Here is what the Daily Mail (the West Virginia newspaper not the UK one !)
have to say about their flu problem today. Thought it would be
interesting to share in a U.S.A. perspective of a similar problem:
Flu onslaught sending people to
Hospitals. Area facilities say increase not unusual
for
January
Wednesday January 05, 2000; 01:30 PM
Hacking coughs, high temperatures and
hit-by-a-truck
aches are sending Kanawha Valley residents to area
hospitals.
"We have seen quite a few people with the flu,"
said
Carrie Blair, charge nurse for the emergency
department at Charleston Area Medical Center's
General Division. "We're full."
St. Francis Hospital and Thomas Memorial Hospital
also report higher registrations.
But Blair said the emergency onslaught isn't
unusual for
this time of year.
"I'm not really surprised," she said. "I've been
here six
years. This is our season. We're seeing sore
throats,
fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stuffed
up
noses and coughs."
To avoid contagion, emergency personnel take
precaution to separate those with influenza from
others.
Ted Vidonic, office coordinator for emergency
services at CAMC, said that a comparison of the
last
four days of December with the first four of
January
shows the average number of patients per day has
increased at General from 72 to 82 and at Women and
Children's Hospital from 77 to 95.
Thomas officials have called in extra physicians
for
the last three days, said Dr. Therese Whitt,
medical
director for emergency services. Starting
Christmas,
the number of patients seeking help has swollen
from
the usual 90 a day to 120.
"The majority of the increase is people with
flu-like
symptoms," Whitt said. "For the lay person, flu is
a
wastebasket term. It can mean nausea, vomiting or
upper respiratory infections, coughs, sinus
drainage or
fever."
On the other hand, true influenza means respiratory
problems with a high fever and severe body pains,
followed by nausea and vomiting, she said. Elevated
temperatures lead to dehydration that can require
intravenous fluids.
"We always know when we seeing someone with true
influenza," Whitt said. "The most convincing
symptom
is they feel like they were hit by a truck. Even
adults
will see fevers as high as 104."
While the current rush may seem like an epidemic,
it's
actually been an average to mild year so far, said
Dr.
Cathy Slemp, epidemiologist for the state Bureau
for
Public Health.
Only three confirmed cases of influenza have been
reported by physicians in the state to the bureau,
said
bureau spokesman Mark Ferrell. But an interruption
in
reporting because of the holidays may be
responsible.
Also, physicians don't always submit the necessary
paperwork, Ferrell said.
A hot spot for influenza has occurred in Taylor
County,
said the bureau's Dr. Carl Berryman. He said he
knows
of no influenza deaths.
Some people may have gotten their flu shots too
early,
Whitt said. As a consequence, the protection they
afforded has waned.
The ideal time to take the shot for sustained
protection
is from late October to early November, Slemp said.
However, because the flu season usually peaks in
late
January to early February, there's still time to
get one.
"If you haven't gotten it, go get it," she said,
noting that
the protection is especially important for those in
high-risk groups, such as the elderly, the
chronically ill
or those taking care of others.
Regards
John Ryan
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