Representatives of the Thomas Jefferson Health District, Martha Jefferson Hospital, and the University of Virginia Health System spoke to members of the press this morning about the current status of the H1N1 flu.
Since April, says Dr. Lilian Peake, the pandemic colloquially known as swine flu has swept through the U.S., affecting an estimated 1 million people. Exhibiting symptoms similar to the common seasonal flu—fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue—most cases of the H1N1 flu have appeared in people between ages five and 24.
According to UVA’s Dr. James Turner, executive director of UVA Student Health and chair of UVA’s Pandemic Flu Committee, this is likely due both to the demographic’s weaker or infection-"naïve" immune systems and the higher transmission potential of high-density environments like schools and dormitories.
UVA will make vaccinations available for each of its approximately 21,000 students this fall, says Turner, giving priority to those with chronic medical conditions.
Over the summer, 61 cases of the flu were reported among UVA students, and another 26 were confirmed in the week since classes began. Compared to the rest of the country, however, Virginia’s outbreak rate is low—five per population of 10,000, versus as many as 125 per 10,000 in other regions.
As of August 27, the Center for Disease Control reported 8,843 hospitalized cases and 556 deaths from H1N1 in the United States and outlying territories.
Turner stresses that UVA and Albemarle County health departments have jointly prepared for a pandemic, and expect to respond swiftly and decisively. "I think we are ready," he says, "and we better be ready, since it’s here."