Health officials: RI seeing more cases of H1N1

[JimO]

Source: http://www2.turnto10.com/jar/lifesty...of_h1n1/25850/

Health officials: RI seeing more cases of H1N1

Second Wave Of Swine Flu
Health officials in Rhode Island say the number of confirmed cases of H1N1 flu is on the upswing.
NBC 10 News
Published: October 27, 2009

PROVIDENCE—State health officials said Tuesday that the second wave of the H1N1 flu pandemic has arrived in Rhode Island.

Swine flu was at the top of the agenda at the monthly meeting of the state Emergency Management Advisory Council.

Dr. Robert Crausman, the Department of Health’s incident commander for swine flu, updated the council about the number of cases of swine flu and what’s being done to address the public’s concerns.

Crausman said the number of confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in Rhode Island is on the upswing.

“Up until two weeks ago, we were seeing maybe five or six cases per week confirmed of H1N1. In terms of our confirmed cases, that’s now up around 50 or 60 in the last 10 days,“ Crausman said.

“We only test a subset of patients. But what were finding is those patients presenting now with flulike illness have H1N1, and we’re seeing flulike illness increased in all the schools and at all of the emergency rooms, and at all of our sentinel sites where we have primary care doctors,“ he said.

Crausman said Rhode Island has received thousands of doses of H1N1 vaccine. He said the state is confident that it has enough vaccine for the first two weeks of school clinics, which are set to begin next week.

After that, Crausman said the Health Department will assess the supply and adjust the school clinic schedule accordingly.

Crausman said since the spring, there have been only three confirmed deaths related to H1N1 in Rhode Island. Since Sept. 1, there have been no confirmed deaths, he said.

[Commonground]

Re: Health officials: RI seeing more cases of H1N1

With increase in H1N1, state stops tests, gears up for clinics
October 28, 2009

With a dramatic up tick in H1N1 flu in schools across the state, although cases in Warwick don?t appear to be that prevalent, the Rhode Island Department of Health (HEALTH) has ceased testing for the virus.

Dr. David Gifford, HEALTH director, said yesterday that with 50 percent of flu-like cases being H1N1 or the swine flu, the department is no longer conducting the tests that can take up to three days to process. Rather, he explained, the assumption is that children with a fever, cough and aches have the swine flu. He said that last week more than 50 schools reported cases of flu-like conditions and of that number a ?handful? of schools were reporting that 20 to 30 percent of their enrollment had the flu.

Richard D?Agostino, director of special services for Warwick schools said that absenteeism at one high school, which he did not identify, was about 15 percent last week. Absenteeism at elementary schools was less at about 10 percent, he said.

While schools are seeing flu-like symptoms, D?Agostino said the department does not have a single case of lab-documented swine flu although they assume that is the case.

Gifford said there is also a ?quick test,? which is ?not perfect? and does not distinguish between the seasonal and swine flu. However, because the department is seeing virtually no cases of children with seasonal flu the assumption is that it is the swine flu. In the past week the department has also witnessed a spike in hospitalized H1N1 cases. Gifford reported 20 persons are hospitalized with the flu. He said there have been reported deaths from the flu since last spring.

James Beardsworth, spokesman for Kent Hospital, said there has not been a patient hospitalized with H1N1 at Kent since April.

If there?s anything certain about the H1N1 other than it is here and affecting the younger population, is that the first of vaccination clinics is scheduled to start Nov. 4. Clinics will be held at two Warwick schools on that date: Lippitt and Warwick Neck.

Gifford said that HEALTH has the vaccine to conduct clinics on that date, however, he couldn?t say with certainty whether there would be sufficient doses to continue from there. The tentative schedule would have all Warwick schools completed by Dec. 14.

Will the vaccine arrive in time to thwart a widespread outbreak of N1H1?

?I?m hoping so,? Gifford responded

One of those who had the flu is the daughter of Karen Hunter, a sixth grade student at Oakland Beach School.

Hunter said her daughter had a sore throat, cough and headache last Wednesday. She visited the school nurse, but because she didn?t have a fever, returned to class.

The following day, Hunter said her daughter developed a fever and she took her to her pediatrician where a quick test determined she had H1N1. She was prescribed Tamiflu.

Hunter, who works for a day care facility, said that she was concerned that the school knew of her daughter?s case and informed them. But when she inquired the incidents of H1N1 at the school she was told there were no known cases.

?I think parents should be aware of what?s happening at the school,? she said yesterday. Her daughter returned to the school yesterday after being fever free for 24 hours.

School Principal Kathy Adams affirmed Hunter?s statement, saying, ?we have no confirmed cases here.? Confirmed cases are ones where the school has the diagnosis of a physician.

Nonetheless, Adams is pushing for parents to return consent forms mailed out by HEALTH. So far, she said, only about 20 parents have returned forms and she is considering duplicating the form and sending it with a cover letter to parent who haven?t responded.

If children miss the school?s clinic, which is now scheduled for Dec. 8, Adams said, ?Then they are going to have to wait for a public clinic.? Elementary school clinics are to be held during the evening hours so an adult can accompany children. Middle and high school clinics are to be held during the school day.

The consent form must be completed and returned to the school prior to the clinic. No vaccination will be given to a student without a consent form. To download a consent form in English or Spanish, visit http://www.health.ri.gov/flu/about/schoolh1n1clinics/.

The vaccinations are free and considered perfectly safe, said Gifford.

Yet, given the experience in Maine and Vermont, Gifford expects 80 percent of the school populace will get the vaccination.

He urged even those children who had had H1N1 to get the vaccination, as there could be a second wave of the flu early next year or in the spring.

Apart from the issue of adequate supplies of vaccine, Gifford said the state is well prepared to conduct the clinics.

?This is a big effort. Everyone has stepped up,? he said. Gifford said a core team of 20 has been training volunteers and setting up the organization in order to run the clinics. He said 1,400 have volunteered to assist and called the plan ?flexible? so as to adapt to situations such as increased or decreased levels of vaccination.

In a statement issued Friday, ?Our goal remains to vaccinate as many school-aged children as possible in the shortest period of time,? said Gifford.

?School-based clinics are the most efficient and effective way to achieve this goal. We encourage all parents to have their children vaccinated in school. If parents decline to have their children vaccinated in school, they should be aware that pediatricians will not have H1N1 vaccine for school-aged children until late December or after the New Year.?

D?Agostino said the department would use its connect-ed phone system Monday night to remind parents of the consent form and to obtain one from the school nurse or download it if needed.

Preschool-aged children, including children in pre-K and private kindergartens, will get vaccinated in physician offices, not in school clinics.

The scheduled of Warwick clinics released yesterday by HEALTH are:

Nov. 4

Lippitt School and Warwick Neck School

Nov 5

John Wickes and Park Schools

Nov. 6

Sherman School

Nov. 9

St. Rose of Lima School and First Baptist Christian School

Nov. 12

John Brown Francis School

Nov. 16

St. Kevin School

Nov. 18

Pilgrim High School

Nov. 19

Aldrich Junior High School

Nov. 20

Wyman, Cedar Hill, Gorton Junior High, Toll Gate High, and Overbrook Academy

Nov. 23

Robertson, Randall Holden, and Holliman Schools

Nov. 24

Greenwood School

Dec. 2

St. Peter School

Dec. 4

Bishop Hendricken High School

Dec.8

Oakland Beach Elementary School, Vets High, West Bay Collaborative and Apponaug Christian Academy

Dec. 9

Norwood School and Winman Junior High

Dec. 10

Harold F. Scott School, Hoxsie and the Transition Academy

Dec. 14

Eleanor Briggs School

To view the school clinic schedule, visit www.health.ri.gov/flu/about/schoolh1n1clinics/. For a list of frequently asked questions, visit https://www.health.ri.gov/news/H1N1A...ndSchedule.pdf.

http://www.warwickonline.com/pages/full_story_news/push?article-With+increase+in+H1N1-+state+stops+tests-+gears+up+for+clinics%20&id=4159681-With+increase+in+H1N1-+state+stops+tests-+gears+up+for+clinics&instance=home_news_2nd_left