Safely Handling the H1N1 Virus - A Message from Jeffrey Schwartz

Im Jeff Schwartz, Chief Medical Officer for ECI. With summer ending and our children going back to school, please be aware of the continued threat of the H1N1 virus. According to the CDC, 159 million people are at risk of being infected in this country alone. Those most at risk are pregnant women, those in close contact with infants, health care and emergency services workers, children and young adults, and those under 65 facing disease or illness.

Through July, over 5,000 hospitalizations and 300 deaths worldwide have been attributed to H1N1. In fact, over 43,000 cases have been diagnosed in this country alone. With school starting, the CDC expects a resurgence of H1N1 We need to be ready for this and understand what we can do to help care for and control this serious disease.

H1N1 symptoms are like those of the seasonal flu; they include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills, and fatigue. Many patients with the virus also present with diarrhea and vomiting. H1N1 is spread by person-to-person contact through coughing and sneezing. Infection can also be spread by touching an object that has traces of the virus, and then touching your nose or mouth. Patients are contagious with H1N1 one day before they develop symptoms and up to seven days after they get sick. Children are often contagious even longer.

H1N1 can be detected in the ED by using a rapid results flu test, which typically offers results in 30 minutes or less. While positive test results indicate that infection is likely, negative results do not rule out an H1N1 infection. If there is strong clinical suspicion, patients should be started on anti-viral therapy. The CDC approves both Oseltamivir and Zanamivir for treatment of the virus. Treatment is most effective when started within 48 hours of illness onset, so anti-viral therapy should begin as soon as possible.

People can treat and prevent the H1N1 virus in the same way that they ward off the seasonal flu. This means covering their mouths and noses with tissues when coughing and sneezing; washing their hands with soap and water or with alcohol-based cleansers; taking extra precautions around patients with symptoms of the disease. If diagnosed with H1N1, patients should remain home from work or school for seven days after symptoms begin or until symptom-free for 24 hours.

In closing, Id like to commend each of you who cared for the H1N1 patients last spring. I would also like to thank you for your dedication and for the wonderful patient-care that you provide within our partnerships across the country. You all make a difference by being on the front lines and by delivering the highest quality healthcare.

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