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<TABLE width="100%"><TBODY><TR><TD><!-- end news story header -->Emory Avoids Spike in H1N1 Virus
By Molly Davis Posted: 04/05/2010
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Although the state of Georgia has had the most swine flu hospitalizations in the United States for three weeks in a row, according to federal officials cited by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Emory has not experienced a spike in cases.
This is despite predictions from Student Health Services officials that the return of students would herald an increase in H1N1 incidents.
Michael Huey, executive director of Student Health Services, said there were 12 cases of influenza-like illnesses the week after spring break, which represented the largest number of such cases since November. However, these were not all documented H1N1 cases, he explained.
Huey added that the number of influenza-like illnesses detected following spring break is not at all comparable to the outbreak during orientation week in the fall when 300 students were diagnosed with presumptive cases of the H1N1 virus.
?It appears we are doing better than the state,? Huey said.
The lack of an extreme increase in presumptive H1N1 cases may be due to the availability of the vaccine on campus, Huey said. The H1N1 vaccine, in addition to the seasonal flu vaccine, are still available at Emory and Huey said he encourages people who have not received the vaccine to make sure to do so.
The shots are free for students on the Emory Student Health Insurance Plan with a Student ID and an Aetna Student Health Insurance card.
Students, faculty and staff who are not insured by Emory must pay a $10 H1N1 vaccine administration fee.
According to the aforementioned Atlanta Journal Constitution report, the majority of H1N1-related hospitalizations during the past few weeks in Georgia have been adults with underlying conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
Huey explained Student Health Services predicted a rise in the amount of presumptive H1N1 cases this spring because students traveled throughout the country and internationally during spring break and could have brought the illness back.
?We expected there to be a surge after spring break even though it is out of the normal flu season since it hasn?t been a normal flu year in any way,? Huey said. ?We feel lucky we didn?t get a big burst of it right after spring break.?
http://www.emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=28298
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By Molly Davis Posted: 04/05/2010
</TD></TR><TR><TD><!-- start news story content -->
Although the state of Georgia has had the most swine flu hospitalizations in the United States for three weeks in a row, according to federal officials cited by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, Emory has not experienced a spike in cases.
This is despite predictions from Student Health Services officials that the return of students would herald an increase in H1N1 incidents.
Michael Huey, executive director of Student Health Services, said there were 12 cases of influenza-like illnesses the week after spring break, which represented the largest number of such cases since November. However, these were not all documented H1N1 cases, he explained.
Huey added that the number of influenza-like illnesses detected following spring break is not at all comparable to the outbreak during orientation week in the fall when 300 students were diagnosed with presumptive cases of the H1N1 virus.
?It appears we are doing better than the state,? Huey said.
The lack of an extreme increase in presumptive H1N1 cases may be due to the availability of the vaccine on campus, Huey said. The H1N1 vaccine, in addition to the seasonal flu vaccine, are still available at Emory and Huey said he encourages people who have not received the vaccine to make sure to do so.
The shots are free for students on the Emory Student Health Insurance Plan with a Student ID and an Aetna Student Health Insurance card.
Students, faculty and staff who are not insured by Emory must pay a $10 H1N1 vaccine administration fee.
According to the aforementioned Atlanta Journal Constitution report, the majority of H1N1-related hospitalizations during the past few weeks in Georgia have been adults with underlying conditions such as heart disease and diabetes.
Huey explained Student Health Services predicted a rise in the amount of presumptive H1N1 cases this spring because students traveled throughout the country and internationally during spring break and could have brought the illness back.
?We expected there to be a surge after spring break even though it is out of the normal flu season since it hasn?t been a normal flu year in any way,? Huey said. ?We feel lucky we didn?t get a big burst of it right after spring break.?
http://www.emorywheel.com/detail.php?n=28298
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