NEW YORK—The New York Health Department is investigating a cluster of swine flu at the St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens. As part of the investigation, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Monday afternoon confirmed swine flu in an additional 20 people associated with the St. Francis Preparatory School. Eight had already been confirmed as of last Friday. Approximately 140 students were complaining of symptoms.
The total number of cases in New York City stood at 28 as of Monday evening. All of the patients have suffered only minor illness. None have required hospitalization, and nearly all are already improving.
The Health Department has also identified 17 more probable cases within the St. Francis school cluster. Nasal swabs from those patients are undergoing confirmatory testing at the CDC.
Meanwhile the doors at St. Francis Preparatory School where 2,700 students attend were closed, and classes suspended through Tuesday as workers try to eliminate any swine flu that may be inside, thoroughly scrubbing the place with strong disinfectant.
Frederick Jolin, 14, one of the infected students told the Associated Press, “I’m feeling much better than yesterday,” he said. “I think it’s really scary—it’s at a point anybody could get it.”
A similar virus has recently caused 103 deaths in Mexico, but there are no severely ill people in New York City with swine influenza. All of the U.S. patients have fully recovered or are recovering.
The total number of cases in New York City stood at 28 as of Monday evening. All of the patients have suffered only minor illness. None have required hospitalization, and nearly all are already improving.
The Health Department has also identified 17 more probable cases within the St. Francis school cluster. Nasal swabs from those patients are undergoing confirmatory testing at the CDC.
Meanwhile the doors at St. Francis Preparatory School where 2,700 students attend were closed, and classes suspended through Tuesday as workers try to eliminate any swine flu that may be inside, thoroughly scrubbing the place with strong disinfectant.
Frederick Jolin, 14, one of the infected students told the Associated Press, “I’m feeling much better than yesterday,” he said. “I think it’s really scary—it’s at a point anybody could get it.”
A similar virus has recently caused 103 deaths in Mexico, but there are no severely ill people in New York City with swine influenza. All of the U.S. patients have fully recovered or are recovering.
The Health Department is closely monitoring health trends in New York City for evidence of a wider outbreak. Agency officials are also speaking regularly with all hospitals in New York City, and the agency’s syndromic surveillance system is monitoring numerous indicators, such as hospital admissions and emergency department visits, for increased flu-like illness. Moderate increases were observed over the weekend, but their significance is unknown.
The Health Department is issuing frequent health alerts to physicians holding conference calls with New York City hospitals. The agency is also disseminating information through its Web site (http://www.nyc.gov/health) to address public questions and concerns. Information is available online.
The federal government confirmed this weekend that it will release antiviral medication from the Strategic National Stockpile to prevent shortages in New York City should they occur.
With federal health officials doubling efforts to handle the spread of swine flu across the country, Representative Anthony Weiner for Brooklyn and Queens on Monday urged the State Department to issue an immediate advisory warning Americans about travel to Mexico.
“Mexico is the origin of this outbreak and we need to cut this spread off at the root by limiting travel. It’s important that we use this recent health crisis as a learning experience on what policy changes, if any, need to be implemented as we tackle health care reform,” Rep. Weiner said.
Swine flu is a respiratory infection caused by influenza type A viruses. It is rare in people, but human infections can occur. Human cases typically involve people who have had direct contact with pigs, but likely person-to-person transmission has now been reported in California, Texas, Mexico, and New York City. Again, the cases in Mexico have had a high fatality rate, but the confirmed cases in the U.S. have been mild and all patients have recovered without treatment. It is unknown how many mild cases have occurred in Mexico.
Symptoms
The symptoms of swine flu in people appear to be similar to the symptoms of regular seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting as well. New Yorkers experiencing severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, should seek health care and treatment. Otherwise, the Health Department recommends at-home care.
Treatment
The Health Department will continue to work with medical providers to test flu patients who develop severe illness or are associated with clusters, but does not currently recommend testing for all flu patients. Antiviral medications are believed to be effective if patients begin treatment within 48 hours of becoming ill. Treatment is particularly important for people with severe illness and those at risk of complications from flu, such as young children, the elderly, and people with chronic medical conditions.
Precautions
Eating pork or pork products cannot spread swine flu. The most effective way to lower the risk is for people with fever and either cough or sore throat to stay home. If they must go to get treatment from a doctor or emergency room, avoid using public transportation. All New Yorkers should cover their mouths when they cough.
Additional precautions:
* Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
* Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
