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MRHC officials urge community
to help fight swine flu
Published Thursday, August 20
By Brant Sappington
Staff Writer
As the novel H1N1 flu virus, commonly known as the swine flu, continues to spread in the state, local health officials say the community must come together to fight the virus.
“If we all stick together and we do what we should, we should be OK,” said Amy Gray, RN, BSN, director of infection control for Magnolia Regional Health Center.
The hospital announced last week guidelines released by the federal Centers for Disease Control indicating all cases of influenza A should be treated as H1N1 because of the prevalence of the virus in the state and the fact the seasonal flu should not be found this early in the year.
Gray, speaking at a seminar held by the hospital Tuesday to inform the public about the virus and how the public can protect themselves and others, said prevention is the key to reducing the seriousness of the current outbreak.
“Preventing an infection is always easier than treating an infection,” she said.
Gray said it’s important to first understand exactly what the flu is and how its symptoms differ from other common respiratory illnesses. Flu is caused by the influenza virus, which can take the form of numerous different strains including H1N1 or the common seasonal flu, both of which cause similar symptoms and require similar treatment. Common flu symptoms include fever, aches, cough, lack of energy, runny nose and other respiratory problems. Gray said the key difference between the flu and other viruses is the sudden onset of symptoms.
“Always remember that,” she said.
She said most people will feel fine and then suddenly get sick, with little warning.
The current H1N1 strain appears to cause more severe aches than some other strains, which can be a clue a person may be suffering from the flu.
“Everybody that I’ve talked to whose tested positive for Influenza A has had a lot of body aches,” she said.
The regular seasonal flu causes 36,000 deaths each year, said Gray, and so far the H1N1 virus does not appear to be any more deadly. Almost all deaths and serious complications occur in people who considered at high risk for problems because of other underlying, pre-existing health conditions. High-risk groups include children under 5 years of age, senior citizens, pregnant women (particularly those with underlying conditions such as heart disease or gestational diabetes), those with chronic health problems such as cancer, heart disease, emphysema, asthma or asthma, and those with weakened immune systems.
Those in these high risk groups should seek medical attention immediately if they believe they have the flu. For most people, however, the best treatment will be supportive care, including anti-fever medication, anti-cough medication, plenty of fluids and bed rest. One of the biggest issues in dealing with the flu, particularly in children, can be dehydration.
While most people will not suffer severe complications from the flu, it can still cause a major disruption of a person’s life because of the up to two weeks it can take a person to fully recover. Gray said preventing the spread of the virus is the most important thing the public can do in response to the outbreak.
The flu virus is normally transmitted through contact with virus being shed by an infected person. The virus can live on surfaces for up to eight hours, so a key step in prevention is keeping surfaces clean and disinfected. Regular handwashing and use of alcohol-based sanitizers and avoiding contact with infected individuals can also make a big difference.
Those who contract the flu should stay home from work, school or daycare until they are no longer contagious. Current CDC guidelines recommend an absence of five to seven days or not returning until a person is no longer running a fever.
The CDC is currently working on a vaccine for the H1N1 virus. Gray said the vaccine is expected to become available in late October, but supplies are likely not going to be high enough to treat everyone. Instead, she expects the vaccine’s distribution to focus on getting the limited supply of the drug to those at highest risk of complications.
She also noted the regular season flu vaccine, which will be available later this fall, will not protect against H1N1 and those at high risk should receive both vaccines.
Gray said the public should know that health authorities and the hospital have plans in place to deal with any major outbreaks if they occur and there is no reason to panic. She said if everyone works together to prevent the spread of the virus and seek treatment when needed, the community will weather the storm.
