[il-talk] Fw: Swine Flu Information from the Illinois Department of Public Health

Fri May 1 03:12:46 UTC 2009

----- Original Message ----- 
From: Heather Steans, Harry Osterman, and Greg Harris 
To: pittman.e.a at cometlink.com 
Sent: Thursday, April 30, 2009 4:56 PM
Subject: Swine Flu Information from the Illinois Department of Public Health


                  From the Desk of...
                  State Senator Heather Steans
                  State Representative Harry Osterman
                  State Representative Greg Harris
                 
           
                  Dear neighbors,

                  As many of you may have read in the news yesterday, a student at Kilmer Elementary School in Rogers Park has been diagnosed with a probable case of swine flu.  Kilmer School was closed to prevent spread of the illness.   The school has also noticed an elevated rate of absenteeism.  The Chicago Tribune reports that the school normally has an absentee rate of 94 to 96 percent, but reported a rate of 87 percent on Tuesday.

                  The Chicago Public Schools are doing everything they can to prevent the spread of swine flu to other students.  Right now, we are being told that all of the local schools would like donations of hand sanitizers.  If you are able to donate hand sanitizer, please bring it to  5533 N. Broadway, 5535 N. Broadway, or 1967 W. Montrose between 9AM and 5PM.

                  The Illinois Department of Public Health has released the following information:

                  Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs and typically, humans are not infected.  However, the CDC has confirmed human-to-human transmission of swine flu cases.

                  Symptoms of swine flu are similar to regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue.  Some people also have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu.

                  The public should follow some common sense precautions to avoid getting sick or, if sick, infecting others:

                    a.. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your arm. 
                    b.. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough and sneeze.  You can also use alcohol-based hand cleaners. 
                    c.. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth; that's how germs are spread. 
                    d.. If you get sick, stay home from work or school and limit your contact with other people to avoid infecting them. Parents should follow these same recommendations for their children.

                  The Department of Public Health also recommends: For people who have flu-like symptoms and have traveled to areas where swine flu has been confirmed, they should seek medical attention.  However, if a person has flu-like symptoms, but has not traveled to areas where swine flu has been confirmed, they should stay home and contact a doctor to see if they should go in for testing.

                  As further steps to combat an outbreak, the U.S. Health and Homeland Security officials announced a release of a quarter of the country's stockpiles of anti-flu drugs, Tamiflu and Relenza.  Illinois currently has a sufficient emergency supply, but will be receiving additional supplies from the federal government.

                  The Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA) also is closely monitoring the developing situation and working to ensure response plans can be activated quickly if necessary. In addition to coordinating closely with Dr. Arnold, IEMA Director Velasquez participated in several situation briefings with the Department of Homeland Security over the weekend. IEMA alerted state agency liaisons to the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) of the developing situation over the weekend, and Monday afternoon the liaisons will meet to discuss potential response actions. State emergency management officials also have contacted local emergency management agencies throughout the state to make them aware of developments and ensure that they are prepared to deal with a potential flu outbreak in Illinois.

                  The Department will continually update information on swine flu on its Web site at www.idph.state.il.us and also the www.ready.illinois.gov Web site.

                  Sincerely,

                  7th District State Senator Heather Steans
                  14th District State Representative Harry Osterman
                  13th District State Representative Greg Harris
                 
           
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      State Senator Heather Steans | 5533 N. Broadway | Chicago | IL | 60640