As we face this extraordinary flu season, consider these ten things you can do to protect yourself and others:
1. Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based
hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. Be sure to wash your hands after
coughing, sneezing, or blowing your nose.
2. Avoid touching your nose, mouth, and eyes. Germs spread this way.
3. Cover your coughs and sneezes with a tissue, or cough and sneeze into your elbow.
Dispose of tissues in no-touch trash receptacles.
4. Keep frequently touched common surfaces clean, such as telephones, computer
keyboards, doorknobs, etc.
5. Do not use other workers’ phones, desks, offices, or other work tools and
equipment. If you need to use a coworker’s phone, desk, or other equipment, clean it first.
6. Don’t spread the flu! If you are sick with flu-like illness, stay home. Symptoms
of flu can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, tiredness, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. CDC recommends that people with flu-like illness stay home for at least 24 hours after they are free of fever without the use of fever-reducing medicines. If supervisors or employees have questions about use of leave for illness or to care for an ill family member, please contact your local Human Resources office or your office’s leave administrator.
7. Get vaccinated against seasonal flu. It can protect you against seasonal influenza
viruses, but not against 2009 H1N1.
8. Ask your doctor if you should get the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine. People
recommended to receive the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine as soon as it becomes available in
October are health care workers, children, pregnant women, and people with chronic
medical conditions (such as asthma, heart disease, or diabetes). People living with or caring for infants under 6 months old should also be vaccinated to protect these children who are too young to be vaccinated. For more information about who should get vaccinated, visit http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/vaccination/acip.htm.
9. Maintain a healthy lifestyle through rest, diet, and exercise.
10.Learn more. Visit http://www.flu.gov or contact CDC 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
o 1-800-CDC-INFO (232-4636)
o TTY: (888) 232-6348
o mailto:cdcinfo@cdc.gov
Showing posts with label H1N1 flu. Show all posts
Showing posts with label H1N1 flu. Show all posts
Friday, December 4, 2009
2009 H1N1 Flu: Emergency Warning Signs
EMERGENCY WARNING SIGNS FOR CHILDREN
Anyone with the following emergency warning signs needs urgent medical attention and should seek comment right away:
• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
• Fever with a rash
EMERGENCY WARNING SIGNS FOR ADULTS
Anyone with the following emergency warning signs needs urgent medical attention and should seek comment right away:
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Anyone with the following emergency warning signs needs urgent medical attention and should seek comment right away:
• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
• Fever with a rash
EMERGENCY WARNING SIGNS FOR ADULTS
Anyone with the following emergency warning signs needs urgent medical attention and should seek comment right away:
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Swine Flu Still Strikes Younger People Hardest. 90 percent of deaths since Sept.1 were among those under 65, CDC says
TUESDAY, Oct. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The H1N1 swine flu epidemic continues to strike younger people, a U.S. health official said Tuesday, noting that nearly 90 percent of deaths since Sept. 1 were among those under 65 years of age.
"This is dramatically different than what we see with seasonal flu," Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a press conference. "For seasonal flu, 90 percent of fatalities occur in people 65 and over -- it's almost completely reversed here," she said.
"Essentially this is a young person's disease," Schuchat added. "We don't have reporting from every single state and we know we are missing cases, so the numbers will be underestimates, but it can be helpful in illustrating some of the patterns we are seeing."
According to data collected from 28 states from Sept. 1 to Oct. 10, nearly 24 percent of deaths were among people under age 25, about 65 percent of deaths were among those 25 to 64, and only 11.6 percent of the deaths were among people 65 and older, she said.
"Each one of these cases is tragic for the family and hard for us in public health to see," she added.
Schuchat said she expects the swine flu epidemic to continue throughout the winter and into the spring, and wouldn't be surprised to see a renewed outbreak later in the season.
"We do think there will be illness, including severe illness, for some time in the future," she said. "We may see in any particular community some illness going down in the next several weeks, but we don't know whether it's going to go up again."
Schuchat noted that during the 1957-1958 Asian flu pandemic there was an outbreak in September and October, but "they had another big wave after the first of the year."
Meanwhile, the H1N1 swine flu vaccine remains in short supply. Last week federal officials said there had been delays in producing the vaccine, and the goal of 40 million doses by the end of October would be missed.
Schuchat has said in the past that the federal government expects 190 million doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine by the end of the year.
As of Monday, a total of 12.8 million doses had been received by the U.S. government, up from 9.8 million doses last week. More than half of those vaccines are injectable; the remainder is in the form of a nasal spray known as FluMist, she said.
"I understand and share everyone's desire to have more vaccine. I wish that we had more than we have right now, but we do have more coming out every day," Schuchat said.
During the six-week period ending Oct. 10, 27 states had reported 4,958 people hospitalized with H1N1 swine flu. More than half -- 53 percent -- of those hospitalized were people under the age of 25. Thirty-nine percent were 25 to 54 years of age, and only 7 percent of hospitalizations involved people 65 and older, Schuchat said.
Schuchat also said new guidance on the use of antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu stresses the need to start treatment early and not wait for confirming tests, especially among children, pregnant women and those most at risk for complications from the swine flu.
Schuchat also urged people to get their seasonal flu shot. Eighty-two million doses of seasonal flu vaccine have been distributed, with a total of about 114 million doses expected through the rest of the season, she said.
SOURCES: Oct. 20, 2009, teleconference with Anne Schuchat, M.D., director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HealthDay
"This is dramatically different than what we see with seasonal flu," Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a press conference. "For seasonal flu, 90 percent of fatalities occur in people 65 and over -- it's almost completely reversed here," she said.
"Essentially this is a young person's disease," Schuchat added. "We don't have reporting from every single state and we know we are missing cases, so the numbers will be underestimates, but it can be helpful in illustrating some of the patterns we are seeing."
According to data collected from 28 states from Sept. 1 to Oct. 10, nearly 24 percent of deaths were among people under age 25, about 65 percent of deaths were among those 25 to 64, and only 11.6 percent of the deaths were among people 65 and older, she said.
"Each one of these cases is tragic for the family and hard for us in public health to see," she added.
Schuchat said she expects the swine flu epidemic to continue throughout the winter and into the spring, and wouldn't be surprised to see a renewed outbreak later in the season.
"We do think there will be illness, including severe illness, for some time in the future," she said. "We may see in any particular community some illness going down in the next several weeks, but we don't know whether it's going to go up again."
Schuchat noted that during the 1957-1958 Asian flu pandemic there was an outbreak in September and October, but "they had another big wave after the first of the year."
Meanwhile, the H1N1 swine flu vaccine remains in short supply. Last week federal officials said there had been delays in producing the vaccine, and the goal of 40 million doses by the end of October would be missed.
Schuchat has said in the past that the federal government expects 190 million doses of H1N1 swine flu vaccine by the end of the year.
As of Monday, a total of 12.8 million doses had been received by the U.S. government, up from 9.8 million doses last week. More than half of those vaccines are injectable; the remainder is in the form of a nasal spray known as FluMist, she said.
"I understand and share everyone's desire to have more vaccine. I wish that we had more than we have right now, but we do have more coming out every day," Schuchat said.
During the six-week period ending Oct. 10, 27 states had reported 4,958 people hospitalized with H1N1 swine flu. More than half -- 53 percent -- of those hospitalized were people under the age of 25. Thirty-nine percent were 25 to 54 years of age, and only 7 percent of hospitalizations involved people 65 and older, Schuchat said.
Schuchat also said new guidance on the use of antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu stresses the need to start treatment early and not wait for confirming tests, especially among children, pregnant women and those most at risk for complications from the swine flu.
Schuchat also urged people to get their seasonal flu shot. Eighty-two million doses of seasonal flu vaccine have been distributed, with a total of about 114 million doses expected through the rest of the season, she said.
SOURCES: Oct. 20, 2009, teleconference with Anne Schuchat, M.D., director, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention HealthDay
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Many Hospitalized With Swine Flu Had Been HealthyBut the majority of cases still involve people with chronic problems, CDC says
TUESDAY, Oct. 13 (HealthDay News) -- While the majority of people hospitalized with the H1N1 swine flu have chronic medical conditions, many were healthy before coming down with the disease, a U.S. health official said Tuesday.
More than half of hospitalized adults had conditions such as asthma, chronic lung diseases, heart disease or immune system disorders, Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during an afternoon press conference.
Read full article.
More than half of hospitalized adults had conditions such as asthma, chronic lung diseases, heart disease or immune system disorders, Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during an afternoon press conference.
Read full article.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Small Businesses Urged to Prepare for Swine Flu: Advance Planning May Help to Minimize Disruptions, officials say
MONDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- With cases of H1N1 swine flu continuing to rise, U.S. health officials on Monday urged small businesses to prepare now to keep their shops running if the flu season turns severe.
"We need to make sure that operations and businesses continue on even as we go through the flu season," Janet Napolitano, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, said during an afternoon news conference.
The planning needs to start now, said Dr. Daniel Jernigan, deputy director of the Influenza Division at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Plan now to prepare for the impact of influenza this fall and winter," he said.
Jernigan advised businesses to prepare for two different scenarios -- first if the H1N1 flu remains as mild as it has so far, and second if the virus should change and illness becomes more severe.
"Another key step for small businesses is to protect your workforce," Jernigan said. People should be encouraged to stay home if they are sick and not return to work until their fever has subsided for a day without using fever-reducing medication, he said.
"For most people that is three to five days away from work," Jernigan said. "Some small businesses will have to change their leave practices, but we think that's a good thing for this year."
Small businesses also need to take steps to maintain the continuity of operations, Jernigan said. "That means keeping your business going even during high levels of absenteeism," he said.
Karen Mills, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, said "being prepared for H1N1 is just part of good business."
"Having a plan is critical," she said at the news conference. "For small businesses, even having employees out for a few days can be a health concern and a bottom-line concern," she said.
Although the H1N1 flu tends to target children and young adults, small businesses may find themselves short on employees who have to stay home to care for someone with the flu.
According to the guidelines issued Monday, a small business plan should include the designation of a workplace coordinator responsible for H1N1 issues.
The plan should also:
Encourage sick workers to stay at home without fear of reprisal.
Find ways for workers to work from home.
Promote personal hygiene, such as frequent handwashing.
Encourage workers to get a seasonal flu shot.
Encourage workers to get the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available.
Provide workers with information on flu risk factors.
If an employee does become sick at work, the employee should be moved away from other workers to limit infection until the worker can go home, according to the plan.
The H1N1 guidelines for small businesses are one of several guidelines issued by the U.S. government in recent weeks. Others included guidelines for schools, day-care centers, health-care workers and large businesses.
SOURCES: Sept. 14, 2009, teleconference with Janet Napolitano, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security; Karen Mills, administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration; Daniel Jernigan, M.D., M.P.H., deputy director, Influenza Division, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta HealthDayCopyright (c) 2009
"We need to make sure that operations and businesses continue on even as we go through the flu season," Janet Napolitano, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, said during an afternoon news conference.
The planning needs to start now, said Dr. Daniel Jernigan, deputy director of the Influenza Division at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Plan now to prepare for the impact of influenza this fall and winter," he said.
Jernigan advised businesses to prepare for two different scenarios -- first if the H1N1 flu remains as mild as it has so far, and second if the virus should change and illness becomes more severe.
"Another key step for small businesses is to protect your workforce," Jernigan said. People should be encouraged to stay home if they are sick and not return to work until their fever has subsided for a day without using fever-reducing medication, he said.
"For most people that is three to five days away from work," Jernigan said. "Some small businesses will have to change their leave practices, but we think that's a good thing for this year."
Small businesses also need to take steps to maintain the continuity of operations, Jernigan said. "That means keeping your business going even during high levels of absenteeism," he said.
Karen Mills, administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, said "being prepared for H1N1 is just part of good business."
"Having a plan is critical," she said at the news conference. "For small businesses, even having employees out for a few days can be a health concern and a bottom-line concern," she said.
Although the H1N1 flu tends to target children and young adults, small businesses may find themselves short on employees who have to stay home to care for someone with the flu.
According to the guidelines issued Monday, a small business plan should include the designation of a workplace coordinator responsible for H1N1 issues.
The plan should also:
Encourage sick workers to stay at home without fear of reprisal.
Find ways for workers to work from home.
Promote personal hygiene, such as frequent handwashing.
Encourage workers to get a seasonal flu shot.
Encourage workers to get the H1N1 vaccine when it becomes available.
Provide workers with information on flu risk factors.
If an employee does become sick at work, the employee should be moved away from other workers to limit infection until the worker can go home, according to the plan.
The H1N1 guidelines for small businesses are one of several guidelines issued by the U.S. government in recent weeks. Others included guidelines for schools, day-care centers, health-care workers and large businesses.
SOURCES: Sept. 14, 2009, teleconference with Janet Napolitano, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security; Karen Mills, administrator, U.S. Small Business Administration; Daniel Jernigan, M.D., M.P.H., deputy director, Influenza Division, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta HealthDayCopyright (c) 2009
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