Thursday, May 07, 2009

DeWitt officials advocate preventive measures good for all seasons

As confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu continue rising across the nation, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and DeWitt Army Community Hospital officials say there is no need for alarm.

In fact, the outlook is positive, particularly at Fort Belvoir where there are no confirmed cases of H1N1 flu as of Tuesday, said Lt. Col. Leonardo Martinez, chief of Preventive Medicine at
DeWitt.

Martinez said since the H1N1 flu outbreak, DeWitt providers are seeing an average of 18 patients per day during the week and five on weekends who display influenza-like illnesses, which according to the case definition consists of a fever over 100.5 degrees along with coughing, sore throat or nasal congestion. 

DeWitt officials have consistently submitted about five cases each day, on average, to state officials for testing.  Though Martinez and other DeWitt staff are glad none of the cases tested positive, he said it’s critical for people to continue taking preventive measures to limit the spread of the flu especially during spring months when allergy symptoms can promote the spread of
germs.

Transmission of the H1N1 flu between people is believed to take place in the same way as seasonal flu. According to CDC, people who are infected can transmit the virus by coughing or sneezing; then others might get infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.

As of Monday, CDC reported three confirmed cases of H1N1 flu in Virginia and four in nearby Maryland contributing to the 279 cases across the nation.

Officials are seeing more than 700 probable cases in a total of 44 states, said the CDCs acting director, Dr. Richard Besser, in a press conference Monday.

There are 35 known hospitalizations in the U.S. with one reported death, Besser said. He also said 62 percent of the confirmed cases are people under the age of 18.

However, he quickly compared the current scale of H1N1 flu to seasonal flu statistics to help educate people and keep them aware of its impact.

“I like to … put this in context with seasonal flu,” Besser said.  “With seasonal flu, we see in the [U.S.] over 30 million cases … 200,000 hospitalizations and, on average, 36,000 deaths.”
The CDC reports 5 to 20 percent of the U.S. population contracts seasonal flu each year, and some people, such as older people, young children, and people with certain health conditions,
are at high risk for serious flu complications that can lead to death.

So far, in terms of the H1N1 virus, its severity is similar to that of flu, which is “very encouraging,” Besser said.

However, it’s important for people not to let their guard down because of these encouraging signs, said Lt. Col. Mark Harris, deputy commander for clinical services and public health emergency officer at DeWitt.

“Personal responsibility measures will help keep people healthy and decrease the number of people around them who get sick,” Harris said. “Though these measures are important to take every flu season, they are critically important at a time like this, as our communities face a potential pandemic.”

Preventive measures include proper and frequent hand-washing, covering coughs with a sleeve and not with hands, staying home when sick, and keeping children home when they’re sick.
“Once you have widespread disease and once you have this in each community, the numbers become much less important,” Besser said.  At that point, the actions people take to limit spread of the flu becomes increasingly important, he added.

People can visit the CDC Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu or the DeWitt Web site at http://www.dewitt.wramc.amedd. army.mil for more information about preventive steps to take to decrease the spread of flu.

People can also call the Virginia Department of Health information hotline at 1-877-275-8343.

“The health of our Soldiers, employees and family members is at the top of our minds at times like this,” Harris said.  “We will work hard to keep you abreast and provide you the most up-to-date information.”