Bluey
10-06-2009, 08:37 PM
The NRL'S swine flu crisis has hit Melbourne Storm with back-rower Sika Manu in quarantine and ruled out of Saturday's match against South Sydney in Perth. Manu, who has played the past two matches after a long injury lay-off, started showing flu-like symptoms on Tuesday night.
In keeping with Victorian health regulations he was immediately given a course of the antiviral treatment Tamiflu and isolated from his teammates.
Manu has to stay in quarantine for three days from the start of that course, which means he can't fly with his fellow players to Western Australia today.
He won't be tested for the H1N1 virus, and if he doesn't develop any further symptoms he could be out of quarantine by Friday.
But he won't be flown over for the match with either Scott Anderson or Wairangi Koopu to replace him.
``We're following recommendations set by the Victorian health authority, and anyone who shows any flu type symptoms is to be isolated. We'll monitor his health from where he is at home,'' Storm football manager Frank Ponissi said..
``In ordinary circumstances he might have come along and not trained and we would have waited. But we have to follow protocol. There is no suggestion he has swine flu.
``Had we been playing at home or in Sydney on a Sunday and come Friday he was fine we would have put him on a plane. But playing in Perth makes it awfully difficult.
:)
In keeping with Victorian health regulations he was immediately given a course of the antiviral treatment Tamiflu and isolated from his teammates.
Manu has to stay in quarantine for three days from the start of that course, which means he can't fly with his fellow players to Western Australia today.
He won't be tested for the H1N1 virus, and if he doesn't develop any further symptoms he could be out of quarantine by Friday.
But he won't be flown over for the match with either Scott Anderson or Wairangi Koopu to replace him.
``We're following recommendations set by the Victorian health authority, and anyone who shows any flu type symptoms is to be isolated. We'll monitor his health from where he is at home,'' Storm football manager Frank Ponissi said..
``In ordinary circumstances he might have come along and not trained and we would have waited. But we have to follow protocol. There is no suggestion he has swine flu.
``Had we been playing at home or in Sydney on a Sunday and come Friday he was fine we would have put him on a plane. But playing in Perth makes it awfully difficult.
:)