Flu Info from the Federal Government
H1N1 Flu Advice from the Centers for Disease Control
Follow this advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
 Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people:
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact others to keep from infecting them.
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Questions and answers about the new swine flu
HEALTH: Yes, standard anti-flu drugs lessen symptoms if taken early.
by Lauran Neergaard, The Associated Press WASHINGTON - As the new swine flu spreads, people have lots of questions about how it affects their day-to-day life. Here are some answers.
Q: How easy is it to catch this virus?
A: It's spreading as easily as regular winter flu, which infects millions each year. Early estimates are that 25 percent to 30 percent of family members are getting sick once a relative brings it home.
Q: How dangerous is it?
A: Nobody knows yet. Genetically, it doesn't share the same traits that made the infamous 1918 pandemic so deadly, nor does it seem as virulent as the bird flu that scientists have tracked for several years. While Mexico reported many deaths, the virus is causing less severe illness in the U.S. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says most cases so far haven't needed medical attention.
Q: Could I have some immunity?
A: Since it's a never-before-seen mix of mostly pig but also human and bird viruses, the CDC has cautioned that's unlikely. But it is a member of the H1N1 family of flu viruses, which circulate widely. Flu specialist John Treanor at the University of Rochester says people born before 1957 spent their childhood repeatedly exposed to H1 viruses. So experts are withholding final judgment on that question.
Q: Is it treatable?
A: Yes, with the standard anti-flu drugs Tamiflu and Relenza. They lessen symptoms if taken within 48 hours of the first symptoms.
Q: Is there a vaccine?
A: No. The government is working to develop one and the earliest shots could roll out would be in the fall, if authorities decide the virus remains enough of a threat to offer those shots. Manufacturers are preparing regular flu shots for the fall, when routine influenza strains will start circulating regardless of swine flu.
Q: Why does CDC stress hand-washing?
A: Flu viruses do spread through the air, so cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or by sneezing into your elbow rather than your hand. But flu also can spread by touching your mouth or nose with unwashed hands. The viruses can live on surfaces such as doorknobs or handrails for a few hours, or be passed by a handshake.
Q: Do hand gels work better?
A: No, they're just an alternative, says Dr. Richard Besser, the CDC's acting chief. He keeps a bottle in his pocket. The bigger issue is to wash hands well enough to get rid of germs. Sing "Happy Birthday" or "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" to know you've scrubbed long enough, he advises.
Q: How long do I have to worry if I just got back from Mexico?
A: The incubation period is two days to seven days, regardless of where you were exposed.
Q: How long should I stay home if I get the flu?
A: Certainly call your doctor about bad symptoms or if you're at all worried, especially if you have any chronic condition, such as asthma, that makes you more susceptible to any kind of flu. But other than going out for medical care, stay home for seven days or for one day after symptoms end. The CDC also says family members should consider staying home or decreasing their contact with others in case they're incubating the infections.
Q: Why are so many schools closing?
A: It's not clear just how much good school closings do in slowing flu's spread. It doesn't help much if kids then gather at the mall or a friend's house or day care. But because children spread all kinds of viruses easily - they don't wash as well, have close contact in crowded classes, and sometimes are contagious for a few days longer than adults - the CDC has advised schools with cases to consider closing for at least 14 days.
Q: Can pets get sick?
A: Besser says there's no evidence that this flu affects anyone other than humans.
Q: Can flu spread on imported fruits and vegetables from Mexico?
A: No. It doesn't spread through any food, including pork.
Q: Is it safe to fly? How about the subway?
A: Yes, the CDC says. Just don't travel if you're sick - stay home.
Q: Do I need a mask in crowded areas?
A: The CDC hasn't yet recommended that anyone other than health workers use masks.
Q: Why hasn't the U.S. closed the border with Mexico?
A: By the time authorities detected the new virus, it already had spread here. That makes closing the border moot, the Obama administration says.
Q: I have a summer trip planned to a state with lots of cases. Should I cancel?
A: Not yet, just stay tuned, Besser advises. Doctors should know much more about this flu by then.
Q: Why did the government quit using the name "swine flu" this past week?
A: Because of concern that people thought they might catch the virus from pigs or pork - which is wrong. It is spread person to person.
Q: How can I get more information?
A: On the Web, check http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu or call CDC's 24-hour hot line, in English or Spanish, at 1-800-CDC-INFO.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Also appeared in the Daily News
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THE WHITE HOUSE
WEEKLY ADDRESS: President Obama Outlines Government Actions to Address the 2009 H1N1 Flu
from the White House
WASHINGTON – In this week's address, President Barack Obama outlined the quick and aggressive steps the federal government is taking to confront the challenge of the H1N1 flu virus. While the strain in the United States has not been as potent as the one in Mexico, it is impossible to say that this virus will not mutate into something more deadly. The steps include urging people with symptoms to stay home from work or school, distributing antiviral treatments from the Strategic National Stockpile, requesting $1.5 billion from Congress to invest in additional antivirals, emergency equipment and the development of a vaccine, and launching MySpace, Facebook and Twitter pages to update the public as quickly and effectively as possible.
The audio and video will be available at 6:00am Saturday, May 2, 2009 at www.whitehouse.gov
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Weekly Address
May 2, 2009
Over the last week, my administration has taken several precautions to address the challenge posed by the 2009 H1N1 flu virus. Today, I'd like to take a few minutes to explain why.
This is a new strain of the flu virus, and because we haven't developed an immunity to it, it has more potential to cause us harm. Unlike the various strains of animal flu that have emerged in the past, it's a flu that is spreading from human to human. This creates the potential for a pandemic, which is why we are acting quickly and aggressively.
This H1N1 flu has had its biggest impact in Mexico, where it has claimed a number of lives and infected hundreds more. Thus far, the strain in this country that has infected people in at least nineteen states has not been as potent or as deadly. We cannot know for certain why that is, which is why we are taking all necessary precautions in the event that the virus does turn into something worse.
This is also why the Centers for Disease Control has recommended that schools and child care facilities with confirmed cases of the virus close for up to fourteen days. It is why we urge employers to allow infected employees to take as many sick days as necessary. If more schools are forced to close, we've also recommended that both parents and businesses think about contingency plans if children do have to stay home. We have asked every American to take the same steps you would take to prevent any other flu: keep your hands washed; cover your mouth when you cough; stay home from work if you're sick; and keep your children home from school if they're sick. And the White House has launched pages in Facebook, MySpace and Twitter to support the ongoing efforts by the CDC to update the public as quickly and effectively as possible.
As our scientists and researchers learn more information about this virus every day, the guidance we offer will likely change. What will not change is the fact that we'll be making every recommendation based on the best science possible.
We will also continue investing in every resource necessary to treat this virus and prevent a wider outbreak. The good news is that the current strain of H1N1 can be defeated by a course of antiviral treatment that we already have on hand. We began this week with 50 million courses of this treatment in the Strategic National Stockpile. Over the course of the last few days, we have delivered one-quarter of that stockpile to states so that they are prepared to treat anyone who is infected with this virus. We then purchased an additional thirteen million treatments to refill our strategic stockpile.
Out of an abundance of caution, I have also asked Congress for $1.5 billion if it is needed to purchase additional antivirals, emergency equipment, and the development of a vaccine that can prevent this virus as we prepare for the next flu season in the fall.
The Recovery Act that Congress enacted in February also included expansions of community health centers, a dramatic increase in the training of health care workers and nurses, and $300 million for the development and deployment of vaccines – all of which will help us meet this threat.
Finally, thanks to the work that the last administration and Congress did to prepare for a possible avian flu pandemic in 2005, states and the federal government have fully operable influenza readiness plans and are better prepared to deal with such a challenge than ever before.
It is my greatest hope and prayer that all of these precautions and preparations prove unnecessary. But because we have it within our power to limit the potential damage of this virus, we have a solemn and urgent responsibility to take the necessary steps. I would sooner take action now than hesitate and face graver consequences later. I have no higher priority as President of the United States than the safety and security of the American people, and I will do whatever is necessary to protect this country. So I want to thank every American for their patience and understanding during this developing challenge, and I promise that this government will continue speaking clearly and honestly about the steps we're taking to meet it.
Thank you.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/WEEKLY-ADDRESS-
President-Obama-Outlines-Government-Actions-to-Address-the-2009-H1N1-Flu/ |
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Remarks by Secretary Napolitano and Education Secretary Arne Duncan
at Today's Media Briefing on the H1N1 Flu Outbreak
from The Department of Homeland Security
May 1, 2009
Office of the Press Secretary
Contact 202-282-8010
Washington, D.C.
Secretary Napolitano: This is part of our ongoing effort to keep people posted on what is happening and what we're seeing, and to begin to address frequently asked questions. And I'm pleased to be joined today by Secretary of Education [Arne] Duncan.
The most frequently asked question we are getting is: why this flu is being treated differently than seasonal flu? In other words, you don't normally see the Secretary of Homeland Security talking about the seasonal flu outbreak. And the answer is because this is a new strain of flu. And during seasonal flu, which we have every year, and unfortunately it does end up resulting in the hospitalization usually of about 200,000 Americans and about 35- to 36,000 fatalities, that's the normal with seasonal flu.
But with seasonal flu, we also have a large part of our population that have developed antibodies, or pretty good antibodies, against it, as opposed to what we're seeing now. And what the H1N1 is is a new strain of flu. And that means that the normal antibodies you would have haven't yet developed. And that's why, for example, you will see a population affected like previously healthy adults that wouldn't be affected as strongly with a seasonal flu. So that's why all the precautions.
And because this is a new strain of flu, the scientists are still figuring out the epidemiology. They're still figuring out exactly what we're dealing with as a flu virus. And for that reason, it's important to lean into this, as we are, take precautions, as we are, without really knowing whether this is—or what kind of pandemic this will be.
Let me pause a moment on the word "pandemic" because there's been a lot of concern also raised with the World Health Organization. They've gone from level three to four, and four to five. And what happens if they go to level six? Well, a couple of things. One is, what those numbers represent is how widespread around the world a new virus is. In other words, if we're at level six, it means it's in a lot of places.
Now, we already know it's in the United States. It's been in the United States the last week. So we've already been undertaking precautions. What the levels do is tell countries that don't yet have any illness the things they probably ought to be preparing for because they'd better expect that it's going to get there sooner or later.
So if this goes to level six, you will hear me say, as I've said, is we are already preparing as if it is going to level six because the virus is already in our shores. And we again are relying, in terms of everything we have done and will do, on the best that the scientists can tell us, but realize that the picture for them is changing also. And it changes regularly, and we move with that change as well.
But to recap the last few days, the Department of HHS [Health and Human Services] declared a public health emergency on Sunday to free up resources, to begin prepositioning antivirals and other types of personal protective equipment. That also allowed the execution of an emergency authorization. That allows the antivirals to be prescribed beyond the normal population that they would be given to.
We've initiated a process to move millions of treatment courses of Tamiflu and Relenza out to the states. We have a stockpile of 50 million courses. We're going to move roughly 11 million courses to the states. That movement will be complete by this Sunday. In the meantime, and since we last spoke, HHS has authorized the purchase of replacement. So even as we move antivirals out to the public or out to the states, we're replacing the national stockpile.
The State Department did issue a travel advisory for nonessential travel to Mexico. We have been providing daily briefings and updates to state and local public health officials and state emergency managers, coordinating our response efforts with them and ensuring an open line of communication. We're also providing daily briefings to the private sector, keeping them updated, and then really asking them to be partners here, to make sure they have looked at their continuity of business plans, and also make sure that they are thinking about their employees who may indeed, as this goes on, have to stay home from work either because they're sick or because they're with a child who is sick, so to be sympathetic to that.
We continue to emphasize that everybody has a role here. This is a shared responsibility, the government, the private sector government—and when I say that I mean all levels: federal, state, local, tribal—but also every individual. It's the common thing, and you're going to hear it a lot, which is: cover your mouth when you cough. Wash your hands regularly, and really wash them. Keep them washed. And also, if you are sick, stay away from school. Stay away from the workplace. Stay away from contained places like buses, airplanes, and the like, where you could spread the virus.
The President has requested $1.5 billion in additional funds to help with the costs associated with this outbreak of H1N1. And at his Cabinet meeting this morning, he convened a special Cabinet meeting to discuss the latest developments in the coordination of the government's response among all the various Cabinet agencies.
So that's kind of where we are to date. If you need updated numbers and the like, we can get those to you. I want to pause a moment and say that the actual number of cases is probably not the most relevant number. Really, the most relevant number is the number of states that the virus has been confirmed in. And I think we are at 11 confirmed states right now, with several others with suspected cases. And so that map is continually updated, and the National Operations Center, which is located here, updates those numbers twice a day. And when we say "confirmed," we mean confirmed by the CDC.
So with that, let me introduce the Secretary of Education, Secretary Duncan, to talk a bit about how this is affecting our school-age population.
Secretary Duncan : Thank you so much, Secretary, and thanks so much for your leadership and hard work on this issue. We are all rightly concerned about the potential health impact of this flu. But as Secretary of Education, I am also concerned about the impact of this flu on learning. As of today, about 430 public and nonpublic schools are closed for reasons related to this flu outbreak. And just to put that in a little bit of context, we have almost 100,000 schools in our country. So this is less than half of one percent of our schools that have been impacted.
Let me first speak to parents. The safety of your children is absolutely our number one concern.
To the school superintendents and principals: I urge you to continue to take your cues from public health officials in your area, in your state, and at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health and safety have to come first. If you have a confirmed case of H1N1 flu among children or adults at your school, or if anyone at your school is personally connected to someone with the flu, like a family member, then the CDC recommends you strongly consider closing school for up to 14 days.
Now to teachers. Teachers, we please ask you to think about reworking upcoming lesson plans so students can do their schoolwork at home, if necessary. Have assignments ready to keep them busy and engaged for up to a week or two, including handouts or books that students can take home so that learning continues. Make sure you know how to reach your students at home in case school does close. Maybe you can continue the classroom conversation and instruction by e-mail or online or by phone.
To parents and guardians, I know it can be inconvenient when your child's school is closed. If you have to stay home from work, use that opportunity to keep your children—keep your child up to speed. Learn about what they're learning in school, and keep them on task.
And finally, to our students: you also need to do your part. And the Secretary talked about this idea of shared responsibility. And also, most importantly, this school year isn't over yet. Don't fall behind your peers at other schools that are still in session. Keep working hard, and we absolutely want to finish this school year strong. Our basic theme is keep safe and keep learning. Thank you.
Secretary Napolitano : And one addition for that is if a school is closed and children or students are being asked to remain at home, for parents and guardians, that means they are to remain at home. The whole idea is to contain the spread of this virus. And we don't get the containment feature of closing a school if all our young people do is go to the mall or elsewhere. So if they're being asked to stay home, that's exactly what we mean.
And the reason we're asking that is because this is a flu that is transmittable human to human, and it's relatively transmissible. So again, close contact can provide an avenue for this flu to go from one to another. That's why we're watching and have a containment strategy with all of our advice for the public at large.
http://www.dhs.gov/ynews/releases/pr_1241217550973.shtm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Current Conditions
from the Department of Homeland Security
- There are no border restrictions in effect. U.S. Customs and Border Protection continues to monitor the health status of incoming visitors at our land, sea and air ports watching out for illness as part of their standard operating procedure.
- The Department will be conducting press briefings on the H1N1 (Swine) Flu as needed.
Medical
Veterinary
International
Schools
- Visit Department of Education for information about disseminating health information, planning for staff and student absences and school closures, and maintaining a learning environment.
Background
The federal government has been working to prepare for a possible pandemic for years. The National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza (PDF, 17 pages) outlines roles and responsibility and identifies lead deparments for:
Each department is responsible for coordination of all efforts within its authorized mission, and departments are responsible for developing plans to implement this strategy.
http://www.dhs.gov/xprepresp/programs/swine-flu.shtm
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