Efforts to combat widespread H1N1 influenza in the area

In an attempt to head off the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus, Selena Epps of Darlington, a healthcare worker and daycare owner, set up a table of hand sanitizer and information pamphlets at the front door of her business, Tiny Town Day Care, located off Highway 52 Bypass. She was inspired by hospitals and grocery stores, which now often have sanitizing wipes and stations at the door.

“One of the biggest things you can do to help is to wash your hands,” Epps said.

She teaches the children to cough and sneeze into the crook of their arms. She said some of the younger children would pretend to cough just to practice. She also gives the children in her care hand sanitizer throughout the day.

“They love it,” said Epps. “I guess because when they wash their hands they have to rinse off the soap, but with the sanitizer it just evaporates.”

She said it was easy to print the information from CDC Web site. She said she hopes more businesses do the same.

Normally, South Carolina’s flu season doesn’t begin until January, but the H1N1 virus has started making the rounds early.

Dr. Abe Areephanthu, family practitioner with Carolina Pines Regional Medical Center in Hartsville, said he has already gone through boxes of flu tests and is seeing 10 positive flu tests a day.

“It’s very contagious, even more so because we haven’t seen this variant in over 60 years,” said Areephanthu. “The CDC says 97 percent of positive flu tests are H1N1 because the regular flu season is January and February.”

Since Sept. 1, S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) reports that there have been 272 hospitalizations due to influenza in the state, and 99 of those happened Sept. 28 through Oct. 3, the most current data available. There also have been nine deaths reported, two of those in the latest week’s data.

DHEC initially kept a tally of the number of infections, but most were H1N1, so DHEC data now focuses on hospitalizations and deaths now, according to Areephanthu.

“H1N1 is no more dangerous than the regular flu; we’re just seeing more cases of it,” said Areephanthu.

The symptoms for H1N1 and seasonal flu are the same in severity and duration, usually lasting five to seven days, he said.

“The biggest thing is a high fever and muscle aches,” said Areephanthu.

Other symptoms that could be present include headaches and cold symptoms such as runny nose or cough. Infected persons are contagious when they have the fever and 24 hours after it subsides.

In his practice, Areephanthu said he has seen steadily more and more flu cases in the last two to three weeks.

“Some workers have to come in to have a positive test,” said Areephanthu, but he suggests that people call their doctor’s office for information about whether they should come in or if the office can just call in medication for them.

“We’re recommending that if you think you have the flu, stay home,” he said. Drink lots of fluids and take Tylenol or Motrin for any pain.

Anyone with significant symptoms, the severely ill, the severely dehydrated, those with lung disease or those in an immuno-compromised state should go a doctor. These people are more likely to be hospitalized, said Areephanthu.

The media around the H1N1 virus may encourage people to get the regular seasonal flu shots, which are plentiful unlike the H1N1 vaccine.

“A vaccine takes four weeks to form an immunological response to protect you,” said Areephanthu. This time factor makes it important for people to get their annual flu shots before people start becoming infected in January.

The seasonal flu vaccine is developed at the end of flu season for the next year based on the top three strains of the virus that appeared that year. Both the seasonal and the H1N1 flu vaccines are made using the same process using eggs, and both are safe, according to Areephanthu.

Info: www.scdhec.gov/flu