Tweet
Flu stops good times at camp
Published: July 21, 2009 4:00 PM
Updated: July 21, 2009 4:21 PM
Campers were turned away from the Canadian Cancer Society?s Camp Goodtimes in Maple Ridge last week after a volunteer and camper were found to have the H1N1 flu virus, also known as swine flu.
The camp, located at Loon Lake, hosts children with cancer and their families, and that makes any outbreak especially dangerous, said camp manager Dave McKenzie.
?Any influenza is dangerous for someone with a suppressed immune system,? he said. ?But there are a lot of unknowns with this virus, and that makes us more cautious.?
The camp turned away close to 125 campers, family members, and volunteers last week so staff could thoroughly clean the premises.
The camp has a medical staff of doctors and nurses on hand around the clock who have been co-ordinating efforts to fight the virus.
Both people diagnosed with the H1N1 flu virus are recovering, and no new cases have been reported at the camp. It was the first time in 25 years the camp has had to close because of an outbreak of illness.
?We?ve always had very stringent infection control policies,? said McKenzie. ?The timing of this outbreak is unusual, we normally don?t see this sort of thing in the summer.?
Campers returned to Camp Goodtimes this week, but only after going through a thorough screening process.
Anyone exhibiting just one of a long list of possible H1N1 symptoms was told they could not attend the camp.
McKenzie estimated close to 10 people were turned away.
?Our chief concern is the safety of our participants,? he said.
Should a suspected case be found, that person would be isolated from the general camp population until they can be taken to the hospital and tested.
?We are keeping a very vigilant watch on the situation,? said McKenzie. ?We?ll close immediately if necessary.?
The provincial government recently issued a list of guidelines for summer camps to prevent and deal with an H1N1 outbreak.
?While this particular virus normally doesn?t make children more ill than the usual seasonal flu virus, we are taking extra precautions to ensure everyone is well-informed to help lessen the spread amongst summer campers,? Dr. Perry Kendall, B.C.?s provincial health officer, said in a press release Friday.
Craig Douglas is the executive director of Timberline Ranch summer camp, at the end of 224th Street in Maple Ridge, and staff there are stopping all campers, as well as their family members at the camp?s front gates to check for symptoms.
?We don?t even have them come on the property until they?ve been screened,? he said.
Timberline has not had any cases of H1N1, and like camps across the province, is following the province?s guidelines by setting up hand-sanitizing stations throughout the camp, increasing cleaning efforts, and having campers sleeping in bunk beds to lie head-to-toe.
?We?ve been very fortunate we haven?t had any problems,? said Douglas.
According to Health Canada, there have been more than 10,000 labratory-confirmed cases H1N1 virus in Canada since the outbreak began in April, with 45 deaths nationwide.
Health Canada estimates that between 10 and 25 per cent of the Canadian population contracts the common seasonal flu annually, with 4,000 to 8,000 dying from the flu and flu-related pneumonia, the vast majority being elderly or having compromised immune systems.
Fighting flu
Tips to fight H1NI, or swine flu:
? wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water, or use hand sanitizer;
? cough and sneeze in your arm or sleeve;
? keep doing what you normally do, but stay home if sick;
? check www.fightflu.ca ? link opens in a new browser window for more information;
? check www.voyage.gc.ca ? link opens in a new browser window for travel notices and advisories;
? talk to a health professional if you experience severe flu-like symptoms.
Source: Health Canada