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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
H1N1 claims fourth victim Flu's repercussions shocking
H1N1 has caused pregnant women to spontaneously abort fetus
By: Carol Sanders
27/06/2009 1:00 AM
Everyone has been warned to wash their hands to prevent the spread of H1N1 virus. But few people have seen the horrifying fallout that can result when the virus does spread.
Imagine infecting a pregnant woman who gets so sick from H1N1 that she loses her baby, or a youth who ends up with a tube down his throat in the ICU for so long that his muscles start to waste away.
This flu is different because of its severity and because of who is being hit the hardest, Winnipeg health experts say.
"When young people start to get the flu and young pregnant females start to lose their babies with the flu, it grabs people's attention because it's out of sync with normal flu season," said Dr. Perry Gray, chief medical officer at Health Sciences Centre.
"Women who have been confirmed with H1N1 have lost their babies because they are sick," said Gray. "It's an odd flu and it's... out of sync with every flu season."
This week, two patients at Deer Lodge Centre tested positive for H1N1, but neither was elderly -- the flu's usual victims. They are chronic-care patients in their 40s and their 60s, said Deer Lodge chief operating officer Real Cloutier.
At HSC, Gray said, he knows of at least three women affected at different stages of pregnancy.
"There seems to be a higher incidence of spontaneous abortion," said Gray, who noted that not all women sick with H1N1 virus have lost their babies, and not all of those who did had confirmed H1N1 flu.
"There's a higher risk of severe infections in pregnancy," said Dr. Brian Postl, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority CEO.
Manitoba's chief medical officer of health said officials are watching the situation but there's no reason for alarm.
Dr. Joel Kettner said that there have been official reports of two pregnant women with severe flu who ended up in the intensive-care unit.
"At any one time in Manitoba, there are 10,000 pregnant women," Kettner said. "Does this represent a higher rate of significance? We don't have evidence that that's the case."
Those getting severely ill from the flu are under 65, and most pregnant women are between the ages of 15 and 40, he said.
"We also know the pregnancy rate among aboriginal people is higher than non-aboriginal people." Aboriginal people have a higher incidence of underlying illness and other risk factors that make them more vulnerable to severe illness with the flu.
"It's always a challenge to figure out cause and effect," Kettner said.
The message for pregnant women is to follow the usual guidelines for staying healthy during pregnancy and the usual flu-prevention guidelines to reduce their risk of exposure and transmission.
If they have a cold with a cough and a fever ,then develop a shortness of breath or pneumonia-like symptoms, they should contact their health-care provider, he said.
Some of the warning signs are worsening chest pain, dehydration and weakness.
Postl said if WRHA staff members are pregnant, they're prepared to assign them to other work away from the H1N1 patients.
However, hospital staff wearing protective gear with gloves, masks and goggles at work are probably safer than they are out in public at shopping malls and sporting events where the virus is spread.
Outside the hospitals, however, "we all share the same risk," Postl said. "It's almost impossible to contain."
The health authority has looked at giving Tamiflu to staff to prevent the illness, he said.
"It's not all that clear it works," said Postl, who works in Easterville and Grand Rapids three to five days, four times year. He hasn't taken Tamiflu.
There have been "clusters" of influenza-like illness at different WRHA sites, but Postl couldn't say how many employees have tested positive for H1N1. Not everyone who gets the flu gets really sick or tested, he said.
"We've tried to contain the number of tests to the sickest," Postl said.
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
H1N1 claims fourth victim Flu's repercussions shocking
H1N1 has caused pregnant women to spontaneously abort fetus
By: Carol Sanders
27/06/2009 1:00 AM
Everyone has been warned to wash their hands to prevent the spread of H1N1 virus. But few people have seen the horrifying fallout that can result when the virus does spread.
Imagine infecting a pregnant woman who gets so sick from H1N1 that she loses her baby, or a youth who ends up with a tube down his throat in the ICU for so long that his muscles start to waste away.
This flu is different because of its severity and because of who is being hit the hardest, Winnipeg health experts say.
"When young people start to get the flu and young pregnant females start to lose their babies with the flu, it grabs people's attention because it's out of sync with normal flu season," said Dr. Perry Gray, chief medical officer at Health Sciences Centre.
"Women who have been confirmed with H1N1 have lost their babies because they are sick," said Gray. "It's an odd flu and it's... out of sync with every flu season."
This week, two patients at Deer Lodge Centre tested positive for H1N1, but neither was elderly -- the flu's usual victims. They are chronic-care patients in their 40s and their 60s, said Deer Lodge chief operating officer Real Cloutier.
At HSC, Gray said, he knows of at least three women affected at different stages of pregnancy.
"There seems to be a higher incidence of spontaneous abortion," said Gray, who noted that not all women sick with H1N1 virus have lost their babies, and not all of those who did had confirmed H1N1 flu.
"There's a higher risk of severe infections in pregnancy," said Dr. Brian Postl, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority CEO.
Manitoba's chief medical officer of health said officials are watching the situation but there's no reason for alarm.
Dr. Joel Kettner said that there have been official reports of two pregnant women with severe flu who ended up in the intensive-care unit.
"At any one time in Manitoba, there are 10,000 pregnant women," Kettner said. "Does this represent a higher rate of significance? We don't have evidence that that's the case."
Those getting severely ill from the flu are under 65, and most pregnant women are between the ages of 15 and 40, he said.
"We also know the pregnancy rate among aboriginal people is higher than non-aboriginal people." Aboriginal people have a higher incidence of underlying illness and other risk factors that make them more vulnerable to severe illness with the flu.
"It's always a challenge to figure out cause and effect," Kettner said.
The message for pregnant women is to follow the usual guidelines for staying healthy during pregnancy and the usual flu-prevention guidelines to reduce their risk of exposure and transmission.
If they have a cold with a cough and a fever ,then develop a shortness of breath or pneumonia-like symptoms, they should contact their health-care provider, he said.
Some of the warning signs are worsening chest pain, dehydration and weakness.
Postl said if WRHA staff members are pregnant, they're prepared to assign them to other work away from the H1N1 patients.
However, hospital staff wearing protective gear with gloves, masks and goggles at work are probably safer than they are out in public at shopping malls and sporting events where the virus is spread.
Outside the hospitals, however, "we all share the same risk," Postl said. "It's almost impossible to contain."
The health authority has looked at giving Tamiflu to staff to prevent the illness, he said.
"It's not all that clear it works," said Postl, who works in Easterville and Grand Rapids three to five days, four times year. He hasn't taken Tamiflu.
There have been "clusters" of influenza-like illness at different WRHA sites, but Postl couldn't say how many employees have tested positive for H1N1. Not everyone who gets the flu gets really sick or tested, he said.
"We've tried to contain the number of tests to the sickest," Postl said.
carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca