The Payne County Health Department is aware that there is a great deal of concern and confusion in the public regarding testing for individual cases of the new H1N1 influenza (swine flu) virus as well as the care of a sick person in the home.
“We now know that the new influenza virus has spread throughout the state, so testing individuals to determine if the disease is in the county is no longer necessary,” said Annette O’Connor, Payne County Administrative Director. “Please do not come to the health department to be tested or bring your sick children to be tested for swine flu.”
Pam Dvorak, RNC, Payne County Health Department District Nurse Manager, emphasized that whether one has seasonal flu or the new H1N1 influenza, the symptoms and treatment are the same, so testing to determine which kind of influenza an individual may have is not necessary unless the individual has been hospitalized. “We are no longer tracking cases of the new H1N1 flu in the county,” Dvorak said.
Dvorak noted that physicians’ offices can provide rapid flu tests to determine if a person has type A or type B flu. “Since the new H1N1 flu is essentially the only flu virus circulating right now, it’s likely that any person who tests positive for influenza A on the rapid flu test has the H1N1 flu virus,” she said. “Whether it is seasonal or the new flu, influenza viruses are spread from person to person in respiratory droplets when a person who has the virus coughs or sneezes and spreads those infected droplets to others.”
Symptoms of flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some persons also report diarrhea and vomiting.
“Persons who are ill should not go to work or school and should keep away from others as much as possible,” Dvorak said. “For mild flu symptoms that respond to over-the-counter medications, it is not necessary to see a doctor. However, if you are pregnant or have a health condition like diabetes, heart disease, asthma or emphysema, do check with your health care provider about appropriate treatment.”
People with mild flu symptoms can be cared for at home and should:
• Keep away from others as much as possible
• Do not go to work or school while ill
• Stay home for at least 24 hours after fever is gone (fever should be gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine)
• Get plenty of rest
• Drink plenty of clear non-alcoholic fluids to prevent dehydration
• Cover coughs and sneezes then immediately clean hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based rub
• Clean hands often, especially after using tissues or after coughing or sneezing into hands
• Wear a facemask if you can when sharing common spaces with other household members
Dvorak said sick persons should seek immediate medical care if they have trouble breathing; have purple or blue discoloration of the lips; are vomiting and unable to keep liquids down; have signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing, absence of urination, or in infants, a lack of tears when they cry; have seizures (for example, uncontrolled convulsions); or are less responsive than normal or become confused.
“Otherwise, stay home and get plenty of rest, drink clear fluids to keep from being dehydrated, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or cough or sneeze ‘into your sleeve’, and wash hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub, particularly after using tissues or coughing and sneezing into hands,” Dvorak said. “Persons should not return to school or work for at least 24 hours after fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.”
For those persons who are at high risk for severe complications from the flu, some antiviral prescription medications may help lessen influenza symptoms. Most people will not need them to fully recover from the flu. Health officials caution that aspirin should not be given to children or teenagers who have flu-like symptoms, particularly fever. Instead, use medications such as acetaminophen to relieve fever and muscle aches associated with the flu. The use of aspirin in children has been associated with Reye’s syndrome, a potentially fatal disease in children, causing harmful effects to many organs, including the brain and liver.
For more information, call the Payne County Health Department at 918/225-3377 or visit: https://h1n1.health.ok.gov.
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