Oct 21, 2009 6:43 pm US/Central
Naperville Man's Death Related To H1N1
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Sun-Times Media Wire) ―
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An H1N1 strain of the swine flu virus, viewed through a microscope.
AP
A second Naperville resident has died of causes related to the novel H1N1 flu virus, the Will County Health Department announced Wednesday.
A 47-year-old man died Sunday, shortly after being admitted to Edward Hospital with fever, breathing difficulties and a cough. The victim had an acute underlying medical condition, and H1N1 was identified during subsequent testing Tuesday.
It is the first resident of Will County to die from causes related to H1N1. Across the state, at least 21 fatalities have now been identified with the novel H1N1 virus.
"It goes without saying that the Will County Health Department extends its sympathy and most sincere condolences to the individual's family," Health Department executive director John Cicero said.
"We know that pregnant women, children, and people with acute underlying medical conditions are most susceptible to the novel H1N1 flu strain. This unfortunate death underscores the need for people with underlying medical conditions to consult a physician if they experience flu-like symptoms and problems like difficulty breathing, dehydration or chest pain."
Naperville North High School student Michelle Fahle also died of H1N1-related causes Oct. 8. She was 14.
And a 16-year-old boy who had attended Sandwich High School died Sunday and had the H1N1 flu virus.
Because this strain of the flu has hit young people disproportionately, pediatric doctors have seen a high number of patients — and their concerned parents. Brian Stratta, a family practice physician in Naperville, tells patients to respect the disease, but don't fear it.
"You've just got to reassure patients that deaths do occur with swine flu but the chances are small," he said.
Mark Yarshen, an Edward Medical Group D.O. practicing in Oswego, said he's seeing parents bring in kids with flu symptoms earlier than they usually would — and that's OK.
"If Mom or Dad feels something is not right about the child, they're probably right," he said. "It never hurts to get checked out by the doctor."
According to Steve Crotty, a physician in the pediatric emergency department at Edward Hospital in Naperville, kids are coming into his department with sore throats, fever, congestion, muscle aches, body aches, sometimes stomach pain or diarrhea.
"Any fever ... makes (parents) question whether this is something more serious," he said. "The ideal scenario is if they find those symptoms present in their kids ... they should contact their pediatrician first and go from there, as opposed to rushing to the emergency room at the first sign of fever."
If they are in a high-risk category and they visit the ER within 48 hours of the first symptoms, they will be treated with Tamiflu, he said. Otherwise, Crotty advises patients to treat their symptoms with rest, fluids and Tylenol or Motrin.
Meanwhile, schools in the area are focused on prevention.
North Central College in Naperville has posted a special page on its Web site for H1N1 updates and answers to frequently asked questions. Staff of the campus wellness center encourage any local student who thinks he or she has the flu to go home and rest until 24 hours after the fever has subsided. If students cannot go home because of the distance, they're encouraged to visit the wellness center or their private physician.
Students diagnosed with H1N1 will be asked to go home and rest for a period of at least seven days. For international students, or those live an extreme distance from campus, arrangements will be made to move them to an isolated room and the medical staff of the wellness center will check on them daily. If infected students cannot move to an isolated room, efforts will be made to relocate any roommates until the infected students are healthy.
To cut down on infecting others, students who are ill are discouraged from going to classes or eating in the dining halls.
College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn has made dealing with H1N1 flu a priority even though at the moment, the school has not seen an unusual number of sick students.
College President Robert L. Breuder has stated that "first and foremost, College of DuPage, in conjunction with the DuPage County Health Department, is emphasizing prevention for all variations of the flu."
He said the college's police department and Health Center are monitoring information and updates from the DuPage County Health Department as part of the college's preparedness initiative.
The college is advising any student or employee who doesn't feel well to go home. Once they are home, they are told to contact the Health Center to report if they have flu-like symptoms.
Officials at Wheaton College say they are monitoring the flu situation as it progresses.
The college has dealt with 45 students with flu-like symptoms since the beginning of the semester in August. School officials said that was slightly more cases than usual at this time of year.
To deal with issues like the flu, Wheaton College has put together an Incident Management Team that works to prevent and prepare for emergencies.
The team has worked to put together preventive measures to reduce the impact of diseases including H1N1 on the functioning of the college.
The college is also encouraging students to be vaccinated against seasonal flu through its Student Health Services Department.
According to officials, a student with flu symptoms will be assessed for risk factors. A student's symptoms will be treated as needed and their condition will be monitored by Student Health Services staff. The person's roommate will also receive preventative monitoring.
Students with an infectious disease will be placed on "soft isolation," meaning they are asked not to go to classes or eat in the dining hall. They will be given meal tickets, and their roommates and friends will be asked to help them get meals. A Student Health Services nurse will call the student every 24 hours to assess their progress.
(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2009. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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