Blog Archive for September, 2009
Prisons chief concerned about swine flu
By Mannix Porterfield
September 14, 2009
register-herald.com
No one has been stricken yet, but Corrections Commissioner Jim Rubenstein says the prospect of a swine flu outbreak behind prison walls is a concern in West Virginia.
Monday, Rubenstein advised the Legislative Oversight Committee on Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority what steps he is taking regarding the swine flu that is sweeping the nation.
“We do have plans in place,” Rubenstein assured the panel.
Hand-Washing Won’t Stop H1N1
By J. Lester Feder
September 15, 2009
newsweek.com
In a speech to schoolchildren last week that had some conservative opponents up in arms, President Obama delivered at least one line that seemed incontestable: “I hope you’ll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don’t feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.” The Disney corporation is now marketing Musical Hand Wash Timers featuring characters like the Little Mermaid, and encouraging parents to “take precaution against swine flu” by teaching children to wash their hands correctly. “Studies prove that regular hand-washing dramatically reduces the spread of infection,” says the Disney Web page, which links to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web site.
Thanks in part to this and other campaigns run by the CDC, it has become conventional wisdom that hand-washing is the best way to protect yourself from the H1N1 strain of influenza. But while hand-washing has been shown to be a great defense against the common cold and other respiratory diseases, it might not actually be that helpful against the influenza virus, including the H1N1 strain.
Studies: Swine flu spreads long after fever stops
By Marilynn Marchione
September 15, 2009
ems1.com
SAN FRANCISCO — When the coughing stops is probably a better sign of when a swine flu patient is no longer contagious, experts said after seeing new research that suggests the virus can still spread many days after a fever goes away.
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been telling people to stay home from work and school and avoid contact with others until a day after their fever breaks. The new research suggests they may need to be careful for longer — especially at home where the risk of spreading the germ is highest.
Swine flu also appears to be contagious longer than ordinary seasonal flu, several experts said.
Swine Flu Deaths Show this Flu is Different
Reuters
September 15, 2009
msnbc.com
WASHINGTON - Autopsies on people who have died from the new pandemic H1N1 flu show this virus is different from seasonal influenza, even if it has not yet caused more deaths, experts told a meeting on Tuesday.
Americans who died from swine flu had infections deep in their lungs, Dr. Sherif Zaki of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told a meeting of flu experts, including damage to the alveoli — the structures in the lung that deliver oxygen to the blood.
This in turn caused what is known as acute respiratory distress syndrome — an often fatal development that leaves patients gasping for breath.
Flu spreading fast, nearly all swine variety
Associated Press
updated 3:42 p.m. ET Sept. 11, 2009
msnbc.com
WASHINGTON - Influenza is circulating unusually early this year with cases in all 50 states — nearly all the swine flu variety, government health officials said Friday.
The highest concentration of flu cases is in the Southeast and a few other states, Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said at a briefing.
The good news is that testing of vaccines for swine flu show that they work with a single dose and take effect rapidly.
Free Hand Sanitizers Given out to Reduce Germs, H1N1 Virus
By Whitney Hunter
September 2, 2009
marshallparthenon.com
Marshall University administrators, and other area colleges are preparing to prevent and control the possible spread of the H1N1 virus on campuses this fall.
Marshall University is making personal hand sanitizers available to all students, faculty, and staff. This prevention method is meant to encourage good personal hygiene and maintain health of the community.
“The H1N1 virus is really on the rise because of the warmer weather,” said Dr. Randall Peterson, M.D., of Family Practice in Teays Valley. “I just wish more people knew its severity.”
He said awareness of symptoms is key to prevention.
Flu Forces Stillman to Forfeit Game
September 4, 2009
espn.com
Stillman canceled its home opener against Clark Atlanta because of swine flu, college officials announced Thursday.
Stillman was scheduled to play Clark Atlanta on Saturday in Tuscaloosa. But Tigers football coach L.C. Cole says he noticed some of his players were having flu-like symptoms after a morning workout this week.
H1N1: Good News, Bad News
By Jim Love
September 1, 2009
ems1.com
The good news about the H1N1 vaccination program is that health care providers are a priority group for vaccination. The bad news is that delivery of the vaccine is delayed, as Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano outlined at Fire-Rescue International. It simply can not be manufactured fast enough. A second concern is that the vaccine will not be tested, or not to the degree the FDA would normally require.
The H1N1 flu is not to be confused with this year’s ‘normal’ influenza variant and outbreak. They are different and distinct. Proper protection consists of vaccination for the ‘regular’ flu as well as vaccination against the H1N1 once the vaccine becomes available. Vaccination for the normal flu should begin this month.
While filter type masks are not considered necessary for day-to-day living, masks are recommended for those with, or with symptoms, of H1N1. Flu symptoms include fever plus at least cough or sore throat and possibly other symptoms like runny nose, body aches, headaches, chills, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea.
H1N1: A Novel Flu Affecting Moms and Kids
By Robert K. Waddell
September 1, 2009
ems1.com
On March 17, 2009, Mexico confirmed the first case of what the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) deemed “the novel H1N1 influenza,” or what most of the world calls the swine flu. On April 28, as the news media broadcast multiple stories per hour about how the swine flu was in pandemic proportions, Dr. Richard Besser, Acting Director of the CDC, discussed how the H1N1 is a worrisome threat, but that America should not forget that approximately 36,000 people per year die from influenza. The CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that as of July 24, 2009, the United States had 43,771 confirmed and probable cases and 302 deaths from the novel H1N1 virus.
The threat is real and it is here. Over the past couple months the media hysteria has decreased, yet the threat continues. The CDC continues to monitor this novel H1N1 virus and is helping the health care community to prepare for the possibility of 40 percent of the work force being affected this fall and winter; that situation would be a pandemic.
The CDC and WHO continue to work with researchers from around the globe to determine the medical impact of the virus on specific populations and age groups. One of the more recent recommendations made available is about the impact the H1N1 has on the neurological system of some children. There have been four reported cases of H1N1 being responsible for brain infections, edema, and seizures. The report states that drowsiness, weakness, and disorientation were reported in “some” of the children and two had seizures secondary to the infection. Seasonal influenza is responsible from approximately five percent of the reported cases of encephalitis and six percent of the flu-related deaths during the 2003–2004 flu seasons.
Clyns Brands “Close Call” Contest
Have you ever been exposed to someone else’s blood? Have you ever been bitten on the job? Have you ever been exposed to an unknown person’s bodily fluid?
Here at Clyns Brands we specialize in innovative germ defense products that provide first responders protections from pathogenic exposures, and we want to hear your best personal exposure story.
Prize: $50.00 American Express Gift Card
Contest Start Date: October 1, 2009
Contest End Date: October 31, 2009
Requirements: Submit your personal “Close Call” story, pictures, or videos along with your email address to www.clynsbrands.com/testimonials. Winners will be notified via email no later than November 6, 2009