Flu Information UPDATE 9
UPDATE 9 [15 June 2009]
According to breaking news in today's Arizona Daily Sun "A Flagstaff child has tested positive for the H1N1 (swine flu) virus, marking a first case in Flagstaff... The child is not hospitalized and is recovering from the illness, according to the Coconino County Health Department."
UPDATE 8 [19 May 2009]
"Lowell Elementary in south Phoenix will be closed Wednesday, Thursday and Friday because of a flu outbreak among middle school children," a school official told the Phoenix Business Journal on Tuesday, May 19. According to the article, "Lowell had 123 students call in sick Monday and sent another 71 home with fevers and other flu-like symptoms."
UPDATE 7 [15 May 2009]
The Associated Press is reporting today that "A woman in Arizona suffering from a lung condition has apparently become the fourth person with swine flu in the nation to die, authorities said Thursday. The Maricopa County Health Department reported that the woman in her late 40s died last week of what appears to be complications of the new strain of influenza."
UPDATE 6 [12 May 2009]
Don't stop washing your hands! According to a recent article in the Phoenix Business Journal the U.S. Centers for Disease Control now says "there are now 182 confirmed cases of the H1N1 swine flu in the Arizona... [and that] Arizona now has more cases than Texas, which has 179 confirmed cases."
UPDATE 5 [02 May 2009]
AZCentral.com is reporting this afternoon that "Arizona health officials are recommending that schools no longer be closed after cases of swine flu are confirmed and are advising that schools that have closed be reopened... because current data does not suggest that this strain of H1N1 is behaving any differently than seasonal flu."
Meanwhile, test results of samples taken from an NAU student with a "probable" case of swine flu are still pending. Nevertheless, the Arizona Daily Sun reports that "The stricken student is sticking mostly to her individual room and appears to be recovering... She has agreed to wear a mask when leaving her room, and been very willing to follow suggestions from the health department."
UPDATE 4 [01 May 2009]
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano and U.S. Department of Education Secretary Arne Duncan held a press conference earlier today updating the public on the federal government's response to the ongoing swine flu outbreak, including several recommendations for school children, parents, teachers and administrators. You can watch it at C-SPAN.org.
Samples from a "probable" case of swine flu at Northern Arizona University have been sent to the CDC for testing.
UPDATE 3 [30 April 2009]
Maricopa County public health officials have confirmed this afternoon that there are at least 3 more confirmed cases of swine flu in Arizona. Another 40 samples have been submitted to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control for testing.
UPDATE 2 [30 April 2009]:
No cases of flu have been reported in Coconino County to-date, nor are any local school closures currently being planned. Nevertheless, the County Health Department is recommending that "Parents should spend a moment contemplating child-care possibilities in case of school closures, and businesses should discuss what they would do if employees possibly need to stay home sick or to care for sick children."
UPDATE 1 [29 April 2009]:
On Wednesday, April 29, the Arizona Department of Health Services reported Arizona's first swine flu case in Maricopa County, an 8-year-old student at Moon Mountain Elementary School in the Phoenix area. He has already recovered and has returned to school. However, his school will be closed for a period of 7 days as a precautionary measure.
ORIGINAL POST [28 April 2009]:
Google maps has provided a visual index of current cases:
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Health and Human Services departments have collaborated to provide additional data at pandemicflu.gov.
Wikipedia has very current information on the H1N1 strain of the influenza virus and a special section dedicated to this outbreak.
And finally, for whatever it's worth, you might care to know: your seasonal flu vaccine probably won't help to protect you.
