Swine flu symptoms are mild
Dr. Herman Ellis, Delaware Division of Public Health medical director, said Thursday, April 30, the Centers for Disease Control confirmed the students’ exposure to the H1N1 influenza virus.
Ellis said the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is also testing swabbed samples taken from 12 additional UD students to determine if they have been exposed to the swine flu virus.
He said test results would be available in a few days.
Ellis said it’s difficult to determine whether a total of 16 confirmed and probable positive cases is a significant number, “but based on severity, it’s a mild illness.”
He said in some cases those who tested positive for swine flu had symptoms less severe than he typically sees with seasonal flu cases.
“These individuals were actually able to walk in. Normally, when you have flu symptoms, you’re prostrate for a period of time, and it’s difficult to get your bearings and get out of the house,” Ellis said.
He said affected students have been instructed to “self-isolate,” but because influenza typically can be transmitted from person to person for up to four days after initial exposure, all of the students have already had contact with others.
“We will be recommending that contacts be treated,” he said.
The rapid spread of swine flu infections has raised public concern and has also raised the World Health Organization’s alert level to Phase 5 – one notch below pandemic alert.
World Health Organization (WHO) infectious disease experts said April 30 they think a move to pandemic alert Phase 6 is imminent.
A Phase 6 alert means outbreaks are seen at the community level and indicates the infection has spread globally.
But, said Ellis, a pandemic alert does not indicate disease severity.
“Phase 6 basically means the illness is spreading across borders,” he said.
Jennifer Wooleyhand, Division of Public Health spokeswoman said none of the UD students who tested positive have visited Mexico, which is widely thought to be where the disease broke out.
She said one student never left Delaware and the others had been to Illinois, New Jersey and Florida.
She said of the 12 students whose lab results are pending, only one had visited Mexico.
Wooleyhand said of the four who have been confirmed positive, three have remained in Newark and one has gone home.
She said public health officials did not know whether any of the affected students live in university dormitories. She said none of them has required hospitalization.
UD spokesman John Brennan said university officials didn’t know whether any of the students are acquainted.
University spokesman David Brond, said April 30, classes have continued uninterrupted, as have all other public events. He said there are no plans to close the school.
He said university decision-makers are in touch with state public health officials and CDC representatives and would follow their recommendations.
Ellis said the four students with confirmed positive results received antiviral medication and are well into the recovery phase of the disease.
Heidi Truschel-Light, Delaware Division of Public Health spokeswoman, said 102 public health professionals including doctors, registered nurses, pharmacists and others have been evaluating students at a temporary Newark neighborhood emergency center.
Truschel-Light said samples from a patient’s nose and throat are tested at Delaware’s public health laboratory to determine if the person is infected with influenza type-A or influenza type-B. Swine flu is type-A, Truschel-Light said.
“At the state level we can rule out a number of cases in terms of swine flu,” she said. State lab tests eliminate several strains of type-A influenza until reaching a point where the CDC lab must test to confirm swine flu infections.
She also said each test takes four to six hours to complete.
“We have two illnesses – seasonal flu and swine flu – that could be overlapping and symptoms are overlapping as well,” she said, Wednesday, April 29.
She said medical experts are investigating whether those who are severely ill contracted the virus directly from swine and those who are not as sick were infected through human-to-human transmission.
She said if there is a link between the severity of illness, types of influenza and route of infection, it wouldn’t be clear until more cases are seen and documented. She said as of April 22, 15 students who had exhibited flu symptoms had been given Tamiflu, an oral medication that can reduce the severity of flu symptoms.
Brond said about 400 students had visited the temporary clinic, set up on the Newark campus, and the university’s permanent healthcare facility.
“We’ve continued to encourage students to visit the health centers. Our goal is to continue to evaluate students as they come in,” Brond said.
He said he did not immediately know the total number of students who have received Tamiflu. Gov. Jack Markell has requested that a Centers for Disease Control team visit the state.
Ellis said precisely what the team would do once here hasn’t been determined.
“I haven’t discussed a specific scope of work with them, but I’m sure they’ll give advice related to investigations and treatment for contact,” he said. There’s been only one confirmed swine flu death in the United States – a 22-month old toddler from Metamoros, Mexico, who died in a Texas hospital.
The child and his family had been visiting relatives.
Symptoms of possible swine flu infection
Delaware public health officials recommend that anyone suffering from any of these symptoms seek care from their personal physician.
• Fever above 100 degrees F
• Sore throat
• Cough
• Stuffy nose
• Chills
• Headache
• Body aches
• Fatigue
To prevent spreading swine flu, the Center for Disease Control recommends:
• Avoid contact with those who are sick
• When coughing or sneezing, cover nose and mouth with a tissue or, if you don’t have a tissue, a shirtsleeve.
• Discard used tissues into trash
• After coughing or sneezing, wash hands with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
• Remain home if sick. If severely ill, such as trouble breathing, seek medical care.
