Locally, most of the people officially diagnosed with swine flu are students. Parents are having mixed reactions to sending their kids off to school with the growing number of confirmed cases of the highly contagious disease. "I'm surprised and I'm scared," says a mother of a seven year old. "I'm not concerned at all," says the father of a three year old. School districts like Sweetwater Unified are having their janitors do extra sanitizing, like wiping down every desk, and making sure there is plenty of soap for hand washing all day long. The spokesperson for the Center for Disease Control says everyone has to do their part to keep the disease from spreading. "Stay home if you are sick, but if you have more severe illness -- and in children that would be irritability, sinuses, not keeping any liquids down -- you need to go see a doctor in those situations," says Dr. Andrew Kroger. School administrators will notify parents if there is a confirmed case of swine flu at their school.
School officials can play a key role in stemming thes pread of swine flu, which has infected seven people across Southern California, state schools Superintendent Jack O'Connell said in San Diego Sunday.
The announcement came as Washington declared a public health emergency as an influenza virus has apparently mutated into a form that can be transmitted from human to human, and that can inflict misery or death on a population that has no immunity.
"We want to make sure we take all preventative measures as are necessary,'' O'Connell said at a San Diego news conference.
Officials with school districts around San Diego County can go to the state Department of Education Web site to download a free "Keep Our Schools Healthy'' tool kit that includes sample letters to send home to parents and posters to place on campus to remind children about proper hygiene. The tool kits come in multiple languages, O'Connell said.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced the nationwide health emergency at a White House press briefing Sunday. "That sounds more severe than really it is,'' she said. "This is standard operating procedure and allows us to free up federal, state, and local agencies and their resources for prevention and mitigation,'' she said.
Medical officials recommend frequent washing of hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water, covering your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, and remaining home when you get sick.
Public health officials are concerned that the disease, normally contracted by close proximity to pigs, is now jumping from human to human. "Flu viruses are extremely unpredictable and variable, outbreaks of infectious disease are extremely unpredictable and variable,'' said John Brennan, a White House aid, at a morning briefing in Washington.
Public health officials expect the flu to spread and warned it has the potential to become pandemic.
One of the San Diegans infected with swine flu had traveled to Mexico, but it was unclear if that is where the person became infected, said Dr. Richard Besser, acting CDC director.
The CDC has issued an outbreak notice for Mexico, but has not issued any travel restrictions.
O'Connell said parents should send their children to school on Monday.
"Our schools in California are safe,'' O'Connell said. "We want tomake sure our parents and professional educators so everything they can to keepour schools safe.''
To keep the outbreak in perspective, only a few children out of a state enrollment of 6.3 million students have been infected, he said.
211 San Diego
San Diego, CA – In response to the recent outbreak of Swine Flu in San Diego County, 211 San Diego has activated its call center for the public to call for non-emergency information related to swine influenza in the region. A public health emergency was declared on Sunday, April 26, by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The San Diego County Office of Emergency Services has activated 211, and has asked the public to dial 2-1-1 to speak with live specialists for information on the swine flu situation. 211 San Diego is the region’s primary place for 24/7, free community, health and disaster information. 211 works in partnership with the County of San Diego’s Office of Emergency Services (OES) to provide the public with up-to-the-minute information when called upon by OES to distribute urgent information to the public through its online disaster database, ReliefPoint, supported by Qualcomm Incorporated, Pangea Foundation, and the County of San Diego at the recommendation of Supervisor Greg Cox. Because this database is web-based, 211 San Diego will be sharing the system with 211s nationwide to better collect and report national information around this situation. “211 was here to answer the call during Firestorm 2007,” says the Chief Executive Officer, John Ohanian. “We are committed to public health and safety in our region, and to providing the public with a single place they can go to for accurate information 24/7 for their personal and public disasters.” Every hour of every day, someone in San Diego County searches for services, from food and housing assistance to care for an ailing parent or child. With more than 2,000 community agencies providing more than 5,000 health and human service programs in San Diego, finding one’s way can seem insurmountable. By dialing 2-1-1, clients work with a live call specialist to receive services and information tailored to their needs. During a disaster or public crisis, 211 partners with the County of San Diego’s Office of Emergency Services to be the central place for non-emergency disaster information during a disaster. During Firestorm 2007, 211 San Diego helped more than 120,000 residents connect to valuable resources like road closures, shelters, evacuations, and recovery assistance. 211 expects to help more than 220,000 clients this year connect to critical services and information like food, employment and housing assistance.
Medical Supplies
SAN DIEGO - In response to a Swine Flu epidemic spreading across Mexico, a Los Angeles-based international relief agency said Sunday it will send part of its standby disaster medical supply inventory to San Diego.
According to Richard Walden, a spokesperson for Operation USA, the supplies will be distributed among San Diego County's community-based clinics for possible free distribution should the flu reappear here.
Four persons in San Diego County have contracted swine flu, but all have recovered, officials said.
The gear being readied includes biohazard masks, latex gloves, and cleaning materials.
Walden said requests for medical supplies were also coming from Texas clinics, near a cluster of swine flu cases near San Antonio.
Operation USA maintains a large storage warehouse with medical supplies at the Port of Los Angeles.
Two More Cases Reported
SACRAMENTO (AP) -- Sacramento County officials say two more seventh-graders have tested positive for swine flu, increasing the number of confirmed cases in California to 13.
Three students in all at St. Mel School in the Sacramento suburb of Fair Oaks have tested positive for the flu. Tests on a fourth student, who reported feeling ill after a vacation in Mexico, came back negative Monday night.
All of the students' symptoms are mild. The 275-student school will be closed until at least Thursday.
The state Center for Infectious Disease has also confirmed five cases in San Diego and Imperial counties.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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