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Novel H1N1 Flu

Health Department Asks for Community’s Help with 2009 H1N1

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
October 20, 2009

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Bruce D. Dart, Ph.D. - 402-441-8001
Health Director

Tim Timmons, RN – 402-441-8056
Communicable Disease Program Supervisor

The Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department is asking for the community’s help with the current 2009 H1N1 flu situation in Lincoln. The level of influenza illness in Lincoln is very high and that is putting a tremendous stress on health care services in hospital emergency rooms and healthcare provider offices. The Department is asking that those with mild flu symptoms to just stay home, rest, drink fluids and treat the fever if necessary. Persons with mild symptoms, who are not at high risk for complications due to flu, do not need to go to the hospital emergency department or contact their health care provider. The use of emergency rooms and provider offices by large numbers of persons with mild illness makes it very difficult for those with more serious illnesses to access health services. In three to five days most individuals with influenza will have recovered and be able to return to their normal activities without needing to be seen and/or treated by a healthcare provider. In most cases, when flu in the community is widespread as it is now, it is not necessary that a person be tested for flu, if they have flu symptoms.

The hospital emergency room should be used for people who are very sick. If a person has the flu and develops any of these symptoms, they should go to the emergency room. The symptoms that would indicate the need to seek medical care right away are:

In children:

• 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

In adults:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting

A person with flu symptoms, who is at high risk of flu complications, should call their health care provider for advice. Those at high risk of complications from flu are:

• Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
• People 65 and older
• Pregnant women

People who have:

• Cancer
• Blood disorders (including sickle cell disease)
• Chronic lung disease [including asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)]
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Kidney disorders
• Liver disorders
• Neurological disorders (including nervous system, brain or spinal cord)
• Neuromuscular disorders (including muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis)
• Weakened immune systems (including people with AIDS)

Based on the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department’s weekly flu surveillance over the last two weeks flu activity in the community has increased significantly. The increased flu activity is due to the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. The high number of individuals infected by the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus is the result of very few individuals having any immunity to this new virus. For the typical seasonal flu it’s likely that a fairly high percentage of individuals within the community will have immunity to seasonal influenza viruses, mostly due to having been vaccinated against seasonal influenza. Therefore, the percent of individual’s susceptible to the flu is lower. That’s not the case right now with the 2009 H1N1 virus.

Tim Timmons, RN
Communicable Disease Program
Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department
3140 N Street
Lincoln NE 68510
Voice: 402-441-8056
Fax: 402-441-6205
Email: ttimmons@lincoln.ne.gov