Old-fashioned horse sense is the best swine flu defense

On Monday, officials at Grinnell Regional Medical Center (GRMC) participated in a teleconference with representatives of other facilities around the state, including Grinnell College, and the Iowa Department of Health, to discuss one thing—the H1N1 (also called swine flu) virus.

“The Iowa Department of Public Health covered an immense amount of information,” said Patty Hinrichs, GRMC regional public health coordinator.

“I think [Poweshiek County is] prepared.” According to Hinrichs, the state wants to communicate to everyone that the seasonal flu vaccines will continue and that people are urged to get them as soon as they can.

They will also dispense the vaccine for the H1N1 virus as soon as it becomes available under a specific order, with pregnant women the top concern.

Caregivers of children 6 years and younger are also atop the list of primary recipients, she said, because children that young cannot receive the flu vaccine.

School-aged children are also a concern. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has issued a set of guidelines for the upcoming school year for the H1N1 (swine flu) novel influenza A virus.

“We’ve received a lot of calls from nurses at area school districts,” Hinrichs said. “There are so many variables.” For example, she said, there has not been a confirmed case [of H1N1] in Poweshiek County.

Still, officials want to be prepared.

In the Grinnell-Newburg School District, officials have taken the first steps.

“The district does have in place mechanisms for alerting parents to emergencies,” said Edie Eckles, superintendent.

“As in all situations, we assess the specifics to determine the nature of our response. We will continue to reinforce good hygiene practices, and continue to be diligent in cleaning our facilities.”

Still, there is some concern because a vaccine will not reach schools until October—school starts in Poweshiek County near the end of August.

According to Tom Newton, director of the Iowa Department of Health, when students go back to school, they are going to be in closer quarters, which makes them highly susceptible.

“We won’t have the vaccine until October, and that’s the optimistic picture,” he said. “So, you’re going to have several weeks where you have the H1N1 virus spreading throughout the schools without a vaccine available.”

School officials and parents are being urged to use common sense. “If you have one child sick, that’s one thing,” said Education Secretary Arne Duncan. “If you have a whole host of children getting sick, that’s another.”

According to Duncan, the decision to close any school will rest with local school officials.

“We hope no schools have to close, but realistically, some schools will close this fall,” he said. “What we want to do is empower the local governments ... to make the right decision.”

It his hoped, Duncan said, that school districts can avoid the chaos of last spring when more than 700 schools across the country closed.

The U.S. government issued guidelines for schools to follow for the 2009-2010 school year. Unlike regular seasonal flu, the H1N1 virus has not acted like a regular flu virus and retreated in the summer months.

The virus has so far infected more than 1 million Americans—the CDC reports that as of July 31, there have been 353 deaths in the country, while 5,514 people have been hospitalized.

Closer to home, the first death in Iowa attributed to the virus was reported last week—health officials said that a middle-aged person from eastern Iowa succumbed to the virus.

Iowa law prevents public health officials from releasing medical information that could be used to identify a person, officials said.

“For most people, the H1N1 virus is causing mild illness,” Newton said. “This death reminds us that the virus continues to circulate in Iowa and does have the potential to cause severe illness and death.”

State officials have confirmed at least 208 cases of H1N1 in Iowa. However, the virus is no longer classified as a reportable disease.

Officials say that the virus is being treated in the same way as seasonal flu. State health officials, though, continue to stress cleanliness as a first line of defense against the virus.

The best defense, they say, is to wash hands frequently and especially after sneezing and coughing, and use a tissue or your elbow and sleeve—not your hands.

Currently, children are listed as a top priority for the first doses of any vaccine, but because of the time needed to test and manufacture the vaccine, it’s estimated that inoculations won’t begin until mid-October.

Federal officials say that states and school districts should be preparing for the possibility of mass vaccinations.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said separate guidelines would be issued soon for preschools, day-care centers and colleges and universities.

“It is really the dorm environment that presents some challenges,” Sebelius said.

UPDATED August 11, 2009 1:09 PM