Employee Page

Fellow Employees:

April 30th

One case of H1N1 influenza (swine flu) was confirmed in Georgia today.   The patient involved is a 30 year old woman from Kentucky who had recently traveled to Cancun, Mexico.  She was hospitalized in LaGrange, GA on April 26^th.

Her close family members are currently asymptomatic and have been treated with antivirals.

Thus, far the Georgia State Laboratory has received 48 specimens from suspected cases.  Twenty–four are in various stages of testing.  Twenty-three_have been found negative.

Among our primary objectives remains the safety of the public health staff within the District.  Therefore, everyone should continue to practice infection prevention measures:

• Proper hand washing techniques;
• Use proper techniques to suppress viral transmission from coughing and sneezing; i.e., cover your coughs and sneezes:
• Stay home if sick with flu-like symptoms

• Sore throat
• Cough
• Fever greater than or equal to 100 degrees.

To keep everyone up-to-date, Dr. Grant will host a conference call tomorrow, May 1^st at 10 a.m.  Community partners; city and county government officials; leaders of schools (including universities, colleges and technical schools); daycare personnel; all public health staff; Board of Health members; members of chambers of commerce; American Red Cross personnel; Salvation Army staff; and members of local media are asked to call in.

The call-in number is 1-800-884-7689.  The passcode is 158 714.

Dr. Grant will allow 10 minutes for questions and answers at the end of the call.