Flu outbreak sparks questions
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A photo of a man sneezing is projected on a screen in front of an audience attending a forum on the swine flu, presented Tuesday in Montpelier by the Vermont Health Department. Stefan Hard/Times Argus |
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By SUSAN ALLEN TIMES ARGUS STAFF - Published: November 4, 2009
MONTPELIER – About 20 people turned out in Montpelier on Tuesday night to learn more about the H1N1 virus, commonly called swine flu, asking about everything from when small schools will receive vaccine to whether the government is putting too much focus on this illness to the neglect of other infectious diseases.
The early spike in H1N1 influenza cases around the nation and the state has surprised health officials. "This is way out of whack," said Christine Finley, deputy commissioner of the Department of Health. Speaking at the last scheduled public Vermont forum on the flu, Finley said seasonal flu typically hits around mid-December, and peaks in January or February.
The first report of widespread H1N1 virus came earlier this year from Georgia, but today only South Carolina and Washington D.C. are not reporting widespread swine flu cases.
"Clearly this is a flu that can spread easily," she said.
Finley told the group that swine flu is a pandemic, a word "that strikes fear in the hearts of people." But, she cautioned, so far this influenza has been relatively mild and healthy people are recovering well from the illness. Unlike seasonal flu, which hits the elderly hardest, swine flu is impacting children and young adults most.
Pregnant women and adults with other serious medical conditions are also at risk from the H1N1 virus.
She said swine flu is spread through sneezing, which can spray the virus up to 6 feet, or on surfaces like handrails or door knobs, where it survives for up to eight hours. It enters the body through the nose, mouth or eyes, moving into the respiratory tract.
The symptoms include coughing and fever or sore throat and fever, vomiting or diarrhea in many cases, headache, tiredness, weakness, and body and muscle aches. Finley said often a cough will go away, but return. People are most contagious when they have a fever, although they can also be contagious a day before they develop symptoms.
Treatment is not unlike seasonal flu, she said. That includes getting rest and plenty of fluids, and taking something to reduce the fever. Finley said people should consult a doctor if they have severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, children turning blue or showing discoloration, dehydration from vomiting, dizziness, or seizures.
The Vermont Health Department on Tuesday began the first of 37 public vaccination clinics outside of the school setting for people at high risk of H1N1. A clinic, which is co-sponsored by Central Vermont Home Health and Hospice, is scheduled in Montpelier for Nov. 23 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the high school auditorium. A Barre clinic is set for Nov. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon at the Municipal Auditorium. The vaccinations are free of charge.
Finley said 56,000 doses of vaccine have been administered so far and more are coming every day. She said it's important the vaccine be given to those in high-risk groups first (for more information on this, visit www.healthvermont.gov).
In Middlebury Tuesday, at least 100 people who wanted shots at a flu vaccination clinic were left out in the rain without vaccination. But state and local health officials promised more shots would make their way to the state by the end of the month to meet the growing demand.
H1N1, or swine flu, is "widespread everywhere in Vermont right now," said Brant Goode of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at an emergency preparedness conference in Killington earlier in the day.
And there's no telling how long the flu will last, he said.
Goode, presenting alongside Vermont Health Commissioner Wendy Davis, said anywhere from 180,000 to 300,000 Vermonters will get infected with swine flu according to estimates released in August by PCAST or the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.
In Vermont, anywhere from 60 to 120 deaths are estimated, Goode said.
The Middlebury clinic, conducted by the Addison County Home Health & Hospice at the American Legion, drew people from as far as Montreal to try to get free vaccinations.
So far, larger schools have been prioritized for vaccination clinics. One man attending the Montpelier forum asked about when small schools like Websterville Baptist Christian School would host a clinic, and the answer was probably about mid-December.
She said schools are being advised to remain open in most cases. And businesses are encouraged to make contingency plans for 30 percent of employees to be out sick with the flu.
One woman at the forum who works with young children, but has a family member home with swine flu, wondered if she was putting the children at risk. Finley advised her to take proper precautions to not spread the virus (sneeze or cough into a tissue, for example), and urge children to also takes steps to avoid the flu (wash hands thoroughly, for instance).
Someone else asked about whether people should wear surgical masks for protection. Finley said special masks are recommended for some health care providers, but masks are generally not recommended for the public.
One man asked about whether more could be done to prevent the spread of the illness on public transportation, such as school and transit buses. Finley said the department would work with school and transit officials on that issue.
A man expressed concern that so much of the public health focus as been placed on swine flu when "there are many more important and dangerous health problems out there."
Finley, who had a clear interest in infectious diseases, agreed there are other diseases that deserve attention. But, she added, "If there isn't good communication out there (on swine flu), it can lead to more fear and more confusion."
Rutland Herald reporter Cristina Kumka contributed to this story.