What is going on with swine flu now?
Posted September 30, 2009 at 2:02 am
Updated September 30, 2009 at 3:12 pm
Swine flu cases at Washington University have been steadily increasing in recent weeks, but the number of cases at the University is still much lower than at most other higher education institutions.
New cases continue to be reported around the country as the disease spreads and fall season settles in.
A vaccine is expected to be ready for distribution sometime in October, but school officials emphasize that students can take precautions in the meantime to avoid infection. The University has formed a taskforce to monitor the campus situation and stay up to date with information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Although still below the epidemic threshold, the virus’s proliferation is being kept on a close watch by the CDC and state health agencies.
Read more about the swine flu at Wash. U.
About the vaccine
·The seasonal flu vaccine is not effective against the H1N1 virus.
·Clinical tests were carried out at several colleges in July, including Saint Louis University.
·40 million doses will be available by mid-October.
·10 million to 20 million doses can be produced per week.
·The H1N1 vaccine has a similar safety profile to that of the seasonal vaccine.
·Side effects may include swelling, headache, fever and nausea, though the CDC expects side effects and allergic reactions to be rare.
·People with severe allergies to chicken eggs or other substances used in the vaccine should not be vaccinated.
·Multiple formulations of the vaccine are being produced. Some formulations require two doses, while others require just one to be effective.
Swine flu on college campuses
The American College Health Association tracks cases at participating colleges for a total population of 3.1 million students.
Total new cases over a one-week period*: 7,696
Cases by states in the region:
Missouri: 369
Illinois: 119
Kentucky: 96
Tennessee: 244
Total cases: 21,130
Total cases by states in the region:
Missouri: 774
Illinois: 246
Kentucky: 222
Tennessee: 882
*Data are for the week ending Sept. 18, the most recent data available.
FAQ
Q: What are the most commonly reported symptoms?
A: Cough, sore throat, aches, fatigue and fever.
Q: Who should get vaccinated?
A: The CDC recommends vaccination for pregnant women, people caring for or living with children younger than 6 months, emergency medical personnel, people ages 6 months to 4 years and children 5 to 18 years old with chronic medical conditions.
The CDC recommends vaccination for other groups after high-risk populations have been vaccinated. People 19 to 24 years of age will also be targeted since they are mobile and often live and work in close proximity to one another.
Q: What should a person do if he or she becomes ill?
A: According to the CDC Web site, “people with influenza-like illness [should] remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever—100 degrees Fahrenheight (37.8 degrees Celsius)—or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.”
Q: How can someone avoid contracting swine flu?
A: Basic hygiene practices such as hand washing, with either soap and water or alcohol-based hand cleaner, and not touching the face, mouth or eyes are the best ways to prevent infection.
Q: Who is at risk for complications from H1N1?
A: Pregnant women and patients with cardiovascular disease are at higher risk for complications.
Swine flu essentials
The first reported case was in Mexico as a respiratory illness of unknown origin.
The first cases in the United States appeared in April 2009. Early lab tests of the virus indicated that some of the genes were similar to a those of a strain of influenza that infects pigs. The virus, however, differs greatly from strains that infect pigs. The virus also has genes that are similar to those in strains that infect birds and humans.
The World Health Organization announced on June 11 that a global pandemic of H1N1 flu was occurring.
Most countries had reported cases by the end of July.
The virus can be spread person to person.
The majority of reported influenza cases from the past several weeks are of the H1N1 type.
The percentages of deaths due to pneumonia and influenza (P&I) are below the epidemic threshold.
The CDC publishes a weekly report about new cases, deaths and distribution of H1N1 flu available at http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/.
H1N1 has not shown resistance to antiviral medication commonly used to treat influenza except in very rare cases.
Response and containment
The CDC developed a test kit to identify new cases at the start of the outbreak and began distributing it in May.
The CDC distributed a quarter of the pandemic flu supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile to fight the virus, including antiviral drugs and personal protective equipment.
The CDC recommends that students who are infected recover at home and isolate themselves, if possible.
The CDC does not recommend canceling classes or events due to the swine flu unless it becomes severe.
The University formed the Emerging Infectious Disease Task Force, headed by Glass, last spring to monitor the situation.
For up-to-date information on the swine flu watch at the University, visit http://wustl.edu/flu/.
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