Flu preparation goes into action
The recent spread of the swine flu would become a serious threat
to public health throughout the world if allowed to proliferate.
Health officials here have recognized the danger involved and have
taken appropriate action to reduce the risk in San Benito County
and ensure locals are prepared to the utmost.
Flu preparation goes into action
The recent spread of the swine flu would become a serious threat to public health throughout the world if allowed to proliferate. Health officials here have recognized the danger involved and have taken appropriate action to reduce the risk in San Benito County and ensure locals are prepared to the utmost.
A strain of the swine flu originating in Mexico evolved to the point of transmitting easily between humans and now has prompted concerns of a potential pandemic. The World Health Organization upgraded the outbreak Wednesday from a phase 4 to a phase 5, a marker of how increasingly serious the risk of human infection has become because it means the virus can spread easily from human to human and it has done so in multiple nations.
Samela Perez, San Benito County’s public information officer, noted to The Pinnacle that the area’s responders in the case of a local health threat have been busy keeping up with the latest information passed down from state and federal officials.
They appear ready for a swine flu presence here, largely because local leaders from various safety and health agencies have prepared time and again for this and other emergency situations through a series of flu and disaster preparedness events.
San Benito County and other state and federal agencies have made such multi-agency summits commonplace ever since 9/11 when concerns amplified over terrorist attacks. The hard work and training sessions are coming in handy, and this event shows why taking such proactive measures ultimately proves largely beneficial.
If the flu finds its way into San Benito County, it could be a potential disaster. That possibility has become increasingly realistic, as state officials confirmed a case in Sacramento County and suspect probable infections in Santa Clara as of The Pinnacle’s press time.
It is vital that the county’s leaders stay on top of the situation, and they appear to be doing just that. Perez noted to The Pinnacle how she has been involved in daily conference calls with officials from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The pandemic possibilities of this flu strain have left health officials throughout North America scrambling to control the virus and ensure identified treatments work.
Fortunately, the deadly strain has shown it reacts to two anti-viral drugs.
Still, the situation remains more serious than any other flu strain in the past four decades and demands around-the-clock attention.
It is important that citizens and officials do not panic. They must, however, treat the situation seriously and understand the potential to ravage public health in San Benito County. Residents in particular should be conscious of symptoms and remain cautious about getting the necessary attention when they arise.
