Valley on alert for spread of swine flu
April 30, 2009
By Michael Rowe
Snoqualmie Valley community leaders are receiving questions from the public about a possible swine flu pandemic that has reportedly reached Washington state.
Snoqualmie’s Emergency Management Director and Fire Chief, Bob Rowe, sent an e-mail to various Valley community leaders and information sources, including the SnoValley Star, on April 30 that contains information on the H1N1 influenza virus, otherwise known as swine flu.
The information that Snoqualmie is distributing comes from the Center of Disease Control and King County Health Department Web-sites.
Rowe’s e-mail noted that hundreds of thousands of United States residents contract the “regular” flu every year, and an estimated 36,000 die from non-pandemic flu strains. Despite the health threat posed by a swine flu pandemic, only 109 cases have been confirmed in the U.S., and only one case has resulted in death.
“Now is the time to educate staff about prevention and to plan for an increase of sick employees in order to maintain government and business continuity,” Rowe wrote in his e-mail.
In 2005, when the healthcare and emergency management communities braced for a bird flu outbreak, Rowe sent a briefing to city staff with recommendations on what to do if the disease took root in Snoqualmie, and perhaps more importantly how to avoid spreading flu germs. The recommendations for how to handle the bird flu are just as applicable for dealing with Swine flu, and Rowe hopes that others will use the recommendations as a template.
Many people can avoid catching swine flu or spreading the virus by taking simple precautions like covering your mouth when you sneeze or cough; throwing away used tissues; cleaning hands often, using alcohol-based gels or other antimicrobial soaps; avoiding touching your eyes, nose, or mouth; staying home when you are sick and checking with health care providers if necessary; and, practicing other good health habits.
Rowe believes that the health departments and school district will work together to determine what actions will be taken if someone in the Snoqualmie Valley School District becomes infected with the flu.
The Snoqualmie Valley School District sent out an e-mail message on the issue, stating that a series of steps would be taken to notify the public, should a diagnosis of swine flu occur within the district. They also stated that no cases had been reported within the district.
More information on pandemic flu can be found on the following Web sites: http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/pandemicflu.aspx; http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu; and http://www.pandemicflu.gov.
Reach reporter Michael Bayless Rowe at mrowe@snovalleystar.com or 392-6434, ext. 248.
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