 | CDC: Flu season will be busy and long
~ PEPS
Sept. 8, 2009 – Dr. Anne Schuchat, CDC, held a press conference this afternoon to discuss new guidance that was issued today regarding flu medicine. |
| Swine flu viruses in a tissue sample | |
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DR. Schuchat reported that on Sept. 4, 25,000 students were dismissed early from 24 schools in Georgia, Indiana, Missouri and Tennessee because of 2009 H1N1 (Swine Flu) illnesses. And colleges and universities around the country are reporting many cases of swine flu in the first few weeks of school. At the University of Washington, more than 2,000 students are reported to have flu-like illnesses.
The new guidance emphasizes three points:
1. Clinicians should be working with those patients with underlying conditions that place them at risk from complications of the flu so that the time period between symptoms and treatment is shortened. Since those patients visit their doctor often, Dr. Schuchat suggested that they obtain a prescription for flu medicine that can be filled quickly when needed.
2. Working together with physicians, the CDC is suggesting a “watchful waiting” period such that patients with prescriptions not be treated with flu medicine until symptoms, such as a fever or respiratory symptoms, develop.
3. The CDC has studied the experiences with H1N1 last spring in the United States and over the summer in the Southern Hemisphere and will be taking advantage of those experiences to monitor drug resistance.
One of the most important messages from Dr. Schuchat was that healthy individuals who become sick with flu-like symptoms do not need to be treated with antiviral medicines – Tamiflu and Relenza. “Mom, chicken soup at home, rest and fluids” will be fine, according to Schuchat. Since influenza viruses change rapidly, the careful use of antiviral medicine lessens the chance for viral resistance to develop.
Another important point made by Dr. Schuchat is that patients are not tested to first determine if influenza viruses are present and second, the exact strain of influenza causing the illness. However, the CDC does conduct general surveillance of influenza isolates. Dr. Schuchat said that right now, almost all isolates are 2009 H1N1 viruses and not the seasonal influenza viruses.
A question was asked at the press conference about reports that certain pharmacies in the southeast are out of flu medicine. Dr. Schuchat said the CDC is working closely with the commercial sector and that the supply is fine now. There is a Strategic National Stockpile of both Tamiflu and Relenza that can be used to relieve any shortages.
Another reporter asked if current observations with the spread of 2009 H1N1 are what the CDC expected. Dr. Schuchat said that the current situation is consistent with their expectations but it will be "a busy and long season."
Each year with seasonal influenza viruses, from 5-20 percent of the population becomes ill, more than 200,000 people are hospitalized and approximately 36,000 die from influenza and its complications, according to the CDC. Estimates that up to 40 to 50 percent of the U.S. population could be infected with the 2009 H1N1 virus in the next two years.
