Swine Flu Update
Community Medical Centers is working closely with the Fresno County Department of Public Health to monitor the swine influenza virus. Regular information updates are being provided throughout Community’s health care network and to staff via e-mail and the internet.
Official resources are listed below, and Community encourages the public to stay informed by checking them regularly. Community is continuing all hospital operations and enforcing the visiting policies normally in place during the annual flu season.
Community is repeating information the Fresno County Department of Public Health has disseminated:
- Swine flu is a respiratory disease of pigs. People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen.
- The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include: fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) or death.
- The swine flu virus is thought to be spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza. Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.
- Please take normal precautions against the disease by washing your hands frequently, avoiding touching your nose and mouth, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze with a tissue and avoiding people who appear to be sick.
RESOURCES for INFORMATION:
Fresno County Department of Public Health
California Department of Public Health
Center for Disease Control
World Health Organization