Hospital, schools prepare for flu season

by JOHN LASKO

News-Times reporter

The H1N1 "swine" flu virus is everywhere. From door knobs, to computer keyboards, money and even napkins. If a sick person touches something that you come in contact with -- even hours later -- you can get sick.

Peggy Gnizak, an infectious disease control nurse with EMH Regional Health Care System told the News-Times the emergency room at Amherst Hospital has been operating at more than 100 percent over capacity since flu season began.

Anyone complaining of flu-like symptoms is treated as if they have the swine flu. They are required to don a mask in an attempt to curb the illness from spreading to others. Then they will be evaluated by a doctor or nurse.

"H1N1 isn't the part of the normal flu season, it's in its own little oddity," Gnizak said. "What we found is that the normal test that we use to detect the flu is very limited in its ability to detect H1N1, meaning we're getting lots of false negatives."

The test consists of a nurse swabbing the inside of an individual's nose. The specimen is then shipped to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta where it can take nearly three weeks before doctors know the results of the test.

"Forty to 70 percent of the time, tests results that come back negative could be wrong," Gnizak said. "So, what you can expect anymore is to be diagnosed based on fever, cough, congestion, body aches and a little more of the abdominal component like nausea and vomiting -- but not in every case."

Nearly 90 percent of residents who come through the emergency room doors of Amherst Hospital complaining of flu-like symptoms are usually sent home with Tylenol.

"The message that we are really trying to get out to people is we've had the luxury of watching this virus over the summer and we feel comfortable saying that it is really going to be like any other flu season," Gnizak said. "Even though we were frightened in the spring about this and we've learned a lot about it since then."

The EMH Regional Healthcare System -- which owns and operates Amherst Hospital -- has ordered more than 3,000 doses of the new H1N1 vaccine. While Gnizak does not know how much the hospital will actually get from the Ohio Department of Health, residents who are allergic to eggs will not be able to receive the vaccine.

"The same people who can't get the seasonal (flu) vaccine, can't get this one because it's actually grown in chicken eggs," she said.

So far, there have been no confirmed H1N1 "swine" flu cases at Amherst Hospital.

Todd Stewart, the interim operations coordinator for the Amherst Exempted Villages Schools, told the News-Times they have seen probable, but not any confirmed, H1N1 cases in the district.

"I know of one student from the high school who was hospitalized at the Cleveland Clinic, but I don't know what her symptoms were, but according to the parents, it was from the H1N1 virus," he said.

On Tuesday, Oct. 13, there were 469 students absent throughout the school district. There were 231 students from Marion L. Steele High, 79 from Amherst Junior High, 72 from Nord Middle, 16 from Harris Elementary, 29 from Powers Elementary and 42 from Shupe Elementary schools absent.

Compare those numbers to 325 students -- 158 from Steele, 48 from Amherst Junior High, 39 from Nord Middle, 11 from Harris Elementary, 35 from Powers Elementary and 34 from Shupe Elementary schools -- who were absent on this date one year ago.

This means 144 more students were out sick this year compared to last year.

"We're constantly wiping down desks whether it's the custodial staff or children using wipes in the classroom," Stewart said. "But there's more of an emphasis on teachers getting them to wash their hands more often whether it's before or after lunch or before and after using the restrooms. It's different from K-12 how we're going to do this, but I know most of the teachers bring in their own antibacterial pumps or wipes for the kids to use."

For the rest of the flu season, any student who complains of or exhibits flu-like symptoms will be sent home.

The school district recommends parents wait 24 hours after the child's fever goes down and their symptoms go away before sending them back to the classroom.

Stewart said teachers are getting their students to cough and sneeze in their sleeve, instead of their hand. Plus, elementary school age children are also learning the proper way to wash their hands.

"The safety and well-being of these kids is our utmost importance," he said.

While Stewart hopes the proactive measures will curb the spread of the illness, and keep the Amherst city schools open, there is a lingering thought in the back of his mind of the possibility schools could close due to a bacteria doctors call the H1N1 virus.

"It's certainly not off the table," he said. "If there was a significant impact on the education of the students meaning that we have three or four kids in a class of 25, there might be a reason to close. We're going to do everything we can to stay open because that's the way it should be."

The symptoms of the H1N1 influenza are similar to the seasonal flu. They include a fever of 100 degrees or higher which lasts three to four days, cough, headache, moderate to sever body aches and pains, exhaustion which lasts two to three weeks, stuffy nose, sneezing, as well as nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.

According to Gnizak, children younger than two, pregnant women, senior citizens and those suffering from chronic pulmonary and respiratory disorders should seek immediate medical attention if they start feeling under the weather.

"A lot of times the CDC is recommending these groups be given what we call antivirals, but the public knows it more commonly as Tamiflu," she said. "We don't want to give Tamiflu to everyone who has H1N1 because the reason for that is influenza is a virus that has the ability to become resistant to treatment very quickly and so the more people we give Tamiflu, the more this virus is exposed to it or the other antivirals, the more quickly it becomes resistant."

Also, anyone who has difficult or labored breathing, chest pain, dizziness or confusion, as well as severe or persistent vomiting should also head toward the emergency room.

Gnizak recommends everyone get the regular seasonal flu vaccine.