Mission: Health

Flu Discovery and Interpretation: Information about the problem Have you ever caught the flu? How about a common cold? If so, I bet you felt pretty bad for a while. But did you know that people die of the flu every year? Let's find out more about it? People with the flu usually have a fever, stuffy nose, sore throat, headache, cough, tiredness and/or pain throughout the body. It can be hard to differentiate the flu from a common cold, caused by different viruses. A cold is usually less severe than the flu. And what can we do to prevent the spread of, prevent and treat ourselves for flu? Cover your nose when you cough (or sneeze): Flu can spread over short distances through the air when someone coughs or sneezes and also when someone touches a surface contaminated by the virus and brings their hand to their mouth or eyes. One way to prevent the spread of disease is to cough or sneeze into a tissue. And why not cover your cough with your hand? Because when your hand touches the door, table or pencil, you transfer the germs to that surface. If you have to cough or sneeze into your hand, wash it immediately. Washing your hands: Washing your hands also helps prevent the spread of flu. Did you know that there is a right way to sanitize them? You need to wet your hands, use soap and rub them back and forth, between your fingers and under your fingernails. Slowly count to 20 while scrubbing. Then rinse and dry them. Make sure you scrub with soap for 20 seconds! Flu shot: Fortunately, there is a flu shot, which is usually an injection, that causes your body to fight off something very close to the real germ. The vaccine helps you not get the disease and "teaches" your body to fight the real germs.

You can get the flu vaccine, even if you are not at risk of being infected. Why? Well, nobody likes to get sick. Also, the more people get the vaccine, the harder it is for the disease to spread. Imagine that everyone in your class gets a flu shot, except one person. She might get sick, but she won't be able to spread the virus, since everyone around her is protected. Flu Treatment: What if you get the flu? Most people will have some symptoms, but in a short time you will be fine. You should rest, drink plenty of water, and take medicine that will make you feel better. It is important to remember that medicine does not help cure the flu. It will only make you more comfortable while your body fights the virus. Problem: Influenza According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), every year three to five million cases of severe flu occur worldwide. About 250,000 to 500,000 people die from influenza each year. People with flu can also get pneumonia, an infection in the lungs. Flu can also make existing illnesses like asthma or heart problems worse. Babies, older people and people with health problems are more likely to die from flu.

Now that we have learnt a bit more about flu, its symptoms, prevention and treatment, the challenge is to create a game to raise awareness about the problems related to the disease and/or one where you have to build a hospital to treat these people. The questions below will help you brainstorm some ideas. Essential Questions: ● What should a hospital be like and how should it be structured? ● What should the facade of the hospital look like, what colours? ● What are some of the problems related to flu? ● Which patients could be seen first? Why? ● How could patients be treated?

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