LC takes precations against swine flu
Danielle Cox
Issue date: 4/30/09 Section: Health & Lifestyles
In the United States, 64 cases of the swine influenza have been laboratory-confirmed, including 45 cases in New York, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the pandemic alert level to phase four, which indicates that the virus has evolved to spread through confirmed human-to-human contact and is at risk to cause "community-level outbreaks." The pandemic alert system has six phases. Phases one to three are "predominately animal infections" with a few cases of human infection, and phases five to six indicate "widespread human infection," according to the WHO.
"An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, resulting in epidemics worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness," according to the WHO's website.
Health officials believe the virus may have originated in Mexico. The WHO has confirmed seven deaths in Mexico linked to the swine flu, while 150 deaths are being investigated, according to the BBC. No confirmed cases outside of Mexico have been fatal.
The symptoms of the swine flu are similar to the seasonal flu.
"The best thing to do for it is the same as the seasonal flu. Wash your hands, cover your mouth. Probably keeping at least three feet away from other people would be nice if you can but at this point really it's the same," Student Health Services Clinical Director April Scruggs said.
There is no vaccine developed for this strain of the swine flu, but several anti-viral medications can be prescribed to fight the virus. The WHO does not know at this time if seasonal flu vaccines will have any effect on the swine flu. The organization also stated that the swine flu cannot be transmitted by eating pork or pork products.
Tuesday, Lynchburg College met with 26 other schools that comprise the Council of Independent Colleges of Virginia (CICV) via phone conference to evaluate the situation.
Monday, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the pandemic alert level to phase four, which indicates that the virus has evolved to spread through confirmed human-to-human contact and is at risk to cause "community-level outbreaks." The pandemic alert system has six phases. Phases one to three are "predominately animal infections" with a few cases of human infection, and phases five to six indicate "widespread human infection," according to the WHO.
"An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus appears against which the human population has no immunity, resulting in epidemics worldwide with enormous numbers of deaths and illness," according to the WHO's website.
Health officials believe the virus may have originated in Mexico. The WHO has confirmed seven deaths in Mexico linked to the swine flu, while 150 deaths are being investigated, according to the BBC. No confirmed cases outside of Mexico have been fatal.
The symptoms of the swine flu are similar to the seasonal flu.
"The best thing to do for it is the same as the seasonal flu. Wash your hands, cover your mouth. Probably keeping at least three feet away from other people would be nice if you can but at this point really it's the same," Student Health Services Clinical Director April Scruggs said.
There is no vaccine developed for this strain of the swine flu, but several anti-viral medications can be prescribed to fight the virus. The WHO does not know at this time if seasonal flu vaccines will have any effect on the swine flu. The organization also stated that the swine flu cannot be transmitted by eating pork or pork products.
Tuesday, Lynchburg College met with 26 other schools that comprise the Council of Independent Colleges of Virginia (CICV) via phone conference to evaluate the situation.