The U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and others have named it a public health emergency as more cases of swine flu are confirmed. Alabamians should rest easier knowing that a massive public health response is already under way, said John Gnann Jr., M.D., a professor of infectious diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy.
- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people. If you get sick, the CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
"We are still too early into this outbreak for anyone to be feeling panic or fear," Gnann said. "Knowing there are few cases reported in the U.S. and that our government is acting responsibly and with timeliness" is another good sign, he said.
The outbreak of sickness caught the world's eye, and as of Monday more than 1,600 people in 17 states across Mexico were believed to have been sickened by the virus. In the United States, the CDC reported the number of confirmed cases had risen to 40. Gnann and other medical professionals urged people with possible symptoms - cough, sore throat, nausea, fever, dizziness - to stay home.
Doctors should consider treating any person with confirmed or suspected swine flu with an antiviral prescription of the drug Tamiflu® or Relenza®, Gnann said. Those medications are active against swine flu, particularly if started within two days of the start of symptoms. Infected people are said to be contagious from one day before to seven days after symptoms are felt.
Federal officials are recommending a deferral of all non-essential travel to Mexico in an effort to limit the virus. Beyond that, all those with airline reservations to other locations should stay flexible and keep monitoring the situation, said David Freedman, M.D., a UAB professor of medicine who directs the UAB Travelers' Health Clinic.
The H1N1 swine flu viruses are very different from human H1N1 viruses and, therefore, vaccines for human seasonal flu would not provide protection from H1N1 swine flu, Freedman said. Daily outbreak and travel-awareness updates are being posted to the CDC travelers' health Web site.
UPDATE 5/1/09: UAB’s Emergency Management Team continues to closely monitor H1N1 swine flu developments. The UAB Pandemic Flu Task Force has begun meeting regularly, and reports that UAB has not seen an increase in patients arriving at UAB Hospital with flu-like symptoms. UAB Hospital is part of the state and national response systems and continues to work with these agencies to assure that we are able to support any surge in demand that may occur.