Published: June 11, 2009 10:19 pm      

Prevention, preparedness paramount in pandemic

TAZEWELL, Va. — The decision by the World Health Organization to declare a global swine flu pandemic won’t change the current response plans to the virus that are in place in southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia, health officials said Thursday.

“I would say that in all practicality the WHO declaration doesn’t change our current actions and planning since we’ve been dealing with novel H1N1 all along,” Dr. John Dreyzehner, director of the Cumberland Plateau Health District, said. “The declaration of phase 6 is an indication of worldwide spread and transmissibility of human-to-human, but is not an indication of severity.”

Virginia is currently reporting 84 confirmed, or probable cases, of the H1N1 virus, and one death. Dreyzehner said no confirmed cases have been reported to date in the Cumberland Plateau Health District, which includes Tazewell and Buchanan counties. However, active testing in the health district continues.

“We are not tracking suspected cases, but we have done some tests, and to date the tests have been negative,” Dreyzehner said. “I certainly expect we will see cases in the Cumberland Plateau Health District. We’ve seen the first wave of this. Remarkably, it’s been detected fairly early. But we expect another wave in the coming weeks. People should continue to prepare. They shouldn’t panic. There haven’t been any travel or trade restrictions imposed. We all need to continue to live our lives, but have an extra level of precaution with regards to hand washing. Stay home if you are ill, and keep your children home if they are ill. I keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in the car. My children do too. But there is no substitute for soap and water.”

Brenda Donithan, a threat preparedness coordinator for the Mercer County Health Department, said 59 confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus have been reported to date in West Virginia. There have been no confirmed cases in Mercer County. Donithan said the closest confirmed case to the Mercer County area was reported in neighboring Raleigh County.

Donithan said the majority of the H1N1 cases confirmed in West Virginia have been mild.

“The reporting is usually done daily, depending upon where the cases pop up,” Donithan said. “But the CDC is doing weekly reporting now.”

Donithan said if someone thinks they are developing flu-like symptoms, they are encouraged to contact their physician first instead of going straight to an emergency room. Donithan said those who are sick also shouldn’t go to work or school to prevent the spread of the virus.

“Avoid touching your eyes and nose, and stay at home if you are sick,” Dreyzehner said. “Seek medical care if you have a fever, cough and sore throat, and if you are getting to the point where you feel like you are needing medical advice and care. That doesn’t necessarily mean going to the doctor. That could mean calling your doctor, and they could potentially call in a prescription for you depending upon your situation. Right now we continue to do active surveillance for novel H1N1, which means the health department remains interested in testing people who have suspected cases.”

Dreyzehner said health officials are seeing a significantly higher level than normal of influenza activity for this time of the year.

“Seasonal flu circulates all year round in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, but its circulation and transmission decreases dramatically in the late spring and summer months, and returns again in the fall and winter,” Dreyzehner said. “But right now we are seeing significantly higher than normal levels of influenza activity in regions across the country, including some regions in Virginia.”

Dreyzehner said health officials continue to see a “disproportionate” number of hospitalizations and illnesses in young people due to the H1N1 virus as opposed to more seasonal flu.

– Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com