Area health officials prepared to combat swine flu outbreak locally

Area health officials are keeping close watch on the growing swine flu outbreak and are prepared if it hits the area.

The Virginia Department of Health has actually been preparing for an influenza pandemic for years, according to Charles Devine, acting health director for the Pittsylvania/Danville Health District.

“We have been planning for what is primarily referred to as the avian influenza, but those preparations fit the swine flu precisely,” he said during an interview Monday.

Preparations include having an epidemiologist on staff and specific physicians who follow influenza-like illnesses, as well as a method in place to vaccinate masses of people.

“That physician-reporting arrangement has been, is and will continue to be there,” Devine said. “We also have practiced arrangements to deliver medications, should it become necessary and if a vaccine for this particular influenza should become available.”

He said he had a “very busy weekend” staying on top of the developments, and trying to determine the extent of the problem and how serious it could become.

“I want to stress that there are no cases of swine flu in Virginia and, specifically, none in Danville or Pittsylvania County, although we are looking for them,” he said, “and every person in the United States who has had this has gotten better.”

Danville Regional Medical Center is also watching the outbreak closely and has begun preparations should they be needed.

“We started our preparations last Friday when the first alerts came to us,” Linda Sokos, infection preventionist and emergency preparedness coordinator at Danville Regional Medical Center, said Monday.

“I notified the communications department, the administration and the emergency department, and gave them the symptoms and case definition of which patients could potentially be swine flu patients.”

Sokos said the hospital receives alerts from the Virginia Department of Health as well as from the Near Southwest Preparedness Alliance, a regional emergency preparedness group made up of the hospitals in southwest Virginia.

“At this point, there is no panic, and we are keeping everyone up-to-date,” she said. “We are on top of it and have a plan in place if the swine flu becomes pandemic, and we would test patients appropriately.”

She explained that “pandemic” means that the flu would have broken out all over the world and would be a flu that people would not have typically been exposed to in the past.

“I monitored the progress throughout the weekend and sent communications out (Monday) morning to the entire group to keep everyone healthy with infection protection and control information,” she said.

The hospital already has respiratory hygiene stations in place wherever people wait, such as in the surgical and Emergency Department waiting rooms.

“They are stocked with hand cleansers, tissues and masks, and we have extras,” Sokos said.

She said that if patients come into the Emergency Department with flu-like symptoms and meet the case definition of a swine flu patient, the only thing so far the staff is doing differently at this level of the alert is getting a thorough travel history, as recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

“If it gets to the next level, we might get to the point that we stock up on antiviral drugs,” she said. “We are all on heightened awareness, (and) everyone knows what to do if it progresses.”

Devine said to diagnose swine flu, physicians would test for Influenza A. If that is positive and the patient has traveled to places in the U.S. where cases have been confirmed — California, Kansas, Ohio, Texas, New York City — or Mexico during the time he could have caught swine flu, the doctor will arrange for a testing specimen to be sent first to Richmond and then to the Centers for Disease Control for a determination of swine flu.

As soon as the diagnosis is confirmed, it is posted to the CDC Web site.

Devine said that the CDC and pharmaceutical companies are working now to see if a current vaccine might benefit the swine flu, but isn’t hopeful that one will be.

Mom’s advice is still the best, he said.

“Cover your nose and mouth when you sneeze and throw your tissues in the trash,” he advised. “Wash your hands and use liquid hand sanitizers, which are efficient when soap and water isn’t available.

“Avoid close contact with sick folks, and if you do get sick, the CDC and our health department advise staying home from work or school and going to see your doctor. Also, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.”

To stay abreast of the latest swine flu developments, Devine suggested visiting www.cdc.gov/swineflu.