vt.mathgirl
Well-known member
This article from today's Rutland Herald. I'm so glad the fear has subsided. NOT!
Article published Aug 8, 2009
Officials advise caution with flu
By Josh O'Gorman STAFF WRITER
Experts are anticipating more cases this fall and winter of the H1N1 "swine flu" but say school closings will likely not be necessary.
Friday morning, the secretaries of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security and Education, and the director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention held a live Web briefing to update state, local and school officials on measures to prevent the spread of the H1N1 and other influenza viruses this fall and winter flu season.
Since the first confirmed case April 15, the H1N1 virus has sent 6,506 people to the hospital and resulted in 436 deaths in the United States. June 11, the World Health Organization declared the H1N1 a pandemic. In Vermont, there have been 66 confirmed cases, with three people hospitalized and no deaths.
The late-spring emergence of the virus was itself unusual and mirrors the emergence of the Spanish Flu virus in 1918, which eventually killed between 20 million and 50 million people worldwide, according to the CDC.
"In both cases, it spread in the spring and summer because it is a new virus and nobody is immune to it yet," said Dr. Patsy Kelso, state epidemiologist for infectious disease for the Department of Health. "It's certainly possible that we'll see higher numbers of H1N1 this fall and winter than we saw in the spring."
Kelso said flu viruses spread more easily during the fall and winter for the simple reason that people are more likely to be indoors and in closer proximity to each other.
The CDC's recommendations offered Friday are nothing new: wash your hands, cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough and stay home when you're sick. However, the CDC did offer suggestions of how to apply theses principles to schools.
Schools should provide time for students to wash their hands and make tissues readily available for students and staff. Schools should create separate areas for children who exhibit flu symptoms and those with the flu should stay home, as should their siblings, according to the CDC. The CDC also recommends changing classroom desk configurations to provide more room between children.
"We're certainly going to take the advice. It's a very balanced and comprehensive approach," said Rutland City Public Schools Superintendent Mary Moran. Two students at Rutland High School were diagnosed with H1N1 virus in late May.
While Moran declined to discuss how her schools would implement specific facets of the CDC's strategy, she said she would discuss the guidelines with her nursing staff during an upcoming retreat.
Montpelier City Fire Chief and Health Officer Gesualdo Schneider said the initial fear of the H1N1 virus seems to have subsided.
"There was a higher level early on because people didn't seem to know a whole lot more about it," Schneider said. "But, everyone's in kind of a holding pattern to see when the vaccinations come out and who should get them."
Kelso said CDC has not set a date for when a H1N1 vaccine will be released but she expects it to be available in the fall. While the CDC recommends children 6 months to 19 years old get the H1N1 vaccine, Kelso said everyone should get vaccinated against the seasonal flu, which kills about 30,000 Americans annually.
"Everybody of every age should get a seasonal flu shot," Kelso said, excluding babies younger than 6 months old. "There's the possibility that the H1N1 virus could mix with the seasonal flu virus and create a new strain of virus."
According to the CDC "? the consequences of dismissing students from schools outweigh the likely benefits in most circumstances." Kelso said the decision to close a school would be made locally in consultation with the Department of Health.
josh.ogorman@rutlandherald.com
Article published Aug 8, 2009
Officials advise caution with flu
By Josh O'Gorman STAFF WRITER
Experts are anticipating more cases this fall and winter of the H1N1 "swine flu" but say school closings will likely not be necessary.
Friday morning, the secretaries of Health and Human Services and Homeland Security and Education, and the director of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention held a live Web briefing to update state, local and school officials on measures to prevent the spread of the H1N1 and other influenza viruses this fall and winter flu season.
Since the first confirmed case April 15, the H1N1 virus has sent 6,506 people to the hospital and resulted in 436 deaths in the United States. June 11, the World Health Organization declared the H1N1 a pandemic. In Vermont, there have been 66 confirmed cases, with three people hospitalized and no deaths.
The late-spring emergence of the virus was itself unusual and mirrors the emergence of the Spanish Flu virus in 1918, which eventually killed between 20 million and 50 million people worldwide, according to the CDC.
"In both cases, it spread in the spring and summer because it is a new virus and nobody is immune to it yet," said Dr. Patsy Kelso, state epidemiologist for infectious disease for the Department of Health. "It's certainly possible that we'll see higher numbers of H1N1 this fall and winter than we saw in the spring."
Kelso said flu viruses spread more easily during the fall and winter for the simple reason that people are more likely to be indoors and in closer proximity to each other.
The CDC's recommendations offered Friday are nothing new: wash your hands, cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough and stay home when you're sick. However, the CDC did offer suggestions of how to apply theses principles to schools.
Schools should provide time for students to wash their hands and make tissues readily available for students and staff. Schools should create separate areas for children who exhibit flu symptoms and those with the flu should stay home, as should their siblings, according to the CDC. The CDC also recommends changing classroom desk configurations to provide more room between children.
"We're certainly going to take the advice. It's a very balanced and comprehensive approach," said Rutland City Public Schools Superintendent Mary Moran. Two students at Rutland High School were diagnosed with H1N1 virus in late May.
While Moran declined to discuss how her schools would implement specific facets of the CDC's strategy, she said she would discuss the guidelines with her nursing staff during an upcoming retreat.
Montpelier City Fire Chief and Health Officer Gesualdo Schneider said the initial fear of the H1N1 virus seems to have subsided.
"There was a higher level early on because people didn't seem to know a whole lot more about it," Schneider said. "But, everyone's in kind of a holding pattern to see when the vaccinations come out and who should get them."
Kelso said CDC has not set a date for when a H1N1 vaccine will be released but she expects it to be available in the fall. While the CDC recommends children 6 months to 19 years old get the H1N1 vaccine, Kelso said everyone should get vaccinated against the seasonal flu, which kills about 30,000 Americans annually.
"Everybody of every age should get a seasonal flu shot," Kelso said, excluding babies younger than 6 months old. "There's the possibility that the H1N1 virus could mix with the seasonal flu virus and create a new strain of virus."
According to the CDC "? the consequences of dismissing students from schools outweigh the likely benefits in most circumstances." Kelso said the decision to close a school would be made locally in consultation with the Department of Health.
josh.ogorman@rutlandherald.com
