A sore throat, fatigue, low-grade fever and cold-like symptoms describe Alyse Johnson’s brief brush with the widespread H1N1 influenza.
While working at Camp One Heartland in Minneapolis, Minn. over the summer, Johnson, a community health education major said she was sick for five days with H1N1 after a co-worker became infected with the disease and spread it to other members of the staff.
Johnson said doctors and nurses provided by the camp prescribed her Tamiflu, an antiviral drug, which can be used to combat the flu.
“We were kind of nervous the whole summer that the camp was going to be closed from swine flu,” Johnson said. “So we did have to cancel our last session and they made everyone else on staff stay on site so no one could really leave.”
A statement on the Office of the President’s Web site was issued Sunday by University President Micheal Rao. University Student Health Services reported 110 probable H1N1 cases since the start of fall semester, Rao stated. That number had risen since the initial September reports of four cases for the H1N1 flu.
“Now I have an immunity to it,” Johnson said. “So I know I’m safe but it is scary that it is pretty much everywhere at this point.”
With the disease now widespread in Virginia, there have been eight deaths now associated with laboratory-confirmed novel H1N1 influenza reported to the Virginia Department of Health since initial reports of two cases in May.
VCU and the VCU Health System have implemented plans to treat the reported illnesses. According to the VCU Medical Center, H1N1 vaccination clinics for health care providers began administering H1N1 vaccinations to health care workers and are on track to begin offering them to the rest of the population when it becomes available.
University Student Health Services stated they have a limited supply of seasonal flu vaccinations, and they will be made available at both campus clinics during walk-in immunization hours. However, USHS reported they are temporarily out of seasonal flu vaccine because of manufacturing and shipping delays from its suppliers.
“I think that once the vaccine comes it is important that people try and get it,” Johnson said.
According to reports issued Friday by the Centers for Disease and Control Prevention, Virginia was shipped 315,700 total doses of the H1N1 flu vaccine.
Students who have visited Student Health Services with flu-like symptoms have not had serious cases, Rao stated on the Office of the President’s Web site.
USHS stated they would announce clinics for students when the H1N1 vaccination is available.
VCU faculty have implemented contingency plans for completing course work in the event of student or professor illness, according to Rao’s issued statement.
CDC provides H1N1 influenza update
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have reports on their Web site for the 2009-2010 influenza season. The most recent report was issued from statistics gathered from week 41, Oct. 11-17. The update on the H1N1 influenza status states:
Almost all of the influenza viruses identified so far are 2009 H1N1 influenza A viruses. These viruses remain similar to the virus chosen for the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, and remain susceptible to the antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir with rare exception.
The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza was above the epidemic threshold.
Eleven influenza-associated pediatric deaths were reported. Nine of these deaths were associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection and two were associated with an influenza A virus for which subtype is undetermined.
The proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness was above the national baseline. All 10 regions reported Influenza Like Illness above region-specific baseline levels.
Forty-six states reported geographically widespread influenza activity, Guam and three states reported regional influenza activity, one state, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico reported local influenza activity, and the U.S. Virgin Islands did not report.
Information provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site at www.cdc.gov. All data is preliminary and might change as more reports are received.