Flu Care for the 2009-2010 Flu Season

As you know, we are gearing up for a potentially extraordinary flu season. With the emergence of H1N1 influenza, we are fairly certain to see increased illness and absenteeism. We would like to share with you some ways to care for yourself and your family.

Follow these steps to protect your family from the flu and H1N1:

1) Practice good hand hygiene: frequent and thorough handwashing is the #1 way to prevent the spread of illness. Wash your hands with warm, soapy water for at least 20 seconds.

2) Practice good cough and sneeze etiquette: sneeze and cough into a tissue or the crook of your elbow or sleeve rather than into your hand. Wash your hands thoroughly after blowing your nose or using a tissue.

3) Cleaning: use regular household cleaners to clean surfaces that might get flu virus on them.
4) Avoidance: avoid close physical contact with people who are sick. People with young children, weakened immune systems or chronic medical conditions should avoid large crowds.

5) Stay home: if you have a fever, stay home until you have been free of fever for at least 24 hours after your last dose of fever-reducing medication (like Tylenol or Advil). For most people, this will mean staying home for an average of four days. If you do not have a fever but are coughing and sneezing and otherwise very ill, you should also stay home. Calling a medical provider is not necessary unless you are at risk for complications from an underlying illness.

6) Know the flu: unlike the common cold (which begins slowly and insidiously), the flu tends to hit you like a truck, and you begin to feel very ill in a matter of minutes or hours. One of the cardinal signs of flu is intense muscle and joint aches. If you have these symptoms but are free of fever, you may still have the flu, so stay at home until you feel better!

Although seasonal flu and H1N1 influenza have the same symptoms, they appear to affect different segments of the population. While seasonal flu generally impacts the elderly, the young and the chronically ill, the median age of those seriously affected by H1N1 is 14. Both illnesses generally cause similar symptoms (ie: fever, sore throat, cough, body aches, chills, etc), It is still unknown how widespread and virulent H1N1 will be this winter.

Both H1N1 and seasonal flu can be spread easily from person to person via droplets of saliva and mucous that come out of the nose and mouth when someone coughs, sneezes, or blows their nose. If you are close enough to someone (3-6 feet) with the flu, the potential for you to catch the flu from them if they sneeze or cough is great. Symptoms usually start 1-4 days after a person inhales the virus.

Droplets from an infectious person which come into contact with a non-porous surface are indeed infectious. However, once the droplets dry, the virus dies. Certain “high touch” areas like doorknobs, computer keyboards, faucets, banisters and handrails do require extra attention and vigilance.

Regular flu vaccine will hopefully be widely available later this fall and winter, and we encourage everyone who is eligible to seek out vaccination against seasonal influenza.

In terms of the H1N1 vaccine, there will be a vaccine available within the next few months. Due to the nature of this particular illness, the following groups will be targeted for vaccination against H1N1:

• Pregnant women
• Those who live with or care for infants 6 months and younger (including all household members and caregivers)
• Emergency medical personnel and health care providers
• Individuals between 6 months of age and 24 years of age
• Individuals between 24 and 64 years of age who have an underlying chronic illness which makes them susceptible to complications from influenza
• Those 65 and older are currently not recognized as a high-risk group for H1N1 influenza.

However, if there is sufficient vaccine later in the year, those over 65 may indeed be encouraged to receive it as well.

More information:

For more information, please call the Amherst Health Department at 259-3077.

You can also visit our blog at http://amhersthealth.blogspot.com/ and our employee wellness blog at http://amherstwellness.blogspot.com/

Other websites:
www.mass.gov/flu
www.cdc.gov/flu
http://www.flu.gov/

Novel H1N1 Update

The Amherst Public Health Department is closely monitoring developments in relation to novel H1N1 influenza. We receive daily updates from the MA Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding the influenza situation in Massachusetts and nationwide.

Each year, seasonal influenza causes 250,000 hospitalizations and 36,000 deaths nationally. Those most at risk from seasonal flu are people over 65 and those with chronic illness. H1N1 is a novel strain of influenza and is not the seasonal flu. Groups at higher risk from H1N1 influenza are different than those most likely to get seasonal flu. Scientists believe individuals up to the age of 24 are those most likely to get sick from H1N1.

Currently, vaccinations against H1N1 influenza have entered clinical trials, and it is fairly likely a vaccine will be approved quite soon. Current projections state that a mass vaccination campaign will be initiated by the federal government, and H1N1 vaccine and vaccination supplies will be distributed nationwide later this year.

The Amherst Public Health Department is currently planning to follow DPH and CDC guidelines for vaccination against both seasonal influenza and novel H1N1 influenza. We are working closely with the Amherst Public Schools to ensure that our children are well protected. As vaccine supplies are received from DPH, the Amherst Public Health Department will plan and publicize seasonal influenza vaccination clinics (most likely in late September or early October) and H1N1 vaccination clinics (most likely in late October, November, or December). We are in active communication with DPH, CDC, Amherst officials, and the Five Colleges to ensure that we can best protect the public.

The media and the public are encouraged to call the Health Department at 413-259-3077 for more information, or visit our blog, http://amhersthealth.blogspot.com. The MA DPH H1N1 website can be found here: http://www.mass.gov/dph/swineflu. The CDC H1N1 website can be found here: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.At this time, the groups recommended to receive the novel H1N1 influenza vaccine include:

• Pregnant women
• Household contacts and caregivers for children younger than 6 months of age
• Healthcare and emergency medical services personnel
• All people from 6 months through 24 years of age
• Children from 6 months through 18 years of age
• Young adults 19 through 24 years of age
• Persons aged 25 through 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from influenza

New CDC Recommendations for People with Flu-Like Illness

On August 5, the CDC revised its recommendation about how long people with flu-like illness should stay home and away from other people to prevent spreading the flu. CDC now recommends that those with flu-like illness stay home until at least 24 hours after their fever is gone, without using fever-reducing medicines like acetaminophen or ibuprofen.

This information is important for Town of Amherst employees, and we will be communicating more information about this issue in the coming weeks and months.

Previously, CDC had recommended that people stay home for seven days after they became ill or 24 hours after they had no symptoms, whichever was longer. The change in recommendation is based on what we learned about the new H1N1 virus during spring 2009 and is designed to decrease the risk of spreading the flu while also reducing the disruption to society caused by people staying home for long periods.

During spring 2009, most people infected with the new H1N1 flu had fevers for 2-4 days. By tailoring the recommendation to how long someone with flu has a fever, people with less severe illnesses will be able to return to their daily lives sooner, while also protecting others from the flu during their most contagious period.

The new recommendation applies to camps, schools, businesses and other community settings where most people are not at high risk for flu complications. It does not apply to healthcare settings.

The recommendations for healthcare remain at 7 days after symptoms began or until all symptoms are gone, whichever is longer.

The guidance applies to all people who have the flu or flu-like illness, even if they are taking antiviral drugs. It’s important that those with flu-like illness stay home while sick, except to seek medical care, and avoid contact with other people. People give off more flu virus when they have a fever. So staying home during this time will be especially important to not spread the flu to friends, co-workers and fellow students.

Even when fever has subsided, people can continue giving off the flu virus. They should take steps to protect others, like voiding close contact with people they know are at high risk of flu complications, frequently washing hands and covering their mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing.

Because not everyone ill with the new H1N1 flu will have a fever, it is important for everyone to wash their hands frequently and follow good hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette so they don’t unknowingly infect others.

If you have any questions, or are unsure whether you should stay home from work or not, please call your healthcare provider or the town's Public Health Nurse at extension 3077.