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H1N1 flu in Lincoln County (UPDATED) Tell North Platte what you think
 

A Lincoln County woman in her late 20s has the H1N1 flu, health officials said, and they are waiting on test results of a half-dozen or so potential victims.

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Officials are concerned, closely watching the situation and are not alarmed, said Shannon Vanderheiden, director of the West Central Health Department in North Platte.

The flu victim is at home and apparently steadily recovering, Vanderheiden said.

The case is the first of H1N1 flu in Lincoln County. It is one of 148 confirmed in Nebraska, according to data compiled and monitored by the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. Only six of the victims in the state have been hospitalized.

"We want people to be aware," Vanderheiden said Thursday.

Scot Cockson, the executive director of the Maranatha Bible Camp near Maxwell, said about a half-dozen people with flu symptoms are currently living in separate quarters facility at Maranatha because they tested positive for influenza. The H1N1 virus has not been ruled out nor confirmed, Cockson said. Final test results are expected soon.

Vanderheiden said precautions against the virus are simple and often practiced. She encourages everyone to wash their hands a few times each day, to cover their mouths when they cough and to stay home if they are sick.

Early treatment with standard flu remedies remains the best course of action, according to the national Center for Disease Control.


Where from, where at

Most H1N1 cases in the state are in eastern Nebraska where 109 cases are confirmed in four counties Douglas (Omaha), Lancaster (Lincoln), Madison (Norfolk) and Platte (Columbus).

Thirty-eight new cases were confirmed this week in Nebraska, according to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

The H1N1 flu (also called novel H1N1 influenza A) is a new virus that caused illness in Mexico and the United States in March and April 2009. It has spread slowly around the world since then. According to the national Center for Disease Control, 127 people in the United States have died from the virus. None of the deaths were in Nebraska.

By June 3, all 50 states and the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico were reporting cases of H1N1 infection.

It’s thought that the novel flu spreads the same way as other flues, by coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus. It may also be spread by touching infected objects and then touching the nose or mouth.

The novel H1N1 infection causes a wide range of flu symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. In addition, people also have reported nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea, the CDC says.

In Nebraska, only one person over the age of 65 has caught the virus. The ages and number of cases so far in the state:

Ages 0-4 – 12.

Ages 5-24 – 89.

Ages 25-64 – 46.

Ages 65+ - 1.


H1N1 symptoms (from Nebraska Health and Human Services)

If you are moderately to severely ill with a cough, sore throat, fever and body aches (and perhaps vomiting and diarrhea), see your physician as soon as possible. First call the physician’s office and tell staff what symptoms you are experiencing. The physician may want to see you separately from other patients so that you don’t expose them in the waiting room. Ask to be tested for influenza. Your doctor can prescribe an antiviral for you, which will ease your symptoms and possibly shorten the duration of your illness.


Treatment

CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body.

If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).


Precautions

· Stay informed. Health officials will provide additional information as it becomes available.

· Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.

· Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

· Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

· Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

· If you are sick, do not go to work or school for 7 days or until your symptoms go away (whichever is long). This is to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.

· Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

· Develop a family emergency plan as a precaution. This should include storing a supply of extra food, medicines, facemasks and other essential supplies.


 
The North Platte Bulletin - Published 7/2/2009
Copyright © 2009 northplattebulletin.com - All rights reserved.
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those are good points, Philip and everyone. It''s telling that only 6 of 148 in Neb. have been hospitalized. It''s worth keeping an eye on. Thanks for adding more perspective.
Report Talk Back AbusePosted by George Lauby    - 7/6/2009 6:33:53 PM
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those are good points, Philip and everyone. It''s telling that only 6 of 148 in Neb. have been hospitalized. It''s worth keeping an eye on. Thanks for keeping it in perspective.
Report Talk Back AbusePosted by George Lauby    - 7/6/2009 6:33:40 PM
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One more add-on:

I think my numbers may be in error, but it looks like 0.404% of 0.007% = 0.00002828% chance of dying from swine flu. Or to put it in a positive way:

you have a 99.99997272% chance of NOT dying from swine flu
Report Talk Back AbusePosted by Philip    - 7/6/2009 9:35:57 AM
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I can''t stand how people are panicking so much about this.

How exactly does this strain compare in terms of lethality to every other form of flu out there? I went ahead and looked at one of the more recent reports sent out by the CDC. I know there are better people at crunching statistics than I, so please correct me if I am wrong.

As of 19 June 2009, there were a reported 21,449 cases in the US (and US Territories) and a total of 87 deaths. What is the ratio on that, hmm? That means (based on a population of roughly 300 million), only 1 out of every 13,986 people in the United States has a reported case of it and out of those, 1 in 247 people will die from it. I guess that means that here in the good ol'' US of A, you have a 0.007% chance of contracting the disease and (IF you catch it) a 0.404% chance of dying as a result of the disease.

Aren''t the chances of dying in a car accident or getting some types of cancer higher than those figures?
Report Talk Back AbusePosted by Philip    - 7/6/2009 9:24:06 AM
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She was very sick and still attended the rodeo''s-concert''s and was at the Platte Bar after the parade on Saturday! Good luck folks!
Report Talk Back AbusePosted by Ace    - 7/2/2009 2:13:48 PM
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Good points horseygirl, I would worry more about the forced vaccinations they''re talking about for this fall. Interesting that this flu is a mix of avian, human and swine flu that MANY microbiologists have said could have only been made in a lab. I''m sure it''s all just hype though.
Report Talk Back AbusePosted by Hoghunter    - 7/2/2009 1:42:05 PM
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The H1N1 flu ''epidemic'' is about as scary as driving to work. Why is this even news anymore?? If you want to instill fear, how about a report on the number of people who actually die from medical mistakes .... around 100,000 nation-wide every year. I can count on one hand the number of deaths from this horrible swine flu, and most of those had other health problems. Sheesh ... if you are going to propagate a myth, at least make it believable.
Report Talk Back AbusePosted by horseygirl    - 7/2/2009 12:31:34 PM
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