Swine Flu Updates

The following letter was received from the Utah Health-Care Association regarding the swine flu including steps the state is doing to help prevent wide spread infection and things you can do personally to stay healthy:

S-OIV (Swine Flu) Situation Report
Utah Public Health
5/1/2009
Note: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have updated the name of the virus to Swine-Origin Influenza A (H1N1) Virus or S-OIV.

Status summary as of Wed, April 29:
Utah:
Public health is reporting:
0 confirmed 1 probable case of S-OIV
Influenza-like illness, as reported by sentinel providers, is currently at 0.67%, below the outbreak level of 1.72%.
U.S. and World:
The World Health Organization (WHO) is reporting the following world situation for swine influenza and the CDC for the U.S.:
• United States 91 confirmed cases 1 death
o This is 27 cases more than yesterday
o Cases detected in California, Texas, New York City, Ohio, Kansas, Arizona, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nevada
o The death was in a 22 month old child in Texas
• Mexico 26 confirmed cases 7 deaths*
• Canada 6 confirmed cases 0 deaths
• New Zealand 3 confirmed cases 0 deaths
• United Kingdom 3 confirmed cases 0 deaths
• Spain 2 confirmed case 0 deaths
• Israel 2 confirmed cases 0 deaths

* The WHO only reports confirmed deaths. There are many deaths that are being attributed by the media to this outbreak. This situation report will only reflect cases that are confirmed.

Alert phase:
The WHO alert phase is 4: A novel virus capable of sustained human-to-human transmission. This increases the risk of a pandemic, but is not yet considered a pandemic.

Travel Advisories:
At this time, the CDC recommends that U.S. travelers avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico. The WHO is not advocating restricting travel.

Public Health Activities:
Guidance:
Several new interim guidance documents have been published by the Centers for Disease Control:
• Specimen Collection, Processing, and Testing for Patients with Suspected Infection
• Emergency Use Authorization of Medical Products and Devices
• Clinician Guidance on Identifying and Caring for S-OIV Patients
• Clinician Guidance on Prevention and Treatment in Young Children
• Biosafety Guidelines for Lab Workers
• Guidance on Case Definitions for Investigations of Cases
• Guidance for Airlines Regarding Flight Crews Arriving from Areas Affected by S-OIV
• Guidance for Airline Crews in Identifying Passengers Who May Have S-OIV
• Clinician Guidance on Pregnant Women

Other Activities:
• New tests have been developed to identify this virus.
• Distribution of antivirals and medical supplies has begun to all states.
• The vaccine development process has begun.

Things You Can Do to Stay Healthy:
Community Activities:
• Be aware that community-level “social distancing” or “keeping our distance” from each other will lessen the spread of flu.
• When the disease enters a community, social distancing measures such as school closures, teleworking, etc. may be recommended as a means of limiting spread.

Personal Activities:
• Stay home from school, work, and other social gatherings when you are ill.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your elbow 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.
• Consider developing a family emergency plan as a precaution. This should include storing extra food, medicines, facemasks, and other essential supplies.