by Jim Tankersley
Federal officials today declared a public health emergency involving human swine flu, warning Americans to prepare for widespread outbreaks now or in the future, yet urging them not to panic.
In a briefing at the White House, the acting head of the Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Richard Besser, confirmed a 20th case of the flu, this one in Ohio. He said the government will likely find more cases - and cases that are more severe than the relatively mild ones seen in the United States so far - as it ramps up detection efforts.
Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security secretary, said the government would release a quarter of its 50 million-unit strategic reserve of antiviral medications, which combat the disease in infected patients, to states where outbreaks have occurred. Besser said the CDC has begun laying the groundwork to manufacture a swine flu vaccine if one
becomes necessary.
The officials cast the moves as aggressive but precautionary, and they counseled calm.
Swine flu is "serious enough to be a great concern to this White House and to this government," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said on NBC'S "Meet the Press," adding that President Obama is receiving frequent updates on the situation.
"We are taking the proper precautions to address anything that happens," Gibbs said. "It's not a time to panic."
Napolitano said the "emergency" declaration was a routine move to ensure the government is prepared "in an environment where we really don't know, ultimately, what the size or seriousness of this outbreak is going to be."
A swine flu outbreak in Mexico is being blamed for at least 1,000 infections and 81 deaths. There have been 20 reported cases in the United States, none fatal. That includes cases in California, Kansas, Texas, Ohio and New York, where officials confirmed infections today in eight students of a private high school in Queens.
The U.S. patients have ranged in age from 9 to 50. All are recovering or have recovered.
Only one U.S. patient has been hospitalized so far, Besser said. But given the experience in Mexico, he said he expected "that over time, we are going to see more severe disease in this country."
"This is moving fast," Besser added later, "but I want you to understand that we view this more as a marathon."
The symptoms of swine flu are nearly identical to the symptoms of other influenza,
including high fever, aches, coughing and congestion. It appears to spread through human-to-human contact and human contact with live pigs, but not by eating pork products, officials said.
Countries around the world moved quickly to limit the disease's spread today. Some issued travel warnings for the United States or Mexico. Others began screening some incoming international air travelers for signs of high fever.
Besser and other officials at the press conference stressed simple steps that the U.S. public can take to limit spread of the disease: Wash hands frequently, stay home, and don't board airplanes, if you feel sick, and keep ill children out of school.
Gibbs said it was too early to speculate about economic impacts from an outbreak. And he dismissed reporters who asked if the federal response was hampered by the fact that the Senate has not yet confirmed President Obama's nominee to lead the Health and Human Services department, Gov. Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas.
"It's all hands on deck and we're doing fine," Gibbs said. "I would say that we hope we have a new secretary shortly."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Comments
I bet they're happy. We were supposed to have a pandemic for years ,but it never happened.Now if they can only find a way to blame this on global warmlng their lives will be complete.
Posted by: James Reyes | April 26, 2009 2:09 PM
THe Health and Human Services head does not influence disease control issues, but rather makes sure that the business of health is profitable for insurance companies.
Posted by: Jack Kevorkian | April 26, 2009 3:35 PM
nothing to see here folks, move along. Janet our supreme homeland security director won't check the mexican planes comming in and if border patrol catches illegals they will ask kindly if they are sick than send them on their way here. No problem!
Posted by: Janice Gammil | April 26, 2009 3:35 PM
Oh, terrific! Illegal Mexican immigrants will now be bringing Swine Flu with them if they haven't already. Oh, well, a contagious illegal Mexican voter is better than no illegal Mexican voter at all, right, Barack?
Posted by: Groucho | April 26, 2009 3:35 PM
Don't you "love it" when co-workers arrive at work reeking of a bad cold/flu combo (and sits down right next to you)? Coughing, sneezing, falling asleep at their desk. Drinking cups of tea as if that's gonna help.
They say they're "fine" then the entire office is sick by the end of the week. It's never 1 co-worker who comes in reeking and slobbering. It's usually the person right next to you, too.
My boss is the type who enjoys seeing someone suffer and piles on the extra work on the sick guy. My boss has never suggested that someone please go home and come back when you're better.
And these days with people losing jobs, bosses are looking at every reason to get rid of someone...look at how often they are late, look at all the sick days they take.
That's why nobody wants to take a sick day. In order to save their job, they would prefer to bring it to work.
I'm an empty nester now. But I remember too well the endless days of my children infecting each other and me and my husband week after week after week with the flu. I get very nervous when a co-worker says "my entire house is sick [again]." Within a day or two, that co-worker is contagious.
I guess even if you're not sick and your entire family is, should you stay home, too?
This b.s. behavior has got to stop. If you are sick, stay home. If you show up for work blowing germs around, shame on you and shame on your boss for not ordering you to go home. That report can wait!
I doubt flu shots work. I've caught the flu several times after getting flu shots and God only knows what else they put into those flu shots (they add mercury, that's a well known fact)! Why does the human system need mercury?
Stay well. Stay home.
Grocery shop late at night if you can.
We all know the flu spreads like wildfire.
P.S. I, too, believe this was something unleashed upon us.
Posted by: COFFEE BREAK | April 26, 2009 4:17 PM
Coffee Breaks says: "God only knows what else they put into those flu shots (they add mercury, that's a well known fact)! Why does the human system need mercury?"
Mercury also shows up in High Fructose Corn Syrup. But it's OK. It's in practically everything these days. We'll get used to it.
Posted by: Brian | April 26, 2009 4:37 PM
@COFFEE BREAK:
You are 100% right. The heck of it is that most, if not all, office jobs could be done via telecommuting on a computer from home. I do not understand why white collar employees are still expected to commute and congregate every day in an office.
Posted by: IHateOfficePolitics | April 26, 2009 4:56 PM
This is only getting worse. This will be politicized and mired in red tape as it is at this very minute. Sorry but our government taking the "wait-and-see" approach is way too meek.
The passive-aggressive approach...do nothing but warn of mutations into stronger, more virulent strains.
Is there any reason why they refuse to take that step before the body count rises here?
By not wanting to "panic the public" and not wanting to "step on any [illegal] toes", allowing everybody back into the country where upon return home, they incubate this virus and get sick a day or two later, infect their family, roommate, coworkers, anybody they come in contact with, etc.
Pre-schools, schools, they are one of the biggest incubators of all. Yet the schools remain open.
I agree 100% with the comment about sick coworkers showing up at work sick as a dog.
That's the biggest mistake. Allowing everybody to come and go as they please!
Don't mean to act like Henny Penny, but I had kids, (they are in college) and when they were kids, we were sick all the time.
We can weather multiple flu illnesses as proven by our children's constant illnesses.
When this "mutates" into a more virulent strain, how many bouts can we survive?
Whoever started this really intended to bust our spines and it probably will.
Posted by: Ultra Conservative | April 26, 2009 5:36 PM
I'm far more concerned about Americans with money running down to Mexico on spring break and coming back with the flu than I am some poor illegal crossing the desert with it. If they're that sick, they're not going to be able to cross the desert.
Posted by: Cheryl | April 26, 2009 5:45 PM
It's considered sabotage if a seriously ill co-worker spits in your coffee & you catch it. It's nothing if a seriously ill co-worker sneezes in your face & you catch it. Can anybody explain what the difference is?
Posted by: STAY HOME | April 26, 2009 6:13 PM
IHateOfficePolitics wrote:
office jobs could be done via telecommuting on a computer from home. why white collar employees are still expected to commute and congregate every day in an office."
Sheer punishment. My manager told me "If I have to be here, you all have to be here." In January the guy two desks away from me collapsed. My manager ordered that none of us call 911. AFter 15 minutes the guy wasn't moving, finally someone (not the manager) called 911. The guy had a diabetic coma. After a month off, he was pronounced ok. But wow, what a lawsuit.
Posted by: Alex | April 26, 2009 6:38 PM
Hey can you Swamp guys turn this into a regular story so we can read the messages instead of waiting for them? Last message was at 4:56, it is now 5:40. AHEM!!!
Posted by: Kevin | April 26, 2009 6:41 PM
I have a white collar job but like a lot of people today, I am a consultant on an hourly contract - if I don't work, I don't get paid. My entire team and a good portion of my floor is made up of consultants so we are all the same boat. Sory but I need to pay my bills more than I need to spare you from a sniffle or two. Oh and the beauty is that consultants are rarely allowed to work from home even if they can - standard practice when you are paying by the hour these days.
Posted by: Jennifer | April 26, 2009 7:56 PM
Here there are some interesting links: http://www.nashville247.tv/News/Health/2009/04/26/US-declares-swine-flu/1240788537.html
Posted by: John | April 26, 2009 11:00 PM
Silly? Blamming illegals already? You people are truly racist.
Flu has nothing to do with illegal immigrants. If you haven't notice, most of those people that got infected went to Mexico for leisure.
The real issue here is that we need to work together to contain the virus. Stop pointing fingers. A disease is a disease. People don't chose to get sick. If people are sick from this flu, the govt. should make sure they are quarantied in their homes. Get the drug that they and the public will need and stop the spread dead on it's track.
Secondly, this flu virus is unsual in the sense that the mutation could have not occurred that rapidly. Mutation usually take years. From the little information we have from the news, it seems like a strain of bird, swine, and human together. Althought, not confirmed by any means. More like hearsays. You know what that means?
Thirdly, who makes flu shots? That stock will climb like a rocket! LOL
Posted by: HmongRodneyKing | April 27, 2009 2:21 AM
My latest web comic about the whole thing:
http://bit.ly/t9R4D
Posted by: Wayne | April 27, 2009 3:19 AM
Honestly, I don't think this is going to be anything REALLY serious. It COULD be, but I seriously doubt it. Mexico, especially down in Chiapas where it is said to originate, is not an extremely healthy place. Many people are undernourished and impoverished, with poor health care a poor immune systems. All of the cases found in the rest of the world are mild compared to Mexico.
If it really becomes a pandemic then the U.S. along, with other countries, will shut down their school systems for a few weeks to stop the spread.
Posted by: Kate | April 27, 2009 9:31 PM
Wow Jennifer, how selfish was that? If you are sick enough to infect others you should not go into the office and get others sick. It spreads likes crazy and then the entire office is tired, unproductive, and bound to give the illness to their families.
I don't care if you work by the hour. Stay home and get well instead of prolonging the misery for everyone. If you can't handle that, get a salaried job and some sick leave for heaven's sake.
Posted by: Lissa | April 28, 2009 2:13 PM