Seattle/King County - Flu Spreading Rapidly Among Children

[thebes]

Swine flu spreading rapidly among children in King County
The so-called "swine flu" is spreading rapidly among school-age children, according to new data from Public Health — Seattle ...
By Sandi Doughton

Seattle Times science reporter


Nearly 70 percent of confirmed cases in King County are in people between ages 5 and 18. Confirmed cases are "only the tip of the iceberg" in terms of the total number of infections, but area emergency rooms are also reporting increasing numbers of sick children, said Public Health spokesman James Apa.

At Lindbergh High School in Renton this week, 300 students were out sick, and large numbers of students were coming to school with flu-like symptoms.

As of Wednesday, there were 335 confirmed cases in King County, 20 of which resulted in hospitalization.

 

[Evelyn]

Re: Seattle/King County - Flu Spreading Rapidly Among Children

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009249747_flu22m.html

Swine flu hitting local schoolkids
The rapid spread of so-called "swine flu" among local school children shows that the virus is not fading away, a top regional health official said Thursday.

By Sandi Doughton

Seattle Times science reporter

Nearly 70 percent of the confirmed cases in King County are in children between the ages of 5 and 18, Duchin told a special meeting of the King County Board of Health.

Confirmed cases are "only the tip of the iceberg" in terms of the total number of infections. Area emergency rooms also are reporting increasing numbers of sick children, he said.

The levels of infection in school-aged children seem to be slightly higher than during a normal flu season, Duchin said. Most of the illnesses are mild, though 11 school-aged children were hospitalized.
The virus is largely sparing people over the age of 60, perhaps because previous exposure to a similar bug conferred some immunity.

 

[The Mountains Voice]

Re: Seattle/King County - Flu Spreading Rapidly Among Children

................

I am increasingly concerned that this is being swept under the rug, and terms like "Mild" are being misused. It's like using "Mild" and "Cancer" in the same sentence. Just because everyone doesn't die from cancer doesn't mean we start reffering to those as "Mild" cases of cancer. It's a matter of symantics. But it matters. The authorities are playing Russian Roullette with our children's lives at this point. Thank God schools out this week. Now all we have to worry about is Summer Camp issues

 

[wotan]

Re: Seattle/King County - Flu Spreading Rapidly Among Children

At least some schools in Texas still have a couple of weeks left.

 

[hornblower]

Re: Seattle/King County - Flu Spreading Rapidly Among Children

Public schools in Seattle don't break for the summer until June 19.

 

[HenryN]

Re: Seattle/King County - Flu Spreading Rapidly Among Children

King county cases

http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthser...th/documents/pandemicflu/H1N1Cases090521.ashx

 

[SonicHappyHourAddict]

Re: Seattle/King County - Flu Spreading Rapidly Among Children

http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthser...h/documents/pandemicflu/EnglishComicbook.ashx
Comic book on 1918 flu pandemic

King County Health Reform Initiative
Presents a Special Pandemic Flu Issue VOL. 2, NO. 9 SEPTEMBER 2006
www.metrokc.gov/health/pandemicflu
If we
have a pandemic similar to the
?Spanish influenza? pandemic of
1918, 540,000 people in King County
could become ill in the first six weeks.
Pandemic Influenza: Not Your Ordinary Flu
By: Ron Sims, Executive, King County and Dorothy Teeter, Interim Director and Health Officer, Public Health ? Seattle & King County
Out of that number, experts estimate
that 270,000 would need outpatient
care, over 59,000 would need hospitalization,
and 11,500 would die.
Everyday life won?t be the
same during a pandemic. To slow
the spread of infection, schools may
close and public gatherings may be
canceled.With so many people ill, caring
for the ill, or staying home with
their children, the U.S. workforce may
be reduced by as much as forty percent.
Services provided by businesses,
banks, government offices, and public
utilities may be limited. Transportation
may be restricted, affecting
the delivery of food, fuel, and other
essentials to stores and retailers.
And unlike other catastrophic events,
pandemic flu will hit communities all
over the world at the same time.
Workers in downtown Seattle during the 1918
influenza pandemic.
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, SOC306.
http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthser...uments/pandemicflu/health_matters_panflu.ashx

 

[Evelyn]

Re: Seattle/King County - Flu Spreading Rapidly Among Children

Over the last couple of days, I've noticed an apparent increase in flulike symptoms in King County bus passengers. This is the first time I've noticed anything like it since the virus came to public attention; despite the flu activity in schools, I never heard an unusual level of sneezing, coughing, and sniffling on the bus routes I travel. Yesterday and today that's changed. During my bus ride tonight, someone far in the back sneezed on average every 30 seconds for 10 to 15 minutes (really), while the person in the seat ahead of me seemed to have a runny nose and I heard a cough from across the aisle. I hope this is pure coincidence. Interesting to note how differently the sound of a sneeze affects me now than it did a few months back.

 

[hornblower]

Re: Seattle/King County - Flu Spreading Rapidly Among Children

There's something in Vancouver, BC too. Dh's office has a bunch of people out with sore throat, cough, runny nose.

BUT I'm wondering if it's parainfluenza - second most common cause of the common cold. The cdn respiratory virus surveillance showed an increase in parainfluenza detections this week.