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..The Alabama Health Officer said Thursday there appears to be no link between several recent cases of illness that left two people dead. Five others were hospitalized with flu-type symptoms. He said tests show the illnesses were combination of influenza A, rhinovirus, the virus associated with the common cold, and bacterial pneumonia. http://dothanfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=274362
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Updated: May 23, 2013
..The Alabama Health Officer said Thursday there appears to be no link between several recent cases of illness that left two people dead. Five others were hospitalized with flu-type symptoms. He said tests show the illnesses were combination of influenza A, rhinovirus, the virus associated with the common cold, and bacterial pneumonia. http://dothanfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=274362
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By: Jamiese Price
Updated: May 23, 2013
The Alabama Health Officer said Thursday there appears to be no link between several recent cases of illness that left two people dead. While we now know the cases are not related, it hasn't stopped people from showing up to Southeast Alabama Medical Center.
Emergency Room Physician Jason Deleon said, "People who are experiencing shortness of breath, running a fever ,and coughing are treated as they would a flu patient." Deleon said its one thing that separates this illness from the common cold. "Typically patients with a common cold don't actually experience shortness of breath and that's what differentiates this from common cold symptom that you would potentially have during this time of year."
Doctors are still being asked to send lab work back to the state. They're also running chest X-Rays looking for anything on the patients lungs. They've even been asked to run one specific flu test.
"We're asked to administer a flu PSR is a nasal swab that gets sent off to a lab and gets typed for a specific kind of virus," explained Deleon.
He said the only way to stop the spread of the virus is by practicing a few safety measures. "Right now the CDC and the State Department of Health recommends standard practice which is what we typically do during flu season. We also recommend hand-washing and Purell are good options. We also that people make sure they cover their mouths when they're coughing." http://dothanfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=274372
Emergency Room Physician Jason Deleon said, "People who are experiencing shortness of breath, running a fever ,and coughing are treated as they would a flu patient." Deleon said its one thing that separates this illness from the common cold. "Typically patients with a common cold don't actually experience shortness of breath and that's what differentiates this from common cold symptom that you would potentially have during this time of year."
He said the only way to stop the spread of the virus is by practicing a few safety measures. "Right now the CDC and the State Department of Health recommends standard practice which is what we typically do during flu season. We also recommend hand-washing and Purell are good options. We also that people make sure they cover their mouths when they're coughing." http://dothanfirst.com/fulltext?nxd_id=274372