Local officials, travel agents urge precautions, not panic over swine flu

By Shavonne Potts

spotts@salisburypost.com

Local health and school officials and travel agents tracking the swine flu outbreak stress precautions but say Rowan County residents aren't in a panic and have no reason to be.

North Carolina had seven confirmed cases of swine flu as of Tuesday evening. But revised federal guidelines signaled the virus isn't as bad as initially feared.

The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday there are four confirmed cases in Craven County and a related case in Carteret County. Officials have said four of those people work together and got sick after one of them traveled to New York City. The fifth is a child of one of the four adults.

The state also added a second confirmed case in Onslow County, where a resident became the first confirmed case over the weekend after his recent travel to Texas. Officials have also suspected that his wife has the virus.

Gov. Beverly Perdue said she hoped by the end of Tuesday state health officials would be able to perform the primary test for the flu virus in North Carolina, rather than send it to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta.

"We feel really good about the capacity to respond," Perdue said at a Council of State meeting. "If the worst happened, North Carolina is prepared."

The CDC released new guidelines Tuesday to no longer recommend that schools close if students come down with swine flu. Hundreds of public and nonpublic schools were closed Tuesday for flu-related reasons, according to the Education Department. Among them: Arthur W. Edwards Elementary School in Havelock, which closed after a child in that county went to school Friday while sick with what officials later confirmed was swine flu.

As of Tuesday, the CDC had identified 403 cases of swine flu and one death in the U.S.

In Rowan County, officials are keeping an eye on CDC updates and keeping the public informed.

Health Department

Several people have inquired with the Rowan County Health Department to get tested for swine flu.

Nora Cartner, adult public health nurse supervisor, said the department tested two people who met the state definition of a swine flu case. Both tests came back negative from the CDC.

A few people have also called who do not meet the requirements. Some care providers have asked if they should have their clients tested.

They CDC is only testing hospitalized patients.

"The CDC have eliminated the travel aspect. It's not even a factor," Cartner said.

The Rowan Health Department is following precautions the CDC recommends.

One important precaution is to cover your mouth and nose if you sneeze or cough because that is one way the flu can be transmitted to others.

"If someone has symptoms they think fits a type of flu, we suggest in-home isolation," Cartner said.

If that person thinks he or she is not getting better, health officials recommend contacting the doctor.

The doctor will determine whether that person needs to be assessed and tested.

Health officials also say to thoroughly wash your hands and cough into your sleeve if you do not have a tissue because the material absorbs the germs.

The Health Department has not been flooded with phone calls about the flu, Cartner said.

Health officials do not recommend people run out and buy Tamiflu and other antibiotics as a preventative treatment. Those medications are for people who have been confirmed to have the flu, Cartner said.

The Rowan County Health Department Web site has more information about the flu and a guide for parents, school officials and health professionals.

Go to www.rowancountync.gov for more information.

Medical

Pediatrician Benjamin Craighead, with Salisbury Pediatric Associates located on Woodson Street, says the practice has had some phone calls about the virus.

The biggest concern among parents is what exactly the swine flu is.

The swine flu is a new flu virus that has spread throughout the United States, Canada and Mexico. Its symptoms are much like seasonal flu viruses.

Craighead said parents also ask why there is so much talk in the media about swine flu and whether it's something they should worry about.

He explains to parents the virus is a new strand.

"The initial numbers were that a lot more people were dying than would normally die from the flu. Now we are seeing that is not the case," he said.

Craighead is in daily contact with the CDC and is tracking the virus and news about the virus himself.

He tells parents to make sure to have their children wash their hands and get yearly flu shots.

Schools

School officials also encourage students to wash their hands and use hand sanitizer to prevent illnesses from spreading.

The Rowan-Salisbury School System sent out 21,000 letters to parents Friday making them aware of basic information, said school system spokeswoman Rita Foil.

The school system also sent information to school nurses and teachers so they can better answer questions from parents.

Foil said the schools would abide by any precautions the Health Department recommends.

The school system has not been contacted by many parents, Foil said. She attributes that to the fact there haven't been any confirmed cases in this area.

If there are any major changes, the school system could use its Connect Ed phone system to contact parents.

Travel

Fear of contracting swine flu has deterred very few people from their travel plans, says a local travel agent.

Donna Wilcoxson, a manager at Travel Associates on West Innes Street, said of her clients who've booked vacations to Mexico, only one couple has changed their destination.

That couple decided they would instead go to Aruba next week, Wilcoxson said.

The company also has about 12 to 14 people who are scheduled to travel to Mexico in October who have not changed their travel plans. Another traveler still plans to travel to Mexico in July.

"People are still traveling. It hasn't affected the inquiries," she said.

The couple now going to Aruba were initially concerned about the violence in Mexico and considered changing their plans a month ago. The couple kept their plans then, but decided to change them after the swine flu outbreak.

"I keep a look on it everyday. I get updates from tour operators and cruise lines in addition to normal updates," Wilcoxson said.

She encourages people to use common sense when traveling.

"People are basically taking a wait and see attitude," she said.

If people decide to travel, Wilcoxson suggests paying attention to any updates from the CDC.

For more information, go to www.cdc.gov/swineflu.

The Associated Press contributed to this article.