A young Tenerfeño girl is currently hospitalised in a Paris clinic in a chronic condition after showing symptoms similar to those caused by H1N1. She is one of 30 Canarian kids who are visiting France on a language course organised by the Tenerife Cabildo. They have been in the French capital for 5 days.

14 other Canarian kids of the group (all boys)  and one facilitator are under observation in a segregated residence. 21 other Spanish and foreign children are also being kept under observation and quarantine at the same language school.

A member of the Ministry of Education and the hospitalised girl’s parents flew to Paris yesterday.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) which replaced the E111 in 2006  can be used to cover any necessary medical treatment due to either an accident or illness while on holiday in Tenerife (or elsewhere within the European Economic Area and Switzerland).

Not all  services you would expect within the UK will be covered and you may have to make a contribution towards the care you receive.

There is no information on the EHIC website specific to its use for the treatment of swine flu but it might be the only cover you have unless you have read the fine print of your travel insurer or called them to confirm that they do offer pandemic cover.

The EHIC can only cover you if you show it upon arrival at the hospital. To be on the safe side, carry it with you at all times.

Golf your way around the world in a dream job being offered by the YourGolfTravel website.  Candidates should have a a handicap of under 14 and should have been recently made redundant. They would preferably have a corporate background but that is not a necessity.

The candidates will face off in a golf tournament and the prize is travelling the world for a year, playing on and reviewing courses from John ‘O Groats to Timbuctu whilst being handsomely paid f0r doing so.

Form an orderly queue and visit Times Online for more information.

The Ministry of Health and Sanitation have posted the following tips and advice for travellers going to or returning from a location affected with the new H1N1 virus:

The Ministry of Health for the Canary Islands reported that as of today there are now 31 cases of H1N1 in the islands.

The province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife has seen 18 of these cases most of which have fully recovered and only four which were admitted to hospital. Of these one has already been released and the others are all doing well.

PREPARATIONS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC

The Ministry of Health went on to state that the health authorites are keeping an ever closer eye on the situation and focussing efforts on the mitigation of the effects on influenza in patients before going on to add that the health system in Spain and therefore the Canary Islands are ready to handle this phase of the pandemic.

The Ministry of Health committed to supply an update on the development of the pandemic and government policies every Monday or more often should that become necessary.

George Gray of The Tenerife Property Guide kindly invited me to write an article for him on the basics of SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).

In cases where a business owner decides to leap into the breach and design his own website – something that is becoming easier every day – it is quite normal for  search engine optimisation elements to be missed off entirely until he or she starts looking into why their newly fledged baby is not flying quite as high or as fast as they had hoped.

In time some will realise that their website is missing the ‘keys’ that would open the door to search engine visitors. Others will never find that out and instead simply assume that internet marketing is a load of hyped up garbage.

That is unfortunate because there are no other methods of marketing as cheap and effective to my knowledge as internet marketing.

It must be even more upsetting for those who pin their hopes on a website for which they have paid a designer in the expectations of it coming out the box shiny and new and ready to take on the world. Unless the designer has incorporated SEO elements into the website that is not going to happen.  So again they may investigate and discover the benefits of SEO  or they may never know the reason why their new site never gets off the ground.

In the latter case, the paying customer only sees a loss of money and thereafter considers the internet to be waste of budget and time.

Most web designers today will include the basics of SEO but if you are currently unhappy with the performance of your website that is the first thing you ought to look at.  Is your site being found in the search engines for terms related to your business (and by that I don’t mean by your company name). If not, why not?

Read The Tenerife Property Guide – SEO – Help is at Hand

I posted about the first two cases of H1N1 in Tenerife some weeks ago and I think because of that a lot of people are finding their way to the door of Tenerife Tattle with related search terms like H1N1 Tenerife, or swine flu in Tenerife.

As far as I know the latest head count – if that is what the visitors are looking for – is standing around 11 people in Tenerife currently infected with swine flu . But what I think they are really looking for more than anything else is reassurance – the security of knowing that they are not coming on holiday to a hotbed of infection.

For the moment I can say Tenerife is not badly affected but  I don’t doubt that swine flu will arrive in quantity with the summer visitors. How could it not? With infection rates spiraling out of control in London and the rest of the UK it is inevitable that some people in the incubation period will get on flights to the island.

I don’t blame people for being scared. I know it shocked me yesterday to read about the death of young Chloe Buckley. She was one year younger than my own daughter who will also be planning a birthday party soon. I cannot imagine how her parents are coping and my heart goes out to them. I also can not imagine how I would get  through a similar tragedy in my own life.

For the first time ever the reality of this new disease hit home. I thought of the planes landing at TFS filled with potential carriers and I thought of young Chloe,  looked at my two young kids and I began to panic.

Just at that point I received a comment on the previous swine flu post which more or less said don’t worry. Masks and vitamin C will be enough to stave off an infection. I don’t believe that but it did make me stop and think.

The thing is no matter who tells you what or whatever you read in the newspaper nobody really seems to know anything at all about it. Nevertheless I am sure money is being made off my fear and yours. Should I run out and buy masks, stock up on herbal pills, vitamins? Buy dodgy Tamiflu off an online druggist?  What can I do to protect my babies?

I think the answer to that was written long ago by Douglas Adams. The best thing I can do for my family is Don’t Panic! Don’t rush about snapping up whatever snake oil and bullshit the peddlars are pushing you. Discount the panic-mongering of the local rumour mill or red-top newspapers desperate to push up daily sales.

But do stay informed about the latest H1N1 developments from the best sources available.

Swine Flu Advice from the World Health Organisation

General advice
It is important to remember that in the community setting the following general measures may be more important than wearing a mask in preventing the spread of influenza.

For individuals who are well:
Maintain distance of at least 1 metre from any individual with influenza-like symptoms, and:
• refrain from touching mouth and nose;
• perform hand hygiene frequently, by washing with soap and water or using an alcohol based handrub , especially if touching the mouth and nose and surfaces that are potentially contaminated;
• reduce as much as possible the time spent in close contact with people who might be ill;
• reduce as much as possible the time spent in crowded settings;
• improve airflow in your living space by opening windows as much as possible.

For individuals with influenza-like symptoms:
• stay at home if you feel unwell and follow the local public health recommendations;
• keep distance from well individuals as much as possible (at least 1 metre);
• cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, with tissues or other suitable materials, to contain respiratory secretions. Dispose of the material immediately after use or wash it. Clean hands immediately after contact with respiratory secretions!
• improve airflow in your living space by opening windows as much as possible.

Use of Masks
If masks are worn, proper use and disposal is essential to ensure they are potentially effective and to avoid any increase in risk of transmission associated with the incorrect use of masks.

The following information on correct use of masks derives from the practices in health-care settings:
• place mask carefully to cover mouth and nose and tie securely to minimise any gaps between the face and the mask
• while in use, avoid touching the mask
− whenever you touch a used mask, for example when removing or washing, clean hands by washing with soap and water or using an alcohol-based handrub
• replace masks with a new clean, dry mask as soon as they become damp/humid
• do not re-use single-use masks − discard single-use masks after each use and dispose of them immediately upon
removing.
Although some alternative barriers to standard medical masks are frequently used (e.g. cloth mask, scarf, paper masks, rags tied over the nose and mouth), there is insufficient information available on their effectiveness. If such alternative barriers are used, they should only be used once or, in the case of cloth masks, should be cleaned thoroughly between each use (i.e. wash with normal household detergent at normal temperature). They should be removed immediately after caring for the ill. Hands should be washed immediately after removal of the mask.

For more information go to World Health Organisation on H1N1