5/5/2009
Swine flu confirmed in student of closed Henry County School
McDONOUGH — A 14-year-old Eagles Landing Christian Academy student has tested positively for swine flu.
The Henry County private school had suspended all classes temporarily until the CDC could determine whether the student has the H1N1 virus.
The school sent an e-mail to parents on Sunday instructing them to keep their children at home indefinitely. The school will be closed until further notice to prevent further spread of the virus.
The Henry County Health Department will contact the parents of any student who has potentially been exposed to the virus. The school is conducting a deep-cleaning of its entire facility.
Eagle's Landing Christian Academy has about 1300 students from pre-K through 12th grade.
The case marks Georgia's second of confirmed swine flu. The CDC is also checking samples from a 3-year-old in Cobb County, an 8-year-old in Clayton County and a 36-year-old in DeKalb County.
CDC reconsidering guidance on flu school closings
ATLANTA (AP) — U. S. health officials are taking another look at their advice about closing schools because of swine flu.
The acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Monday that one reason to close schools is to prevent the virus from spreading to the community. But in the case of school clusters reported so far, the virus was already in the wider community.
The government now recommends that schools with confirmed cases of swine flu close for at least two weeks.
Dr. Richard Besser says the CDC is looking at revising that but he didn't give details. He cited the example of Seattle, where health officials have decided they won't routinely recommend schools close. Instead, they want students with flu-like symptoms to stay home for seven days.
Leading US health expert urging cautious approach
WASHINGTON (AP) — An Associated Press count finds at least 274 cases of swine flu have been confirmed in 35 states so far. Most of the cases are in New York, with Texas second and California third.
A leading U.S. health expert says there are "encouraging signs" of a leveling off in the severity of the swine flu threat, but it's still too early to declare the problem under control.
Dr. Richard Besser of the CDC says he's "not ready to say" that the flu has peaked in Mexico, which has lowered its flu alert level.
Besser says, "We are by no means out of the woods."
There has been one death in the United States, a toddler who succumbed to the disease after he was brought to the country from Mexico.
The CDC chief was interviewed on CBS's "The Early Show" and NBC's "Today" show.
WHO says highest pandemic level possible
LONDON (AP) — A World Health Organization spokesman says the agency may raise its pandemic level to its highest alert, signifying a swine flu pandemic. WHO uses a six-level scale to assess the world's risk.
Last Wednesday, the agency raised the level to 5. Level 6 means a global outbreak of swine flu is under way. WHO spokesman Dick Thompson says Monday the direction WHO will take "will be dictated by the virus."
In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Pais published Monday, WHO chief Margaret Chan implies the agency might raise the level to 6, but cautions that "Level 6 does not mean...we are coming near to the end of the world."
Without that explanation, Chan worries, raising to level 6 could cause "unnecessary panic."
Flu could flourish in southern hemisphere winter
SYDNEY, Australia (AP) — Swine flu has largely skipped the Southern Hemisphere, with only a few cases reported in Colombia and New Zealand. But experts warn with winter about to kick in, those Southern Hemisphere countries are facing a growing risk.
Flu is spread more easily in winter, largely because people tend to gather inside to avoid the cold, making it easier for the virus to spread. And experts are fearful swine flu could combine with another virus, making it more transmissible and more dangerous.
The World Health Organization says governments need to step up efforts to protect people from the virus, especially since there is no vaccine yet.
WHO is reporting no confirmed cases in Africa, still the continent is preparing. South Africa, the richest country in the region, is poised to assist its neighbors should they need help with testing or treatment.
FDA moves against swine flu fraud
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Food and Drug Administration says it has found at least 20 Web sites that may be fraudulently marketing products with claims they guard against or cure swine flu.
The FDA on Monday publicly rebuked one such site — rebuildermedical.com — for offering a $199 "SilverCure Swine Flu Protection Pack" consisting of shampoo, lotion, conditioner and soap that supposedly deposit traces of silver.
The FDA says no silver-based products have been approved for swine flu treatment or prevention.
Alyson Saben, who heads a new FDA swine flu consumer fraud team, says Rebuildermedical will have 48 hours to take corrective action.
A phone message and e-mail to Rebuildermedical were not immediately returned.
Mexico to allow most businesses to reopen
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico's health secretary says most businesses will reopen Wednesday nationwide, citing ebb in the swine flu outbreak.
Health Secretary Jose Cordova says most economic activity will resume Wednesday, ending a five-day closure of nonessential businesses to stop the spread of the new virus.
Cordova says Mexico has confirmed 727 cases, including 26 deaths.
Mexico City Marcelo Ebrard says cafes, museums and libraries will reopen this week but that health officials need to finish inspecting schools before students can return to class.
NY confirmed swine flu cases rises to 90
NEW YORK (AP) — The number of confirmed swine flu cases in New York State is now 90 — 73 of them in New York City.
Gov. David Paterson announced the new numbers Monday as 17 suspected cases of the virus were confirmed.
There are another six probable cases in New York state, all in New York City.
Health officials believe there are likely many more cases of the flu in people who have not been tested. All of New York's cases have been mild.
Meanwhile, students returned to St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens for the first time in a week.
Swine flu sickened as many as 1,000 people associated with St. Francis, city health officials say. The school had 45 confirmed cases.
Students happy to be back after swine flu outbreak
NEW YORK (AP) - Students at a New York City school who got an
unscheduled spring break thanks to the swine flu outbreak say
they're happy to be back.
Swine flu may have sickened as many as 1,000 people associated
with St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens. The school has 45
confirmed cases.
One student who caught the flu and recovered says she's
"feeling great now" and she just hopes "the school's clean."
Another student says she was also diagnosed with swine flu. She
says "it's good to be back."
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg thanked the students for
their patience. Bloomberg says the city has 73 confirmed and six
probable cases of the flu.
MARTA takes precautions to guard against swine flu
ATLANTA - Consistent with CDC guidelines, MARTA has implemented an aggressive cleaning regiment of commonly touched surfaces with an EPA approved disinfectant within buses, mobility vans, trains and rail stations. Those surfaces include but are not limited to Breeze vending machines, handrails in buses, trains, mobility vans, rail stations and facilities as well as on escalators, and elevator buttons.
