More Information
WHAT SHOULD YOU DO IF YOU BEGIN TO FEEL ILL?
If you become ill with flu-like symptoms, including fever (greater than 100.4 degrees), body aches, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, you should stay home and avoid contact with others.
The Center for Disease Control recommends you stay home until you are free of fever for at least 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine. This means avoiding normal activities, including work, school, travel, shopping, social events and public gatherings.
"If you have flu-like symptoms, you should really stay home, unless they are severe," said Mark Thompson, MD, and chief medical officer at Monroe Clinic. "Most cases are mild to moderate in nature, so a hospital or clinic visit isn't usually necessary. However, if you are experiencing severe symptoms, you should contact your health care provider or seek medical care."
WHAT ARE SEVERE HEALTH PROBLEMS?
In children, severe health problems include:
• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms that improve but then return with a fever and a worsened cough
In adults, severe health problems include:
• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting
H1N1 COMMUNITY UPDATE PROGRAM
• "H1N1 Community Update - Swine Flu Facts From Experts Who Know" presented by experts from Monroe Clinic, Green County Health Department, Green County Emergency Management and the School District of Monroe. This free community event is part of Monroe Clinic's HealthADVANTAGE series.
• 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, at Monroe Clinic, Founders Hall (clinic building - lower level), 515 22nd Ave., Monroe.
• Registration: Call 877-865-1462 or visit monroeclinic.org and click on "Events."
• For additional information on the H1N1 influenza virus, visit www.pandemic.wisconsin.gov, www.flu.gov and www.greencountyhealth.org.
• Seasonal adult flu vaccinations (not H1N1) will be available for $25 on Monday, Sept. 28, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Monroe Clinic, New Glarus rooms (hospital building - 1st floor), 515 22nd Ave., Monroe. Call 608-324-1579 for a complete schedule of Monroe Clinic seasonal flu clinics.
"We are seeing more widespread illness than we experienced this past spring, which was anticipated," RoAnn Warden, director of the Green County Health Department, said Friday.
Warden said H1N1 activity slowed considerably during the summer.
Warden said the Green County Health Department continues to meet with local school district representatives, emergency management staff, health care providers and law enforcement personnel to adjust plans accordingly.
The Monroe Clinic reported five confirmed cases in the county, three diagnosed this summer. But those numbers may be misleading, because testing for the virus and counting the number of cases isn't being done as often as it was earlier in the spring, said Bernie Schultz, Monroe Clinic spokesperson.
Rather than coming in for testing, patients are being told to stay home and treat the symptoms as they would regular flu viruses.
"Because we have a few cases in the community and (because) testing is expensive and can be painful, once the virus is in the community, they've determined not to test," said Monroe School District nurse, Lori Soderberg.
"The important thing to remember is that if people follow the recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the chances of spreading the virus are greatly decreased," Warden said.
"The message we are trying to get out is pretty straightforward - practice good respiratory hygiene, wash your hands frequently, get vaccinated, avoid others if you feel ill, and, if possible, avoid others who are ill," she said.
Warden and Soderberg are part of a panel of health experts assembling Monday at Monroe Clinic for a community update on H1N1, also known as swine flu. Warden will be covering information about the new H1N1 vaccine and how people can protect themselves. Joining Warden and Soderberg on the panel are Mary Flynn from Infection Control at Monroe Clinic, Tanna McKeon from Green County Emergency Management and CJ Smith, DO, from Monroe Clinic. The public is invited to the free event, but registration is requested.
An H1N1 vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration is in production. The vaccine's anticipated availability is mid-October to early November, but when vaccines will become available to certain counties and states is unknown, Warden said.
"At this point, we anticipate receiving the H1N1 vaccine in our area within the next month or so," Warden said. "However, that really isn't something we can control. But, once we start to receive the vaccine we will administer it based on our Green County vaccination plan."
Soderberg will review all the measures being taken at Monroe schools to reduce students' chances of contracting the virus, as well as the district plans in the event of a pandemic outbreak.
The Monroe School District is not aware of any H1N1 cases in its schools, she said.
School absentee rates were higher than normal last week, due to flu-like symptoms, but have come down this week, according to Soderberg. Students reported being absent for sinus problems, strep throat and vomiting and diarrhea, but not for fevers.
"That's a good thing," she said, because H1N1 and other flu viruses produce symptoms of fever.
For now, students are being watched carefully and sent to the office for assessments if they show signs of illness. Soderberg said parents also are more aware of the virus and are keeping children who are sick at home.
n "H1N1 Community Update - Swine Flu Facts From Experts Who Know" presented by experts from Monroe Clinic, Green County Health Department, Green County Emergency Management and the School District of Monroe. This free community event is part of Monroe Clinic's HealthADVANTAGE series.
n 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 28, at Monroe Clinic, Founders Hall (clinic building - lower level), 515 22nd Ave., Monroe.
n Registration: Call 877-865-1462 or visit monroeclinic.org and click on "Events."
n For additional information on the H1N1 influenza virus, visit www.pandemic.wisconsin.gov, www.flu.gov and www.greencountyhealth.org.
n Seasonal adult flu vaccinations (not H1N1) will be available for $25 on Monday, Sept. 28, from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Monroe Clinic, New Glarus rooms (hospital building - 1st floor), 515 22nd Ave., Monroe. Call 608-324-1579 for a complete schedule of Monroe Clinic seasonal flu clinics.