New York State has begun preparing to distribute flu medications to county health agencies around the state in the event the number of swine flu cases starts to soar.
With federal health officials telling Albany that the medical treatments seem to be working on those who have come down with swine flu — officially known as H1N1 flu or influenza A — the state health agency wants to be prepared in case the new virulent strain does not subside with the end of the regular flu season in the coming weeks.
The supplies are coming from 400,000 treatment courses — each treatment lasts five days — recently sent to the state by the federal government. They would be on top of another 2.5 million courses of medicine the state already had in its stockpile.
“Our staff is working with the county health officials to formulate ways to make sure that every county has a supply on hand in the county if there should be any shortages,” said Dr. Richard Daines, the state health commissioner.
In other developments Friday:
? Chautauqua County officials are still waiting for confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control about a “probable” case of swine flu in the Bemus Point area — a student in the Bemus Point Central School District. One of the student’s parents also is considered a suspected case.
Both individuals are doing well, said County Executive Gregory J. Edwards, but right now 11 people who have been in close contact with the two — mostly health care providers — have been given anti-viral medications.
? Laboratory tests came back negative for the two suspected cases of swine flu in Niagara County.
“When they come back negative, like this, it’s important to let the community know, to allay fears,” said Elaine Roman, director of public health planning and information for the Niagara County Department of Health. “But it doesn’t mean we’re not going to continue to do our active surveillance.”
? Health officials in Erie, Genesee and Wyoming counties were still waiting for test results from the state on suspected cases of swine flu — two in Erie, two in Genesee and one in Wyoming.
Health officials had expected test results within 24 to 48 hours, but said the laboratory in Albany has been inundated with viral samples from around the state. They hope to have word today.
? The Hopevale Union Free School District in Hamburg was closed for a short time Friday as a precaution, until officials learned more about a school staff member who became ill after a trip to Mexico.
The Erie County Health Department was notified, and after discussing the illness with the staffer’s doctor, determined it was not suspected to be swine flu.
In a briefing for local government officials and reporters Friday in Albany, Daines said the state so far has identified 13 positive cases of swine flu outside New York City, where 65 cases have been found mostly in connection with a Catholic prep school in Queens.
The counties where the swine flu has been found, Daines said, are Chautauqua, Monroe, Cortland, Orange, Westchester, Suffolk and Nassau. A new case was found in Lewis, which has a population of 27,000 people spread over 1,200 square miles.
“Even our most sparsely populated counties now have cases,” Daines said. He added, “We would have an expectation that [swine flu] will show up throughout the state over the next few weeks.”
While Daines identified the cases as “positive,” local health officials have been referring to the cases as “probable” until the presence of the H1N1 virus is confirmed by the CDC. The state, however, has begun using confirmation kits sent by the CDC to a select number of state health labs to conduct the more complete testing.
The health commissioner also said his agency has the capability to monitor prescription purchases at pharmacies almost in real time. “There are adequate supplies,” he said Friday at the Capitol.
In addition, the state was given new guidelines by federal health officials regarding school closings. Instead of a recommended five days for schools to close if swine flu is found or suspected in students or staff, the CDC now is suggesting 14 days. Daines said the decision is still a local one, though.
The Bemus Point district closed schools and activities until Monday, but local officials will determine whether classes should be closed longer, Edwards said.
Daines said any schools that close should also cancel all after- school activities.
“And strong advice to parents: this doesn’t mean that all kids that used to be in school gather in the mall or something like that, as hard as it may be, when you have kids, to socially isolate them as teenagers,” he said.
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