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Flu cases increasing in PTCSat, 08/22/2009 - 2:55pm
By: John Munford
The novel H1N1 strain of influenza is already here in Fayette County, Peachtree City emergency officials told the city council Thursday night. Schools on the city’s southside are starting to have multiple cases of students with low-grade fevers who are being sent home in hopes of preventing the flu’s spread, said Capt. David Williamson of the Peachtree City Fire Department. Parents are strongly being urged to keep students home if they have any fever; those students should stay home until 24 hours after the fever subsides without any medication, officials said. “Especially in Peachtree City if your kids are sick, do not send them to school period,” said Peachtree City Fire Chief Ed Eiswerth. “All it’s going to do is spread it.” The good news about H1N1, Williamson said, is that in most cases it’s “just the flu” with the main symptom being a fever that escalates quickly. But anyone with flu symptoms should be watched closely because people react to flu in different ways, Williamson said. One 13-year-old girl in nearby Pike County recently contracted the flu from her brother with her first symptom being a loss of appetite; the next morning she had a fever of 104.9 and needed 3.5 liters of fluid administered before her blood pressure could be taken, he said. The girl spent three days in intensive care at Egleston Children’s Hospital but has since fully recovered. The H1N1 flu strain is accelerating in Fayette County as emergency officials are seeing a “marked increase” in flu cases, Williamson said. One local urgent care center last week treated 17 people who tested influenza positive last week compared to zero the week before, he added. The flu is spreading at local schools and at one school has wiped out an entire cheerleading squad, Williamson said. Fayette County emergency officials are tracking reported flu cases from local health providers, officials said. Persons coming down with the flu or flu-like symptoms are not just in Fayette County but also in nearby communities, said county officials who are monitoring the data. The age group most susceptible to the H1N1 flu strain starts at 6 months and ranges up to 24 years old, Williamson said. Also of concern are pregnant women because though they account for 1 percent of those infected, they make up 6 percent of the H1N1 fatalities so far, he added. A flu vaccine is not likely to be available until October or perhaps November, Williamson said. And because the quantities will not be enough for the entire population, the vaccines will be distributed by public health officials with the assistance of other groups, he added. Peachtree City anticipates making police and fire employees available to assist with a vaccination site — if one is needed — as well as its community emergency response team and fire department volunteers, Williamson said. Because health organizations are predicting up to 40 to 50 percent absenteeism for businesses at the peak of the flu wave, the city has prepared a plan to make sure all essential services are maintained during such time, Williamson said. At the peak of the flu wave, it’s likely that schools and childcare facilities will be closed, also affecting absenteeism rates, Williamson said. The city has purchased a quantity of cleaning supplies that rid the flu virus from surfaces. Williamson recommended a product called Saniguard that is safe to use on computer keyboards, cellphones and other electronic devices. Flu advice Avoid the flu: • Wash your hands throughly with soap and water • Use alcohol based hand sanitizers • Cough into your sleeve; if coughing into your hand be sure to wash your hands afterward • Stay approximately three feet away from someone who might have the flu virus, as that’s how far the virus can travel if coughed or sneezed. • Help others avoid the flu by staying at home if you are sick Caring for someone at home with the flu or flu-like symptoms: • give plenty of fluids • plenty of rest • admininster the over-the-counter medications that are available for seasonal flu or flu-like symptoms At what point do I go to the emergency room or urgent care? • with fast or troubled breathing • not drinking enough fluids • severe or persistent vomitting • when flu-like symptoms improve but return with a fever and a worsened cough District Health Dept. Public Information Officer Hayla Hall noted that if a child is sick, including with flu-like symptoms, it is advisable not to send the child to school. login to post comments |