LOCAL: Many people who test negative may be sick with swine flu

By Michelle Dupler, Herald staff writer

Tri-City health officials say people sick with flu symptoms most likely have swine flu -- even if they tested negative for flu.

Dr. Larry Jecha, health officer for the Benton-Franklin Health District, said about 40 percent of people who have flulike symptoms but who test negative for flu using the Influenza A rapid test actually have the H1N1 virus, known as swine flu.

"That's why we're encouraging diagnosis with symptoms because it's more accurate," Jecha said Monday.

Flu tests require people being tested to have a certain amount of virus in their bodies, so the test won't detect flu in the first few hours after symptoms appear or after a person has been sick for more than a day.

"We only have a 24-hour window where they are going to be positive," Jecha said.

That's why health officials have emphasized that people with flulike symptoms need treatment rather than testing.

While a vaccine for H1N1 exists, only small quantities of it are trickling into the Tri-Cities thus far. Jecha estimated the vaccine won't be available for widespread immunizations until mid-November.

Hospitals have continued to see increased activity in emergency rooms in recent weeks from people seeking swine flu testing or treatment, although numbers may be starting to taper off.

Jim Hall, spokesman for Kadlec Regional Medical Center, said the hospital recently had nine consecutive days when its emergency department saw more than 200 patients. It sees an average of 165 patients on a typical day.

Hall said the number of patients seems to have moderated in the last couple of days.

Jecha said school absentee rates also may have peaked, but he won't know until he sees data from this week.

Most schools have reported absentee rates from 10 percent to 20 percent in the last few weeks. A typical school day finds absentee rates at 10 percent or less.

"We very seldom see anything but flu that will get it over 10 percent," Jecha said. "We know this flu is more contagious than seasonal flu. We're seeing a more lengthy period. Usually during a regular flu the absentee rate goes up for a couple of weeks and then goes right back down. We've had about four weeks of this so far."

Swine flu has been different from the common flu strains that strike each season in that it has afflicted mainly younger people under 25. Seasonal flu typically strikes the elderly hardest.

The district has yet to see any cases of seasonal flu. "We wouldn't expect that until January," Jecha said. "We usually see it in other parts of the U.S. before it comes here."

Those who are sick should stay home, get plenty of rest and liquids and take nonaspirin fever reducers such as Tylenol.

The time to seek medical treatment for children is when they're having trouble breathing, a fever accompanied by a rash, bluish skin color, dehydration and trouble waking up.

If symptoms improve but come back or get worse, that's also time to go to the doctor.

For adults, symptoms indicating need for medical treatment are trouble breathing, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, confusion and severe or persistent vomiting.

Typical flu symptoms that may not need medical attention are fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

-- Michelle Dupler: 582-1543; mdupler@tricityherald.com

tool name

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009

LOCAL: Many people who test negative may be sick with swine flu

By Michelle Dupler, Herald staff writer