EDISI KHAS 12TH RC of UM

2009-08-26

SWINE FLU – H1N1 Influenza

Swine influenza can also call H1N1 flu, swine flu, hog flu, and pig flu. It is an infection by any one of several types of swine influenza virus. Influenza A, H1N1 virus is a subtype of influenza virus A and the most common cause of influenza in humans. Swine influenza virus (SIV) is any strain of the influenza family of viruses that is endemic in pigs. As of 2009, the known SIV strains include influenza C and the subtypes of influenza A known as H1N1, H1N2, H3N1, H3N2, and H2N3. In June 2009, World Health Organization declared that flu due to a new strain of swine-origin H1N1 was responsible for the 2009 flu pandemic. This strain is commonly called "swine flu" by the public media.Swine influenza virus is common throughout pig populations worldwide. Transmission of the virus from pigs to humans is not common and does not always lead to human influenza, often resulting only in the production of antibodies in the blood. If transmission does cause human influenza, it is called zoonotic swine flu. People with regular exposure to pigs are at increased risk of swine flu infection. The meat of an infected animal poses no risk of infection when properly cooked.

During the mid-20th century, identification of influenza subtypes became possible, allowing accurate diagnosis of transmission to humans. Since then, only 50 such transmissions have been confirmed. These strains of swine flu rarely pass from human to human.

Symptoms of zoonotic swine flu in humans are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general, namely chills, fever, sore throat, muscle pains, severe headache, coughing, weakness and general discomfort.There are some main symptoms of swine flu in humans. Direct transmission of a swine flu virus from pigs to humans is occasionally possible, called zoonotic swine flu. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in humans the symptoms of the 2009 "swine flu" H1N1 virus are similar to those of influenza and of influenza-like illness in general.Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. The 2009 outbreak has shown an increased percentage of patients reporting diarrhea and vomiting. The 2009 H1N1 virus is not zoonotic swine flu, as it is not transmitted from pigs to humans, but from person to person. Because these symptoms are not specific to swine flu, a differential diagnosis of probable swine flu requires not only symptoms but also a high likelihood of swine flu due to the person's recent history. A diagnosis of confirmed swine flu requires laboratory testing of a respiratory sample through a simple nose and throat swab.

Influenza spreads between humans through coughing or sneezing and people touching something with the virus on it and then touching their own nose or mouth. Swine flu cannot be spread by pork products, since the virus is not transmitted through food. The swine flu in humans is most contagious during the first five days of the illness although some people, most commonly children, can remain contagious for up to ten days. Diagnosis can be made by sending a specimen, collected during the first five days for analysis.

Recommendations to prevent spread of the virus among humans include using standard infection control against influenza. This includes frequent washing of hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based hand sanitizers, especially after being out in public.

Chance of transmission is also reduced by disinfecting household surfaces, which can be done effectively with a diluted chlorine bleach solution. Experts agree that hand-washing can help prevent viral infections, including ordinary influenza and the swine flu virus. Also avoiding touching eyes, nose and mouth with hands prevents flu. Influenza can spread in coughs or sneezes, but an increasing body of evidence shows small droplets containing the virus can linger on tabletops, telephones and other surfaces and be transferred via the fingers to the mouth, nose or eyes.

Alcohol-based gel or foam hand sanitizers work well to destroy viruses and bacteria. Anyone with flu-like symptoms such as a sudden fever, cough or muscle aches should stay away from work or public transportation and should contact a doctor for advice. Social distancing is another tactic. It means staying away from other people who might be infected and can include avoiding large gatherings, spreading out a little at work, or perhaps staying home and lying low if an infection is spreading in a community. Public health and other responsible authorities have action plans which may request or require social distancing actions depending on the severity of the outbreak.

Extracted from : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_flu

Members of Edisi Khas 12th RC

Authors: Joey Tan
Editors : Nadiah
Designer : Norsakinah

2009-08-19

FESKUM 2009

Shaking up all students and outsiders alike, University of Malaya organized FESKUM 2009 in conjunction with the convocation ceremonies. Since the beginning, FESKUM has been a significant element for University of Malaya during the convocation period.

This programme is organised in the name of fun as well as fellowship. Those of you, who want to meet new people, make new friends or just want to have a fun day out, you ought to check out FESKUM 2009. This carnival also serves as a platform to promote good food from all around Malaysia as well as acting as a bridge for interaction among the students of University of Malaya. Even if you don't stay nearby, you will still be heading to DTC and KPS across the library and wondering what you should eat besides checking out how it is like during FESKUM in this period of one week.

I got there around 5 pm with a few friends of mine right after class. It was a great trip except that I got a little wet by the drizzle. A mini funfair has been set up in our beloved University of Malaya, offering everything that you can get.

The first stall I visited is a stall that exhibits traditional games for the visitors to learn how to play if they are first timers. Later, I walked all around the carnival and found many interesting things, but the booth that really caught my eye was a booth selling items which I call the “mobile bird nest”. You can get this item for a little over RM200 but it is worth every penny spent. These are quality, well-made “nests”.

And of course there's the food. I could go on describing the flavours of their hot burgers, nasi lemak, or their delicious local delicacies from all over Malaysia, but the list is endless. Simply to say, the food sold was awesome!

*ding ding* Do try out in Selera D’Royal.. =P

Some other photos of other stalls.

Not to forget, I would like to wish all the graduates a happy graduation. FESKUM is indeed a memorable occasion for the graduating students, who by their hard work and dedication have earned the degree which will enable them to meet the need of time. I hereby congratulate the graduates and wish them a bright future and all the best in their future undertakings!! Happy Convocation!!

In conclusion, it was a blast having to go to FESKUM 2009. I will be looking forward for this popular university event to achieve greater heights in the future. Do join FESKUM in years to come for those who missed out on the opportunities this year. Till then, see ya!!

Members of Edisi Khas 12th '09

Author: Chiong Hoe Siang
Editor: Candy Soh Yuen Yi
Designer: Yap Wei Yin

2009-08-12

MIC Coming Soon

Dear all beloved 12th RC residents,

MIC is coming soon.

The objectives of MIC are:

1. To promote interaction between seniors and juniors.

2. To unite seniors and juniors of 12th college.

3. To cultivate leadership skills.

Cheers

Director of Edisi Khas 12th '09

2009-08-09

Article (1) - 3Rs

Always come across with “3R” but not really understand?

Don’t worry, here is some information for you. “3R” stands for reduce, reuse and recycle. They are always associated with the “Go Green Campaign”.

Reduce, in other word, waste minimization is the process and the policy of reducing the amount of waste produced by a person or a society. Please take a look on ourselves. Everyday, in the college, we use polystyrene dish to buy food, and polystyrene packing, which is also known as “white coffins” to pack our food. After that, when we go back to our room, we can see a lot of “white coffins” be dumped in the rubbish bins outside the toilet, and make the bins a small hill.

Actually, “reduce” can be started from our own. For the first year students, you were provided a lunch box and a small bottle after the “Perjumpaan dengan Ayahanda”. For others, you can buy a tupperware. We can make use of this tupperware every time we go to cafeteria. We can buy and pack the food into the tupperware. This action will reduce the rubbish in our college, saves environment, as well as saving ourselves from being attacked by the toxic. For your information, polystyrene cannot be recycled, it would not varnish from this earth since it was produced, till the end of the world. Furthermore, the polystyrene packing is not good for our health as it would release toxic when it is burnt.

Reuse is to use an item or items more than once. This, includes conventional reuse where the item is used again for the same function, and new-life reuse where it is used for a new function. There are some advantages of “reduce”, this would include reducing disposal needs and costs as well as energy and raw materials savings.

For instance, we use a lot of paper everyday. Actually, if you notice the way you use the paper, you can actually sort out a way to reuse the paper. Many of us always use a blank paper with only one side to print documents or writing. In fact, we can make full use of the paper, as using it both sides (front and back). If you misprint some documents with which the other side of paper is blank, you can always use it to make notes, draft, and prepare memos. This would save a lot of paper.

Recycling involves processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of potentially useful materials, reduce the consumption of fresh raw materials, reduce energy usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water pollution (from landfilling) by reducing the need for "conventional" waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared to virgin production. Recyclable materials include many kinds of glass, paper, metal, plastic, textiles, and electronics.

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) states on its website that “a paper mill uses 40 percent less energy to make paper from recycled paper than it does to make paper from fresh lumber.” From this statement, we can actually find out that recycling save a lot of energy and subsequently reduce the pollution to the earth.

In fact, “3R” is around us everyday, just we do not catch it and let it fly away. “3R” is not a difficult for us, as a student of university. We should be mature enough to think about how perish is our mother earth now. Surely, we do not want to see that the earth is getting not conducive for human to live in. Hence, from today onwards, try to make “3R” a principle of your life.

Members of Edisi Khas 12th '09

Author : Ng Jia Hao

Editor : Nadiah

Designer : Norsakinah