Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

[Treyfish]

<!--subtitle--><!--byline-->The Associated Press
<!--date-->Posted: 09/04/2009 08:24:20 AM PDT
<!--secondary date-->Updated: 09/04/2009 08:24:21 AM PDT



<SCRIPT language=JavaScript> var requestedWidth = 0; </SCRIPT>
<SCRIPT language=JavaScript> if(requestedWidth > 0){ document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').styl e.width = requestedWidth + "px"; document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').styl e.margin = "0px 0px 10px 10px"; } </SCRIPT>PULLMAN, Wash.?Washington State University officials say more than 2,000 students have been sickened by swine flu during the first two weeks of classes on the Pullman campus.
But Saturday's football game between Stanford and Washington State will go on as scheduled.
School officials say there have been no deaths and no students have required hospitalization.
Dr. Dennis Garcia says most students suffer three to five days of discomfort. The school is handing out free flu kits including a thermometer, painkillers, throat lozenges, sport drinks, hand sanitizer and tissues. ??? http://www.contracostatimes.com/california/ci_13269590

[sekhmet]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

My boss' son and his girlfriend both attend WSU and both have H1N1.
I work at a state U across the state from WSU that starts fall classes Sept. 23. I assume we'll be hit pretty hard.

[Commonground]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

no hospitalizations. no tamiflu. Sounds good to me.

[Roehl_JC]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

1st Washington teenager critical condition, 1st case in Umatilla County since late June


SWINE FLU: Umatilla County teen in critical condition
By Paula Horton, Herald staff writer
A Umatilla County teenager has tested positive for the swine flu and is in critical condition at a Washington hospital, Umatilla County Health Department officials said today.The teen, from the eastern part of the county, is being treated for other medical conditions as well, officials said.

?I am very concerned about this adolescent and want to encourage others to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves from both seasonal and H1N1 influenza,? said Genni Lehnert, Umatilla County Health Department administrator.

It?s the sixth confirmed swine flue case in the county. Five cases were reported in the spring, but the last one was June 29, she said.

http://www.tri-cityherald.com/945/story/704606.html

[Evelyn]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

I have to admit that when I read the first post I almost couldn't believe it. Two thousand? Reported by the AP as if it were the most ordinary thing in the world?

I guess it's getting more ordinary. Alas.

Here's another article:

http://gazetteonline.com/blogs/news-...ate-university

In 2 weeks, over 2,000 sick with H1N1 flu at Washington State University
Posted on Sep 04, 2009 by John McGlothlen.

PULLMAN, Wash. (AP) — Washington State University officials say more than 2,000 students have been sickened by swine flu during the first two weeks of classes on the Pullman campus, though none have required hospitalization, according to WSU Health and Wellness Services.

Saturday’s football game between Stanford and Washington State will go on as scheduled.

“Public health officials believe that attending the game and sitting in the stadium poses almost no risk to attendees,” WSU said.

“We’ll have hand sanitizers at all concession stands,” said Bill Stevens, a spokesman for the football team, adding that 13 WSU players have shown flu symptoms at some point.

Dr. Dennis Garcia of WSU said most students suffer three to five days of discomfort. The school is handing out free flu kits including a thermometer, painkillers, throat lozenges, sport drinks, hand sanitizer and tissues.

According to a WSU web site, it is not clear if the number of students with flu has peaked. There were 158 patient contacts on Wednesday, about consistent with other days since school started in late August.

“There is no evidence to predict whether patient flow will increase or decrease,” WSU said on its web site.

Normally, the school would see only a handful of patients with influenza-like illness.

School officials said they don’t know how many students might have sought care outside the student health system, or how many are caring for themselves without contacting authorities.

In accordance with guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control, WSU is no longer testing patients to confirm swine flu infection, and is only testing high-risk patients for type A influenza. If a patient tests positive for type A flu, it is assumed they have H1N1 and are treated accordingly.

In adults, warning signs that need medical attention include: difficulty breathing; pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen; sudden dizziness; confusion; severe or persistent vomiting.

WSU officials are awaiting the arrival of 500 more doses of seasonal flu vaccine. “At this time we are focusing on our student patients and are not providing flu vaccine for WSU employees,” the school said.

The WSU Web site to which the original article links (http://hws.wsu.edu/blog/default.asp?...ug&EntryID=134) is not the university's main page, and it isn't readily accessible from the main page. A small-type link on the main WSU page ("What's New: H1N1 flu updates") leads to a page titled "H1N1 (Swine) Flu Guidance Home Page," where you can access an official message to the university community that hasn't been updated for a week. University operations status is listed as normal, and there are no WSU Emergency Alerts. I can't decide whether this is crazy or reasonable; I do know it feels surreal.

[Evelyn]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

I looked back at a previous thread about WSU: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/sho...d.php?p=287688. It took just over a week to go from 50 students reporting flu-like symptoms to the current 2000-odd. Does anyone know of an outbreak this large at another university?

[somebodyoutthere]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

Here's what I believe - WSU is using a very low threshold to count cases. Sounds like they are counting anyone who called in reporting flu-like symptoms. I don't think other schools are setting the bar quite so low. I also think that after a certain number, other schools have stopped reporting to prevent "panic" (e.g., I've read NOTHING about Univ. of Kansas since they surpassed 300 cases). Even WSU should be well over 2000 by now - it's been several days since that report first came out.

I'm very frustrated with the variations in reporting. I live in a county that has a university and I PERSONALLY know of at least one confirmed case (tested positive for Influenza A but doctor told him he has "regular flu" ), and I know there have been other positive "Influenza A" cases - yet only ONE case has been reported in the entire county comprised of a population of 35,000+ people. In my opinion, people need to be explicitly informed that this flu is indeed in their midst to knock them out of their complacency!!

[tropical]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

#7:
"Sounds like they are counting anyone who called in reporting flu-like symptoms."

#1:
"But Saturday's football game between Stanford and Washington State will go on as scheduled.
School officials say there have been no deaths and no students have required hospitalization.
Dr. Dennis Garcia says most students suffer three to five days of discomfort."



The perfect illness spreading vectors

[hawkeye]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

WSU official: Swine flu outbreak may be easing
Originally published Monday, September 7, 2009 at 11:35 AM
A health official at Washington State University says the school's swine flu outbreak may be tapering off.

The Associated Press
PULLMAN, Wash. ?

A health official at Washington State University says the school's swine flu outbreak may be tapering off.

Dr. Dennis Garcia says 40 to 50 students a day contacted the health service at the Pullman campus this weekend to report flu symptoms, well under the approximately 150 a day last week. Garcia notes many students are home for the Labor Day weekend, but there still are signs the outbreak may have peaked.

To date, about 2,200 students have contacted the health service, and Garcia says another 1,000 also may have gotten sick. Based on federal estimates, he says about one-third or about 5,000 of the Pullman students can be expected to come down with the bug.

None of the students required hospitalization. Sick students are being told to stay home and rest until the illness runs its course.

[somebodyoutthere]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

It is kind of surprising that with that many cases, none have required hospitalization.

[Hogweed]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

It is kind of surprising that with that many cases, none have required hospitalization.

I'm with you on this. My guess is the number with swine flu is probably much closer to 200 than 2000. Currently in the UK only about 10% of those in the UK seeing a doctor with flu-like symptoms actually test positive. For US Region X (AK, ID, OR, WA)) that figure is currently 20% and it really wouldn't surprise me if it was 10% or lower at WSU (if anybody is actually testing).

[sbrooks]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

I remember what it was like to be in college, and if I could have got days
excused for calling in sick and reporting symptoms I may have done it.
So I don't really trust the number, that that many students actually have it.

[tropical]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

I'm with you on this. My guess is the number with swine flu is probably much closer to 200 than 2000. Currently in the UK only about 10&#37; of those in the UK seeing a doctor with flu-like symptoms actually test positive. For US Region X (AK, ID, OR, WA)) that figure is currently 20% and it really wouldn't surprise me if it was 10% or lower at WSU (if anybody is actually testing).

Is it established WHAT illness have the remaining 80-90%?

Could we reasonably believe that in the northern regions where seasonal flu in the summer doesn't practicaly exist,
now when it is well established that at least 3 months UK have the pandemic flu, and US 4 months,
there are 80-90% other "seasonal flus" out of their seasonal schedule,
or that there are "viroses"/"viral illness" capable of making 80-90% infected,
or that all these folks, or a mainly part, "simulate" the illness?

All the above is hard to believe.

Also, it must be seen from which data it is stated that only 10% of the tested are positive.

But much easier to believe is that,
of 100% claimed illnessed, many not going to the doctor because of light symptoms (as now wroted here), so they than can make only a call (be signed as ill), remain in a dorm, or go home.
Generaly, the meds didn't take tests from all of them, only a part,
or few members of a close group/class, to spare tests -> said every 5th? -> 100%/5=20% realy tested(?),
and if they use fast tests on this part, because they haven't heavy symptoms, up to 50% of the result could be false negative,
plus the possible not deep enaugh nose swabs taken -> 50% of 20% = 10% positive results.

And they finaly probably get out with official data of 10-20% positive tests, which maybe with the above premises, will not corespond to the reality of the situation.

So, maybe we could based on the above speculation also that there are X x10 positive folks, and than we could came to the initial 100%, or in this case 2000 claiming flu symptoms.

Extrapolations from possible initial false measurings, how streching you are ...

[Evelyn]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

I'm with you on this. My guess is the number with swine flu is probably much closer to 200 than 2000. Currently in the UK only about 10% of those in the UK seeing a doctor with flu-like symptoms actually test positive. For US Region X (AK, ID, OR, WA)) that figure is currently 20% and it really wouldn't surprise me if it was 10% or lower at WSU (if anybody is actually testing).

Like Tropical, I would be surprised if only 10% or so of students reporting ILI had H1N1. The Region X figure is a broad average and does not necessarily represent the % positive in a cluster of illness. I've seen no suggestion that the students can get medical excuses for absence by calling in. As far as I know, medical excuses require an actual physical exam--that's why the administrators of many colleges and universities are asking professors not to demand medical excuse notes. I'm sure that some people at WSU are calling or visiting the health center out of worry more than illness. There are also always people who get sick but can't be bothered to contact the health center. The real figure may not be 2000 H1N1 cases, but I doubt it's anywhere near 200. My two cents.

[Hogweed]

Re: Some 2,000 sick with swine flu at WSU

Is it established WHAT illness have the remaining 80-90&#37;?

Typically in the UK anyway nothing other than typical colds, coughs and sniffles that most of these same people would not normally go to a doctor with. Once people around them start getting infected with actual flu then everyone with a cough seeks medical advice, the apparent rate surges and then calms down.

I hope I am wrong as the smaller the actual infected numbers, the higher the actual CFR.