Health officials answer common flu questions
| Saturday, Oct 24 2009 12:00 PM
Last Updated Saturday, Oct 24 2009 12:00 PM
If you're having a hard time keeping up with the swirl of information surrounding H1N1 (swine) flu, seasonal flu, bird flu and maybe even your chimney flue, you're not alone.
So we collected a batch of frequently asked questions and sought out answers.
Here goes:
If I've had the flu, is it H1N1 or seasonal flu?
It's a virtual certainty it was the H1N1 flu, said Dr. Raj Patel, a Bakersfield physician who has seen flu cases increase more than tenfold at his practice.
"Seasonal flu doesn't start up until the second week of December," he said.
Denise Smith, assistant director of disease control for the Kern County Department of Public Health, agreed but also pointed out no one can be 100 percent sure because in most cases people are not being tested.
Does it matter which flu you have?
In most cases no, Smith said, because H1N1 and seasonal flu should be treated the same way: by staying home, staying hydrated, resting and treating fever.
When should I call the doctor?
Call if you have shortness of breath or you can't get the fever down with medicine like Tylenol, Smith said.
What's up with H1N1 vaccine supplies?
Months ago, national public health officials predicted large quantities of H1N1 vaccine would be available in most parts of the country by mid-October -- a prediction that has proved to be unrealistic because of production problems.
Way back in July, Kern County Public Health Officer Dr. Claudia Jonah told The Californian that the new vaccine would probably not be ready in significant numbers until November or December, a view that appears to be a bit more grounded in reality.
What's the impact?
Patel said it's already too late to prevent H1N1 infection of a huge chunk of the population.
"The train has left the station. It's already too late, I tell you," Patel said. "It is spreading geometrically."
Patel said he will continue to advise patients to be vaccinated, but predicted that six in 10 Americans will have been infected with H1N1 by the end of the year.
Smith said even if you've had the flu you should get the H1N1 vaccine. As viruses spread, she said, they can mutate.
Do doctors typically order a lab test to determine whether you have H1N1?
No -- and for several reasons, Patel said.
A lab test can cost hundreds of dollars, yet the results will likely not affect the treatment you receive. And because H1N1 will continue to be the predominant virus until the seasonal flu kicks in, an expensive lab test may be of limited value.
In very severe cases, tests are ordered and the results are reported to Kern County health officials.
How many will catch swine flu?
Two Purdue University researchers recently predicted in the journal Eurosurveillance that more than 60 percent of Americans will come down with H1N1 by the end of the year. More than half, however, are not expected to show any symptoms.
All nine of Kern County's fatal victims of H1N1 are said to have had "underlying health problems" that contributed to their deaths. What constitutes an underlying condition?
According to county Public Health, these conditions include, but are not limited to, heart disease, lung disease, immune deficiency, diabetes, asthma, obesity and even pregnancy.
What's happening statewide?
According to the California Department of Public Health, there have been more than 3,500 H1N1-related hospitalizations and 233 deaths in California as of Thursday evening. Although H1N1 is causing more severe illness in young children and people with the above-mentioned conditions, healthy individuals can also become seriously ill.
In the absence of sufficient numbers of vaccines, what can we do to fight the virus?
Following an announcement by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, state health officials are deploying half of the state's emergency stockpile of N95 respirators to local health departments for use in hospitals and clinics. The masks protect patients and health care workers from the spread of H1N1.
"We fully expect that, in time, enough vaccine will be available for everyone who wants to get vaccinated," said Dr. Mark Horton, director of the state Department of Public Health. "Meanwhile, continue to fight the flu by using common sense -- washing hands, covering coughs and sneezes and staying home when sick until 24 hours after symptoms and fever pass."
