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On Monday November 30th, we received our first batch of only 100 H1N1 shots
which are government mandated for the following priority groups. (Hundreds of our patients have called and requested this so we expect it will be gone before the end of the week
and we will update accordingly.) Call and schedule an H1N1 appointment if you are in a priority group. These are official government restrictions!
- Pregnant women
- People who live with or care for infants under 6 months old
- People who work in health care or emergency medical services
- People aged 6 months through 24 years
- People aged 25 through 64 years who have chronic health problems or a compromised immune system.
The Swine Influenza: What Our Patients Need To Know
We here at Yaffe,
Ruden and Assoc. have been overwhelmed by the number of phone calls that we have gotten about the Swine Flu and would like to put some of your concerns at ease. The following information was released from the New York
Dept. of Health and it is the most recent.
What is swine influenza?
Swine flu is a respiratory infection caused by influenza viruses that regularly cause outbreaks in pigs. There have been reports of serious illness and deaths due to swine flu in Mexico, but the recently confirmed cases in the United States have been mild , and the majority of cases are already recovering.
What are the symptoms of swine influenza?
Swine flu symptoms appear to be similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, lethargy, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu.
How does swine influenza spread?
Swine flu viruses can be directly transmitted between pigs and people. Human-to-human transmission is also possible, and appears to be occurring with this outbreak. Spread is mainly through coughing or sneezing. People may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
Who is at risk for swine influenza?
Anyone who has contact with an infected person may be exposed to swine flu. Human transmission is thought to occur in the same way as seasonal flu: through aerosolized particles that are released when an infected person coughs or sneezes. However, the New York Health Department has recognized that only those who have been in direct contact with a person that has traveled to Mexico, or have had exposure to those CONFIRMED SWINE FLU INFECTED INDIVIDUALS, are developing Swine Flu. They are recognizing that PEOPLE WITH OUT CONTACT OF KNOW INFECTEES (who are being quarantined in their homes and virtually not out in public) are at almost NO RISK of getting swine flu.
How can I protect myself from swine influenza?
Here are the best ways to avoid getting or spreading swine influenza:
1. Cover your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze.
2. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective, such as
antibacterial gels.
3. Try to limit close contact with sick people, which includes hospitals and doctor's offices ( and waiting rooms full of sick people).
4. If you get sick, limit contact with others
to avoid infecting them.
What should I do if I have flu-like symptoms?
Anyone experiencing fever, cough or sore throat should stay home from work or school for at least 7 days, and not return until one to two days after
the symptoms end.
**** IF YOU ARE EXPERIENCING HIGH FEVERS, BODY ACHES, SORE THROAT, COUGH, PLEASE CALL YOUR HEALTH CARE
PROVIDER BEFORE COMING TO THE OFFICE, TO LIMIT SPREAD AND HE/ SHE WILL MAKE FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS **** **** SEEK IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ATTENTION IF YOU ARE HAVING ANY TYPE OF SEVERE
RESPIRATORY DISTRESS (YOU CANNOT BREATH OR HAVE CHEST PAIN) ****
Should I be tested for swine flu?
Please note that we
do not have testing for Swine Flu, here at Yaffe, Ruden Assoc. If you have severe symptoms, meeting the criteria above call first, and we will triage you via the phone.
Knowing you have swine flu will not affect
the treatment you receive, but testing certain affected people can help health authorities track the spread of the disease. The Health Department recommends testing only when people experience severe symptoms or fall
sick in clusters! The laboratory tests require only a nasal swab.
Is there a vaccine for swine flu?
At this time, there is no vaccine for swine flu. The season influenza vaccine does not provide
protection against swine flu. This makes ordinary precautions, such as covering coughs and washing hands, all the more important.
If I experience flu symptoms, do I need medication?
The antiviral
medicines Tamiflu (oseltamivir) and Relenza (zanamivir) can help alleviate swine flu symptoms, and are particularly important for people with severe illness or with risk factors for complications from flu or those with
CONFIRMED DIRECT SWINE FLU EXPOSURE, if given within 48-72 hrs. Remember that anti-viral medication are not CURATIVE, they are used to decrease the prolongation of the illness.
YAFFE AND RUDEN ASSOCIATES WILL NOT BE GIVING OUT ANTIVIRALS "JUST IN CASE" OR AS PROPHYLAXIS UNLESS YOU HAVE HAD DIRECT CONFIRMED EXPOSURE TO A PERSON WITH SWINE FLU, IT
WILL DECREASE THE EFFICACY OF ANTIVIRALS IF YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM IS EXPOSED TO RALENZA OR TAMIFLU AND YOU DO NOT HAVE THE FLU.
What are the signs of more severe illness with swine flu?
If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.
In children urgent medical attention includes:
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
- Fever with a rash
In adults, symptoms that need emergency medical attention include all inclusively together, not exclusively.
- Flu Like symptoms
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
What should I do if someone I live with has confirmed swine flu? Use all the above precautions that we mentioned and the following below. Call your health care provider. You do not need to be preventatively treated unless you were exposed to someone with documented Swine Flu . If we treat everyone who desires treatment and who want it "just to be safe" without any Swine Flu infected people the antivirals will become ineffective at aiding in those who
REALLY NEED THEM. If you are truly concerned consider using
a facemask or an N95 respirator. These can be purchased at a pharmacy or hardware-type store. If you use a reusable fabric facemask, it should be laundered with normal laundry detergent and tumble-dried in a hot dryer.
Wash dirty dishes and eating utensils in either a dishwasher or by hand with warm water and soap. You do not need to separate eating
utensils for use by a patient with influenza.
Can household cleaning help prevent transmission?
Yes. To help prevent transmission, all hard surfaces, such as doorknobs, refrigerator door handles,
telephones, and bathroom surfaces, should be washed with soap or detergent, rinsed with water and then disinfected and rinsed. Disinfectants are those with "registered disinfectant" on the label. If
disinfectants are not available, use a chlorine bleach solution made by adding 1 tablespoon of bleach to a quart (4 cups) of water. Use a cloth to apply this to surfaces and then rinse them with water. Dispose of the
used bleach solution and mix a fresh solution when repeating the cleaning process. Use sanitizer cloths to wipe electronic items (phones, computes, remote controls) that are touched often.
Can I get the Swine Flu after eating pork?
No, because it is transmitted through respiratory droplets and inhalation, it is not a digestive virus as far as we know. What can I do if my anxiety
about the situation feels overwhelming?
During the outbreak of Swine Flu in New York City, you and your family may experience more stress than usual. Please use your solegm judgement in this situation and take
into account that the media has exacerbated this event, so please be smart about where you get your information. This flu is like the regular influenza that we see every year. It will more severely affect the
young and the old, but MAJORITY will recover just like they do when they get sick normally. Those in Mexico who are thought to be experiencing mortality as a result of a poor immune system (without preventative health
care) and an inability to get supportive treatment (Iv fluids, Tylenol etc). If your stress feels overwhelming, consider seeking professional help.
You can also
call 800-LIFENET, a 24-hour, 7-day-a-week crisis hotline. LifeNet is staffed by mental-health professionals who speak a variety of languages.
English: 800-LIFENET (800-543-3638)
Spanish: 877-AYUDESE (877-298-33730)
Asian languages: 877-990-8585
Deaf/Hearing Impaired (TTY): 212-982-5284 or www.mhaofnyc.org.
Seeking information is healthy, but watching report after report about
swine flu may be distressing, especially for children. Parents should limit children's news-watching, watch the news with their children, and talk to them about the events that are occurring.
I was in Mexico recently. Does that mean I'm at risk?
Not necessarily, but you should pay close attention to your health for the first 7 days after you return home. If you become sick with a fever and a cough or
sore throat, or you have trouble breathing during this period, see a doctor. Should I send my children to school?
Yes. So far only one school, St. Francis Preparatory in Queens, is closed. There
is no reason for anyone else to keep their children at home unless they are sick.
What is the Health Department doing about the swine flu outbreaks in New York City?
Testing has confirmed a cluster of
swine flu at St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, but all of the cases have been mild. Some family members of ill children have become ill, suggesting that it's spreading person to person at this time. We don't
know if this spread will be sustained especially in the Summer (because heat kills the virus).
For facts about influenza, and more information about swine flu, please visit the Health Department and CDC
websites. Some specific resources:
From New York City Health Department
Facts about flu
http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/cd/cdinflu.shtml
From Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/general_info.htm
Dr. Deepa Barot |
