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<mcc byline1="">By Adam D. Young | </mcc> <mcc byline2="">AVALANCHE-JOURNAL</mcc>
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Story last updated at 9/13/2009 - 2:11 am
More than 100 cases of flu reported at University Medical Center in Lubbock this season are believed to be the H1N1 virus strain that emerged this spring, a hospital official said.
The cases have not been confirmed as the H1N1 virus - also known as swine flu - said UMC Vice President Greg Bruce.
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"But the assumption is if you're testing positive for flu, it is H1N1 because it's so early in the season," he said.
Two more young-adult patients were confirmed to have the flu Saturday at UMC, Bruce said.
Six students at Texas Tech also were diagnosed with the flu in the last several days, university spokeswoman Sally Post said. Post said the university won't know if the flu cases are of the H1N1 strain because health officials are not testing to identify the virus.
Post said she didn't know if the six infected students live on or off the Tech campus. She said the university is not alarmed by the recent cases.
"We deal with flu every flu season," she said.
Post said the university did request about 35,000 vaccinations for the H1N1 virus for the Tech community, but did not know when they would be on campus. Bruce said the H1N1 vaccine could be available by the middle of October.
Along with the H1N1 virus, Bruce said people need to take precautions against the seasonal flu, which kills more than 30,000 people in the United States every year.
There have been 15 confirmed cases of seasonal flu in children at Covenant Health Systems, spokeswoman Michelle Stephens said. She said Covenant doesn't monitor cases of H1N1 virus; the Centers for Disease Control guidelines do not call for hospitals to do so because symptoms of the H1N1 and seasonal viruses are identical. She said the H1N1 virus is no more fatal than its seasonal counterpart.
Stephens said everyone should get flu shots to prevent their chances of contracting the flu.
Bruce said hand washing is the number one way to avoid catching or spreading the flu. He also recommended people with the flu limit their social contact until their flu symptoms have disappeared for 24 hours.
He said UMC launched a new Web site, www.ducktheflu.com, to provide local information about vaccines as well as tips to avoid the flu.
http://lubbockonline.com/stories/091309/loc_492670211.shtml
map: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Lubbo...XbBg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Story last updated at 9/13/2009 - 2:11 am
More than 100 cases of flu reported at University Medical Center in Lubbock this season are believed to be the H1N1 virus strain that emerged this spring, a hospital official said.
The cases have not been confirmed as the H1N1 virus - also known as swine flu - said UMC Vice President Greg Bruce.
<!------ OAS AD begin ------> <script language="JavaScript"> OAS_AD('Position3'); </script> <!------ OAS AD end ------>
"But the assumption is if you're testing positive for flu, it is H1N1 because it's so early in the season," he said.
Two more young-adult patients were confirmed to have the flu Saturday at UMC, Bruce said.
Six students at Texas Tech also were diagnosed with the flu in the last several days, university spokeswoman Sally Post said. Post said the university won't know if the flu cases are of the H1N1 strain because health officials are not testing to identify the virus.
Post said she didn't know if the six infected students live on or off the Tech campus. She said the university is not alarmed by the recent cases.
"We deal with flu every flu season," she said.
Post said the university did request about 35,000 vaccinations for the H1N1 virus for the Tech community, but did not know when they would be on campus. Bruce said the H1N1 vaccine could be available by the middle of October.
Along with the H1N1 virus, Bruce said people need to take precautions against the seasonal flu, which kills more than 30,000 people in the United States every year.
There have been 15 confirmed cases of seasonal flu in children at Covenant Health Systems, spokeswoman Michelle Stephens said. She said Covenant doesn't monitor cases of H1N1 virus; the Centers for Disease Control guidelines do not call for hospitals to do so because symptoms of the H1N1 and seasonal viruses are identical. She said the H1N1 virus is no more fatal than its seasonal counterpart.
Stephens said everyone should get flu shots to prevent their chances of contracting the flu.
Bruce said hand washing is the number one way to avoid catching or spreading the flu. He also recommended people with the flu limit their social contact until their flu symptoms have disappeared for 24 hours.
He said UMC launched a new Web site, www.ducktheflu.com, to provide local information about vaccines as well as tips to avoid the flu.
http://lubbockonline.com/stories/091309/loc_492670211.shtml
map: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Lubbo...XbBg&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=image&resnum=1