Swine Influenza

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

 

I was involved in a conference call yesterday with the CDC and Department of Education with 1000 other health and education personnel discussing the Swine Influenza and finding out what they are recommending at this point.  There have been confirmed cases in Texas, New York, South Carolina, California and Ohio with identified school closings.  The incubation period is 2 days so a person who is exposed may begin exhibiting symptoms 2 days later.  The symptoms are fever, cough and sore throat.  Other symptoms that may be seen are body aches, headache and nasal congestion.  The influenza can be spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes into the air without covering their mouth or nose and disposing properly of the tissues and not washing their hands. This type of influenza is a Type A Influenza of a specific strain.  The rapid nasal swab test can identify the influenza A and must be further tested to identify the swine version which takes 24 hours.  There are 2 antiviral medications which this influenza is sensitive to and can be used for treatment.  The recommendations were those of normal infection control precaution as follows:

            *Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and then disposing of the tissue properly.

            *Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze.  Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

            *Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth – this is how germs are often spread.

            *Stay home when you are sick.  Including home from public gatherings and doing errands to prevent the spread of illness.

            *Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

            *Practice other good health habits such as getting plenty of sleep, being physically active, managing stress, eating nutritious foods and drinking plenty of fluids.

            I have been in contact with our local health department and we are to be aware and if a person is exhibiting any of the above symptoms I will do a risk assessment and contact the health department.  The websites that they recommended are:

            www.ed.gov

            www.osdfs.safeschl@ed.gov

If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to call.  Thank you for your time.

 

                                                                                    Shirley Biermeier RN BSN