Va., region braced for pandemic

The Central Shenandoah Health District and Augusta Medical Center are urging people to take precautions with the outbreak of swine flu that has gripped Mexico and has been found in several states, though not in Virginia.

Dr. Doug Larsen, the district health director, said now is the time to emphasize respiratory etiquette. Those who are sick, he says, should stay home and limit contact with others. He also recommends that people cover their coughs or sneezes by using a tissue or the crook of their arms, washing hands regularly and avoid hand-shaking and touching the eyes, nose or mouth.

Rather than show up unannounced at a doctor’s office, people who experience flu-like symptoms should call in advance to set up a visit in order to minimize contact with others, Larsen said. This advice holds especially for people experiencing flu symptoms after a trip to Mexico or coming into contact with someone who has been there recently, he said.

Symptoms of swine flu, according to state Health Commissioner Dr. Karen Remley, are similar to those of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, nasal congestion and a runny nose. Additional symptoms could include diarrhea, vomiting, headache, chills and fatigue.

Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by the type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs.

“If it goes from human to human once it comes from the pig, that’s where we are today,” Larsen said.

Health departments throughout Virginia are “gearing up” to help local physicians, Larsen said. Those physicians all have been sent a fax blast giving them the latest information on the swine flu outbreak and letting them know of kits available at the health department that can be used to test for the virus. Those kits can then be sent to the state health laboratory for confirmation.

Gov. Timothy M. Kaine said in a news release that the state is increasing its communication with health care providers while preparing to receive additional antiviral medication from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Remley, meanwhile, has declared a public health emergency. None of the 40 cases reported throughout the U.S. has been fatal.

The state has 770,000 courses of antiviral medication stockpiled, and will be receiving another 280,000 courses from the CDC in the next week.

“I share the concerns of health officials at home and abroad regarding swine influenza,” Kaine said in a statement. “Virginia is working in close partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other federal agencies as well as other states, including those in the National Capital Region.”

The CDC says people with swine flu are contagious for up to seven days from the onset of the illness, and possibly longer if they still exhibit symptoms.

Swine flu primer

SOURCE: VA. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH