TERRE HAUTE — “Do not panic — yet!”
That advice from Dr. Randy Stevens came Wednesday afternoon during a seminar for businesses in the Wabash Valley facing the H1N1 flu pandemic that’s sweeping the nation.
The Terre Haute Chamber of Commerce teamed up with AP&S; Clinic, Union Hospital Occupational Health Center, Terre Haute Regional Hospital and the Vigo County Health Department to help answer questions on how businesses should prepare for a flu outbreak here.
The anticipated peak for the H1N1 pandemic is the week before and week after Halloween, so the peak is now.
By the end of year, said Stevens, director of the Union Hospital Center for Occupational Health, an estimated 60 percent of people worldwide will become infected by H1N1, but only 35 percent will become sick.
Those statistics are not intended to scare the public, but do illustrate that H1N1 is a serious illness that can be survived.
Businesses also can survive a pandemic despite temporarily losing a large chunk of their work force because of illness.
There are things that businesses can do to lessen the spread of illness in the workplace, including setting up hand-sanitizing stations at building entry points, and offering surgical masks to those who are coughing or want to avoid germs from other people.
Stevens’ recommendations include:
• Get the H1N1 vaccine when it is available. Producing the vaccine is a Herculean effort right now because it usually takes about a year to get a vaccine ready. This strain of H1N1 was recognized only in April, he said, and yet the vaccine is already becoming available, even though production is not meeting demand at this time.
• Get the “seasonal flu” vaccination when it’s available.
• Anyone age 60 and older should get the pneumococcal vaccine now. Half of the deaths involving H1N1 have occurred in people who should have gotten this vaccination.
• Stay home if you are sick.
• Stay away from hospitals and public facilities where you could spread illness or pick up germs.
Stevens pointed out that the typical year results in 40,000 deaths from influenza. Of those deaths, 80 to 90 percent are in people with chronic diseases or co-infections with bacteria such as staph, pneumococcal and MRSA. That is the same thing that is being seen now, Stevens said.
“In looking at the autopsies of people who have died this time [of H1N1], they also have a secondary bacterial infection,” the doctor stated.
Vaccination is highly recommended for the recognized high-risk groups of pregnant women, young people and those with chronic disease, as well as the elderly.
Six percent of all H1N1 deaths so far have been women who were pregnant, Stevens said, and that is rare for deaths from seasonal flu. The vaccine is available at the maternal health clinic in Vigo County, but some pregnant women are turning down the vaccination.
“If I had a person now in my family that was pregnant, I would be pushing them hard to get this vaccination,” Stevens said.
So far, H1N1 has been less deadly than the typical seasonal flu, he continued, but more people will be down with the virus.
Carolyn Hamilton, chief nursing officer for Regional Hospital, encouraged businesses to set up “sneeze stations” at all entrances to encourage respiratory etiquette.
Flu is spread in the air via respiratory droplets propelled from a person’s sneeze, and by touching something with the virus on it.
“Handwashing is the single most important means of preventing the spread of infection,” Hamilton said.
She also encourages coughing persons to sit at least three feet away from others in common areas.
And she explained that “presenteeism” — the act of being present at work even if one is too sick to be productive, or work beyond the expected hours — is not a badge of honor for people who do not like to miss work.
Reinforcing the message that handwashing is essential, Megan Bland, health educator and media coordinator with the Vigo County Health Department, said people should pay special attention to not only their palms when washing their hands, but also to the wrists, areas between the fingers and around the thumb, and particularly the fingernail area.
She also noted: “Hand sanitizer is not a replacement for handwashing.”
Hand sanitizer should be used when handwashing is not immediately available, she said, but is not an alternative to 20 seconds of soap and water.
Health & Fitness
H1N1 prep work key to handling outbreak
Seminar offers businesses advice on how to weather swine flu pandemic
- Health & Fitness
-
-
AP sources: Obama revamping birth control policy
Retreating in the face of a political uproar, President Barack Obama today will announce that religious employers will not have to cover birth control for their employees after all, The Associated Press has learned.
-
Measles confirmed in Central Indiana
State health officials have confirmed two cases of measles in Hamilton County and have identified an additional two probable measles cases in Boone County.
-
Planned Parenthood offers cholesterol testing
In recognition of American Heart Month, Planned Parenthood of Indiana will offer free cholesterol testing to patients at 19 health centers across the state from Feb. 13-18.
-
Health Department plans public flu shot clinic
The peak of flu season has arrived and will last until mid- to late March; however, influenza tends to spike during the month of February.
-
Maple Center offering therapeutic yoga classes
The nonprofit Maple Center for Integrative Health will offer therapeutic yoga classes starting Feb. 18.
-
Visiting Angels receives ‘Best of Home Care’ award
Visiting Angels announced that it has been recognized with Home Care Pulse’s “Best of Home Care” distinction. Awarded to the top 25 percent of agencies nationwide in client and employee satisfaction scores from Home Care Pulse, the senior care provider, located in Greencastle, is now ranked among a select few of the best agencies in the country.
-
Essence of Red event to support heart health in Valley
The Essence of Red Heart, Mind and Moxie, an event to support heart health in the Wabash Valley, is Feb. 24 at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Student Union.
- SUPPORT GROUPS: Feb. 8, 2012
-
Map pinpoints Lyme disease risk areas
Researchers who dragged sheets of fabric through the woods to snag ticks have created a detailed map pinpointing the highest-risk areas for Lyme disease.
-
Pfizer recalls 1M birth control packs after mix-up
Birth control pills are known to be nearly 100 percent effective when taken properly, but a recall of the drugs could send a shudder through women of childbearing age.
-
Dine with martial arts expert at Senior Center
Senior Education Ministries, Inc. has scheduled Rise and Shine Dine with a Doc from 8 to 10 a.m. Feb. 10 at the Wabash Senior Citizen’s Center at 300 S. Fifth St. in Terre Haute.
-
Clark County planning spring 5K/Biathlon
Clark County Park District Trails Coalition’s fundraising spring 5k and biathlon — a 3.1-mile run and 15-mile bike ride — is planned for April 21 in Mill Creek Park in Marshall, Ill. The event will also feature a 1-mile fun run/walk.
-
Indiana Blood Center plans February drives
Indiana Blood Center hosts hundreds of blood drives each month. Below are locations, dates and times of blood drives open to the community by county for the month of February 2012.
-
Dining with Diabetes classes to begin Feb. 27
The Purdue Extension-Vermillion/Parke County Offices are offering Dining with Diabetes sessions from 9 to 11 a.m. beginning Feb. 27 at the Parke County Extension Office, Rockville. The program will run through March 19.
-
Ms. Wheelchair Pageant set for March; enter now
People On Wheels’ Ms. Wheelchair Indiana Pageant is now accepting entries for its 2012 program.
-
Red Cross seeks disaster volunteers, offers training
The American Red Cross wants you — to volunteer your time and help the community.
Disaster volunteers serve on local, community focused response teams that meet with clients and serve their emergency needs 24 hours a day. -
Recycle eyeglasses, hearing aids at center in Brazil
The Green Corps is working in cooperation with Exceptional Living Center of Brazil, a not-for-profit organization, to provide a drop-off center for the recycling of eyeglasses and hearing aids.
- SUPPORT GROUPS: Feb. 1, 2012
-
Vigo Early Head Start students receiving hearing screenings
Most parents assume their infant can hear, “I love you,” along with all the other sounds that fill a child’s life — music, birds singing, and the whispers of a caring grandparent. But many children cannot hear all of those sounds.
-
College schedules sanitation and safety class
Lincoln Trail College in Robinson, Ill., will offer a sanitation and safety class, and sanitation refresher course (RST 1601) beginning Feb. 1.
-
Paris Hospital Laboratory receives accreditation
The Paris Community Hospital Laboratory recently received national recognition for its quality of service and commitment to excellence.
-
Maple Center announces spring CHIP
The nonprofit Maple Center for Integrative Health announces the 2012 spring schedule for the Complete Health Improvement Program.
-
Planned Parenthood announces new hours
Planned Parenthood of Indiana will offer new hours of service for its Terre Haute health center.
-
Riley Foundation chooses Wabash Valley student's artwork for calendar
Eleven-year-old Trenton Williams has a long history with Riley Hospital for Children.
In 2004, he underwent surgery to remove a benign brain tumor. By 2006, the tumor had grown back, and Williams faced 11⁄2 years of weekly chemotherapy treatment at Riley.
Today, the healthy, Rio Grande Elementary fifth-grader loves to give back to the hospital that saved his life. -
ISU, prof receive patent for agent that boosts immune system
While conducting research on cancer, Swapan Ghosh and a team of graduate and doctoral students discovered a phytol-derived adjuvant. That adjuvant formula just became U.S. Patent No. 8,088,395.
-
Dine with ear, nose and throat specialist
Senior Education Ministries Inc. has scheduled Dine with a Doc from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Wabash Senior Citizen’s Center at 300 S. Fifth St. in Terre Haute.
-
Maple Center invites public to annual meeting/dinner
The Board of Directors of the nonprofit Maple Center for Integrative Health invites supporters and all who are interested in integrative/holistic community health education programs and clinical services to attend the annual board meeting and dinner Feb. 7. The event is scheduled from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at First Financial Conference Center, 4353 S. Seventh St., Terre Haute.
-
Register now for winter blues bike ride
The Clark County (Ill.) Park District Trails Coalition is planning a free winter blues bike ride — iCYCLE — for Feb. 25.
-
Hospital calls on community to donate blood
Union Hospital is calling on members of the Wabash Valley community to consider donating blood with Indiana Blood Center to ensure stable blood supplies for its patients.
-
Session on the basics of Alzheimer’s is Tuesday
“Memory Loss, Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease: The Basics,” a free workshop on Alzheimer’s disease, will be conducted from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at Rockville Public Library.
- More Health & Fitness Headlines
-
AP sources: Obama revamping birth control policy
Nordic Festival Puts North Korea in Spotlight
Greece Passes New Austerity Deal Amid Rioting
'Rumor Has It' Adele's Rolling in the Grammys
Coroner: Houston Autopsy Results Weeks Away
Raw Video: Whitney Houston's Last Performance
Grohl, Grammy Nominees Cut Up on the Red Carpet
Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote
Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche
Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48
Fuel Removal Under Way on Capsized Italian Ship
Severe Cold Wreaks Havoc in China
Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing
79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
Fans 'Speechless' Over Houston's Death
Today in History for Tuesday, February 12th
And the Winner for Best Super Bowl Ad Is...
Stocks Fall Sharply As Greek Deal Is Held Up
Arab League Wants U.N. Help in Syria
Sandusky Can See Grandkids, Have Local Jury
'Bachelor' Free Falls into the Ocean
Apple of their eye at $500 a share
Adele's revealing "60 Minutes" interview
Rosenthal: A's sign Cespedes
Bobby Brown on Houston's Death
Turkey's first face transplant
Exclusive Video: Bobbi Kristina Leaving Hospital
Obama Unveils $3.8 Trillion Budget
Kelly Ripa's Fashion Faux Pas
Lusetich: AT&T Recap
Raw Video: Aurora Borealis As Seen From Space
Grammys 2012: Highlights
2.12: Pebble Beach Pro-Am -- Phil Mickelson
2012 Grammys: Rihanna
2012 Grammys: Taylor Swift
Exclusive Video - Whitney's Bodybag
FUEL TV: Punk Payback Gym tips
