UAB Swine Flu Update and Recommendations
This post is a direct copy and paste from an email sent out by UAB to, I am assuming, all UAB students and faculty. The Swine Flu is becoming a bigger deal than I had imagined. Anyways, here is it:
UAB’s Emergency Management Team continues to closely monitor developments in the international outbreak of swine influenza. On April 29, the World Health Organization raised its alert to its second-highest level, Phase 5: http://www.who.int/en/.
Out of an abundance of caution, UAB is closing its Child Care Center tomorrow because a child there was tested positive for flu today; the strain will not be known until tomorrow or Friday. The center will remain closed until this information is confirmed.
Also this evening, two probable cases of swine flu in Madison, Ala., were reported by State Health Officer Dr. Don Williamson, who encouraged citizens to remain aware and alert, but not to overreact.
The UAB Emergency Management Team is staying in close communication with the Jefferson County Department of Health and federal health officials as the situation develops, and makes the following recommendations:
- Faculty, staff and students with flu-like symptoms should contact their physician, stay home from work and/or school and limit contact with others. Current students enrolled in the Student Health Plan have access to the UAB Student Health Service, 934-3580, 930 20th St. South, Suite 221.
- Flu-like symptoms are defined as a temperature of 100 degrees F or greater with cough and/or sore throat in the absence of a known cause other than influenza.
- No faculty, staff or students have reported symptoms of concern at this time, but as a precautionary measure, avoid travel to Mexico.
- Take preventive measures, such as those outlined on UAB’s Occupational Health & Safety Web site at http://www.healthsafe.uab.edu: Wash your hands, cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, and stay home when you are sick. The site links to current information from the CDC and WHO regarding swine flu, including key facts: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/key_facts.htm.
- UAB will continue to update the university community as needed via The eReporter, GreenMail, and at www.uab.edu/emergency.
Popularity: 4% [?]
Here are some more iloveuab.com posts that you may enjoy
- H1N1 (Talkin’ Bout That Swine Flu) Vaccinations Available National Influenza Vaccination Week is Jan. 10-16. UAB is encouraging...
- Let’s Talk About Sex… /w Arianna Mohiuddin Can you guess the most important yet often overlooked...
- CAS Interdisciplinary Innovation Forums: Innovations in Drug Delivery An Interdisciplinary Innovation Forum will be held on March 13,...
Loading ...
Things to note:
1) Typical seasonal flu has a mortality (death) rate of 0.1% of infected people, primarily the elderly and young. 1918 Spanish flu (Influenza A H1N1 “avian” strain) had a mortality rate of 2.5% on the conservative estimate (assuming almost 100% infection, a stretch even for a very efficient virus), killing 40 million out of a world population of 2 billion), and equally hit all age ranges.
2) 2009 Mexican Flu (Influenza A H1N1 “swine” strain) had a similar mortality rate and pattern in Mexico as compared to 1918. As of yet this has not translated to the US. For the Spanish Flu, Japan fared very well while the rest of Asia was getting killed (pun intended).
3) There was no Tamiflu or Relenza in 1918, and the Mexican Flu appears susceptible to the drugs. Expect the developed countries to fare well regardless, and hope the non-developed countries get lucky.
4) Mexico claims to have a sufficient supply of the drug… Why is their death toll so high?
No one knows how long the H1N1 virus has been infecting people in Mexico. The infections can range from 1000 to 10000 to 1000000 people and 150 people have been killed from the virus. Others may have just gotten regular flu symptoms and gotten better without reporting their illness. An estimated 36,000 people die from the regular influenza virus each flu season and it is thought that the “swine” flu could have similar effects if not less extensive.
It is also possible that the Tamiflu drug and other flu treatments strengthen the H1N1 strain by helping it build resistance to the drug, so it hasn’t been used as much as some may think it should be.