You develops a lucid framework to help people understand the current anxiety about influenza in the context of the risks we all face in our daily lives. This crucially important book, full of reasoned, knowledgeable advice, is an indispensable resource for fearful times.

Author Biography

DR. VINCENT LAM was an emergency physician for thirteen years and now works in addictions medicine. His work also includes expedition medicine on Arctic and Antarctic ships. His book, Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures, was awarded the Scotiabank Giller Prize. Dr. Lam is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of Toronto.

DR. COLIN LEE is a public health physician and an emergency physician. He serves on a number of infectious disease control committees at the hospital, community, and provincial levels in Ontario. His work also extends globally to developing countries.

Table of Contents

Foreword by Margaret Atwood
 
1 Introduction
2 The Influenza Pandemic: What It Is, Why It Matters
3 Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Influenza: The Key Links
4 Will History Repeat Itself? Influenza Pandemics over the Centuries
5 Phases of a Pandemic: How a Pandemic Comes to Be
6 Containing the Virus
7 Making Preparations for Surviving a Pandemic
8 Things to Do in Everyday Life to Limit the Spread of Influenza
9 Caring for Others During a Pandemic
10 The Importance of Animal Health to Human Health
11 The Race for a Pandemic Vaccine
12 The Truth About Antiviral Medications
13 It’s Not So Simple: Ethical Dilemmas During an Influenza Pandemic
14 Practical Problems of an Influenza Pandemic
15 Conclusion
 
Resources
References
Permissions
Acknowledgements
Index