Spring Break
Pitt County well prepared for flu pandemic, health officials say North Carolina is 'very well prepared'
Carlton Purvis
Issue date: 5/20/09 Section: News
A panel of health officials held a community forum in the Brody Medical Sciences Building Auditorium last Monday to address community concerns about the H1N1 virus and also to present plans to quarantine a possible pandemic on a community and state level.
"Pitt County is very prepared compared to other counties," according to Dr. Kristi Simeonsson, a pediatrician from the Brody School of Medicine who helped with state planning for H1N1.
Dr. Keith Ramsey from the Infectious Diseases division of the Brody School of Medicine said North Carolina and Pitt County were major concerns for the H1N1 pandemic because of the number of children and college-age students and the large numbers of migrant workers. Mexico is a popular spring break destination for students, and migrant workers often travel between North Carolina and Western parts of the U.S.
Simeonsson said North Carolina is "very well prepared" for a potential flu pandemic, and Pitt County ranks near the top when it comes to flu preparedness. "(Pitt County is) probably in the top five," she said.
She attributes this readiness to North Carolina's aggressive flu monitoring plan. The NC Pandemic Influenza Flu Plan includes flu surveillance through sentinel sites around the state and public health education initiatives. The sentinel sites include the 12 largest hospitals in state and they help monitor weekly cases of the flu virus throughout the year and report these back to the state lab.
The plan outlines procedures for hospitals and local organized groups in the event of a flu pandemic. Communication, collaboration and coordination between state and local public health agencies were emphasized.
In a timeline created by Ramsey, he presented Pitt County's quick response to the possible spread of H1N1. On April 23, the public was informed of suspected cases in Texas and California. On April 25, some of the cases were confirmed. On April 26, Pitt County Memorial Hospital issued an alert advising area residents that had recently traveled to those areas to wear masks and see their doctors if they had flu-like symptoms. The county reposted all their signs and materials about flu prevention that were usually only displayed during flu season.
North Carolina ranks 38th among the states -- having only 12 confirmed cases of H1N1. At 2 p.m. on May 12, a new case in Rutherford County was confirmed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The lowest is Vermont with one confirmed case. The highest is Illinois with 638 confirmed cases.
The 1918 Flu Pandemic is what the framework used to estimate the cycle of the current H1N1 pandemic. The panel warned that the pandemic may have reached its plateau for now, but the flu virus is seasonal and often returns upon the return of colder temperatures. When the 1918 Flu Pandemic returned in the fall "it came back with a vengeance," said Ramsey. "The best thing we can do for right now is be prepared for the worst."
This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.
"Pitt County is very prepared compared to other counties," according to Dr. Kristi Simeonsson, a pediatrician from the Brody School of Medicine who helped with state planning for H1N1.
Dr. Keith Ramsey from the Infectious Diseases division of the Brody School of Medicine said North Carolina and Pitt County were major concerns for the H1N1 pandemic because of the number of children and college-age students and the large numbers of migrant workers. Mexico is a popular spring break destination for students, and migrant workers often travel between North Carolina and Western parts of the U.S.
Simeonsson said North Carolina is "very well prepared" for a potential flu pandemic, and Pitt County ranks near the top when it comes to flu preparedness. "(Pitt County is) probably in the top five," she said.
She attributes this readiness to North Carolina's aggressive flu monitoring plan. The NC Pandemic Influenza Flu Plan includes flu surveillance through sentinel sites around the state and public health education initiatives. The sentinel sites include the 12 largest hospitals in state and they help monitor weekly cases of the flu virus throughout the year and report these back to the state lab.
The plan outlines procedures for hospitals and local organized groups in the event of a flu pandemic. Communication, collaboration and coordination between state and local public health agencies were emphasized.
In a timeline created by Ramsey, he presented Pitt County's quick response to the possible spread of H1N1. On April 23, the public was informed of suspected cases in Texas and California. On April 25, some of the cases were confirmed. On April 26, Pitt County Memorial Hospital issued an alert advising area residents that had recently traveled to those areas to wear masks and see their doctors if they had flu-like symptoms. The county reposted all their signs and materials about flu prevention that were usually only displayed during flu season.
North Carolina ranks 38th among the states -- having only 12 confirmed cases of H1N1. At 2 p.m. on May 12, a new case in Rutherford County was confirmed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. The lowest is Vermont with one confirmed case. The highest is Illinois with 638 confirmed cases.
The 1918 Flu Pandemic is what the framework used to estimate the cycle of the current H1N1 pandemic. The panel warned that the pandemic may have reached its plateau for now, but the flu virus is seasonal and often returns upon the return of colder temperatures. When the 1918 Flu Pandemic returned in the fall "it came back with a vengeance," said Ramsey. "The best thing we can do for right now is be prepared for the worst."
This writer can be contacted at news@theeastcarolinian.com.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
John G.
posted 5/25/09 @ 12:39 PM EST
can we change this headline to: A SNOUTBREAK OF EPIG PROPORKTIONS!
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