[Pepper]

By Tim Bonfield
Enquirer staff writer

Starting Friday, hospitals in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky will begin restricting visits to help prevent the spread of influenza.

The restrictions, announced by the Greater Cincinnati Health Council, come just as the first area flu cases are being reported. The restrictions include:

• No visits by anyone under 14, including siblings of newborns.

• No visits by anyone 14 or older if they have a fever, a runny nose, are coughing or sneezing, or showing any other signs of respiratory illness.

“We know it’s difficult to ask friends and family members to stay away from their loved ones in the hospital, but we also know visitors would not want to make their loved ones even more sick than they already are,” said Colleen O’Toole, vice president of the Greater Cincinnati Health Council.

Some hospitals may have even more restrictions on visitors if they have certain higher-risk services, such as burns or organ transplant units.

The flu season remains in the very early stages. The first Kentucky case was reported Tuesday in Kenton County. Ohio has reported five lab-confirmed flu cases, none of which were in southwest Ohio.
Many hospitals already have started providing alcohol hand gel, tissues, and face-masks for people in emergency departments and other waiting areas.

“We’re asking that people who are sick use good common sense: don’t visit patients in hospitals or nursing homes. In fact, just stay home and keep from spreading germs to others,” noted Kathy Lordo, assistant commissioner of the Hamilton County General Health District and a facilitator for the Flu Collaborative.

To keep from spreading flu to others, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends careful hand-washing, coughing and sneezing into the sleeve or a tissue, and staying home from work or school when you are sick.

For information on flu prevention, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/stopgerms.htm

http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041202/LIFE07/41202003

[CanadaSue]

Let's be honest. The absence of Chiron's US production run for this year is a blow - especially to those most vulnerable to the effects of flu. Yet even had it been available, had all doses of flu vax been used, perhaps 25% of US citizens & other eligible residents would have availed themselves of flux vax. That would have been a remarkable achievement in a nation that still recalls the 1976 Swine Flu Vax debacle. Uptake of annual flu vax is increasing & an October telebriefing from the CDC suggests that it's over 60% for the elderly:

http://www.cdc.gov/od/oc/media/transcripts/t030107.htm

The transcript of the telebriefing also points out that the average death rate from flu complications used to average out in the 20k range but studies begun in the 90s show that's up to an average of 36k annually. Three factors here - an aging population, an increase in population & increased virulence of the currently prevelent 3N2 subtypes - we saw that with A/Fujian last year. That briefing also - most interestingly - points out that RSV deaths average around 11k per year & the elderly now comprise a significant percentage of that total.

But anyway, the 'flu crisis' many are concerned about this year has yet to prove anything but media hype. This week's CDC flu report shows that flu IS indeed popping up nationwide, as is to be expected, but no large scale outbreaks have been seen nor are worrying complications or anything odd being seen:

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

All typed samples so far this year show H3N2 - A/Fujian & roughly 27% are B/Shanghai - covered in the vax. Neither A/Wellington or any 'orphan' new strains have yet to be characterized.

Don't get me wrong, it IS a good idea to prevent those who are ill with anything respiratory from visiting hospitalized family/friends - the last thing they need is the flu, paraflu, RSV or adenoviruses on tope of whatever they're in to have dealt with. Knowing that there's an increase in hospital aquired secondary infections makes it more a priority to prevent 'cross pollination' of various pathogens.

It's unfortunate that these appropriate restrictions be brought in ths year when there's already a heightened fear due to an absence of vaccine as well as memories of last year's A/Fujian hell. And btw, why isn't A/Fujian roaring around like last year? Many peoples' immune systems have already aquired antibodies - either they were sick or were exposed enough to develop antibodies which will last a life time & hopeflly, amny others WERE vaxed.

Barring some totally unexpected influx of new strains from out of country, I don't think this is shaping up to be an early bad flu season. But it is early & once seasonal travel starts, that may change quickly. It depends how you want to define 'bad'. When many are stricken at once, to the point of health care settings being swamped - that rates as bad - ish. When unexpected & nasty complications develop in a number of poeple - definitely. When people start dying in large numbers - absolutely.

No children have yet to be hospitalized or killed by flu & its complications. Statistically speaking, that WILL happen & 1 can only hope overall numbers will remain low.

I really appreciate local reports from people with good access to local media. I get overall national pictures & tend to go looking at the state level when that appears to be warranted but often, nothing beats local reporting for the full flavour of a developing or hairy situation there. Let's keep hoping for a minimum of the latter with lots of: "not much happening here" type reportd throughout the rest of the winter.

[fuzzychick]

KNOW MY THOUGHTS HERE........ :rolleyes: