Lyon County health officer responds to ESU H1N1 case
Ann Mayo discusses the case of H1N1 at Emporia State University
By Brandy Nance
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
A confirmed case of H1N1 Influenza A is being reported at Emporia State University.
Lyon County Health Officer Ann Mayo said tonight that the student, who lives off campus, was sent home and is recovering well.
Mayo said ESU is following the guidelines set by the Centers for Disease Control in terms of how H1N1 Influenza A is to be handled on campus. These guidelines include having people stay home when they are sick and frequent hand washing. Students also are being encouraged to self-monitor symptoms and self-quarantine if they are sick, Mayo said. If a student is sick they can go to the campus health center of the Flint Hills Community Health Center for treatment.
Mayo said younger people and people with compromised immune systems are being hit the hardest by H1N1 Influenza A. People with compromised immune systems are encouraged to stay away from crowds and get vaccinated for the seasonal flu and H1N1 Influenza A when the vaccination becomes available. There will be two seasonal flu clinics in Emporia available to the public. One will be on Sept. 23 at Newman Regional Health and the other will be on Oct. 6 at the Lyon County Fairgrounds. The second one is being run by the Lyon County Health Department.
The H1N1 Influenza A vaccine should be available sometime in October and at first likely will only be available to a select group – those hardest hit by the virus. This group includes people under 24 and children. However, no specific guidelines have been set, Mayo said.
Mayo said people over the age of 65 aren’t being hit as hard by the H1N1 Influenza A flu and that group likely will be that last group to be offered the vaccine.
“The attack rate is pretty low for them,” Mayo said.
Mayo also encourages parents, families and workplaces to plan ahead for the flu. Parents should plan ahead if a child is sent home sick and make arrangements for who is going to take care of that child. Places of business should plan ahead in case mass amounts of employees are off sick and what the business will do in response to that situation, Mayo said.
How to prevent the spread of flu:
• Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer to get rid of most germs.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
• Stay home when you are sick to avoid spreading illness to co-workers and friends.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue and properly dispose of used tissues.
• Stay healthy by eating a balanced diet, drinking plenty of water and getting adequate rest and exercise.
Source: Kansas Department of Health and Environment
For more information on the flu, go to http://www.kdheks.gov/ or http://www.cdc.gov/
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
the sky is falling!
Seriously, where do I get one of those people pods?
September 8, 2009 at 8:45 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
HenryVIII (anonymous) says...
Wrong thread, Steve, or just drunk?
This is interesting and informative. I don't think it was meant to warn us of the end of the world.
'enry
September 8, 2009 at 9:05 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Blackshirt (anonymous) says...
It's the flu! Lock up your wives and children, stay off the streets, better yet go see Corbinski at his place!
September 8, 2009 at 9:51 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
MerryCarol (anonymous) says...
I don't get what Steve and Blackshirt are saying, or rather, why they are saying it.
The flu goes around every year. It is miserable and some people get very sick from it. My husband and I both caught pnemonia from having the flu one year.
But nobody wants to feel as sick as most of us feel with the flu. I hate it when someone comes to work sick and exposes the rest of us. I hate getting in line at the store and the checker is coughing and blowing her nose.
If the flu means little to you, fine. But PLEASE, stay home if you have the flu. Don't go to work, don't go to church, don't shop if someone else will shop for you. Stay away from people for the few days you are sick.
It isn't just this flu, but any flu. I'm not overly concerned about the H1N1 flu. It doesn't sound any worse than any other flu. I'm concerned about the flu of any name.
Just do your best not to spread it if you get it.
September 8, 2009 at 10:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
nope, not drunk, just a little tired of over-hyped news stories about H1N1.
According to the CDC seasonal flu cases affect over 200,000 people and is fatal to 26,000 every year. Has H1N1 come close to this?
Everything in the story about prevention and treatment of the flu was taught to me in my 7th grade health class back in , well never mind. However, I disagree with the above article if you have the symptons, DON'T go to the clinic or doctor and spread it to others, stay at home, drink fluids and get rest.
MerryCarol, you are correct, any flu can be harmful, especially to those with COPD and other lung disorders.
But the constant banging on the drum of doom and gloom about H1N1 by the press does nothing to protect the public.
September 9, 2009 at 1:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
One_Voice (anonymous) says...
Steve,the constant banging on the drum of doom and gloom about H1N1 by the press IS doing something to protect the public, Got YOU to make several comments about it, Got You to read a story about it, and it Got YOU to think about it enough to remember what you were taught Years ago about the flu, So it sure looks to me as if some of the "public" is being protected in some way. JMO
September 9, 2009 at 5:35 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Steve_Corbin (anonymous) says...
Yep, guess you are right.
September 9, 2009 at 8:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
P.P.F.A. is a not for monetary profit organization with the purpose of protecting everyone from everything by placing them in protective pods. Once in the pods people will be taken care of by self-sacrificing patriotic volunteers who will have to weather the storms of the world outside.
A few questions we get often at P.P.F.A. are, "Is it enough to protect peoples clothes from the stinky stuff of the world? Will anything be done to keep my clothes smelling fresh?"
We have considered these questions and have come up with what I feel is a great solution. Once a month we will put a dryer sheet in your pod with you and roll your pod down a gently sloping hill so your clothes can stay dryer fresh while your remain safe and secure.
We try to think of everything to make your pod experience joyous and gleeful but we still appreciate your input and find it invaluable.
P.P.F.A.
People Pods For America
September 9, 2009 at 9:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
callalily (anonymous) says...
This flu is not mild for everyone, unfortunately, and right now it's hard to predict who will have a severe case. The news is that there are some people with a genetic factor (possibly HLA) that causes this flu to attack their lung tissue and cause a rapid decline. That's why it's still important to try to limit the spread until there is a vaccine.
September 9, 2009 at 10:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )