Howard County Health Officer Peter Beilenson has a message for residents who've come down with the so-called swine flu: You're lucky.

"You are very, very lucky to have H1N1 and not the seasonal flu," he told a room of about 75 people attending a town hall meeting about the flu, also called the swine flu, held in the Ten Oaks Ballroom in Clarksville Monday night.

Beilenson, who described the H1N1 virus as "quite mild," told residents that he believes he had the virus this summer as did one of his children. He said symptoms lasted about five days.

About 36,000 people die annually from the regular seasonal flu, which usually strikes in the fall and winter, in the United States. Swine flu has caused about 550 deaths, according to the Center for Disease Control, and most of those deaths struck people who had underlying neurological conditions, such as cerebral palsy or epilepsy.

In fact, nearly everyone who has caught a case of the flu this month has had swine flu, according to the federal government, which estimates 98 percent of the nation's flu cases are now the H1N1 virus.

Beilenson said the virus "spreads much more commonly in close confines" such as college dorm rooms and locker rooms, and that the University of Maryland has seen a "significant number of cases." That university has reported more than 400 cases of students sick with the H1N1 flu.

"You should stay home if you're sick," he said. "Stay home until you've been fever free for 24 hours."

Beilenson said he and schools superintendent Sydney Cousin agree that there is no need to close any public schools because of the virus.

"We're very reticent to do so unless there is very widespread absenteeism," Beilenson said.

Howard County expects to start receiving vaccines for the H1N1 virus in early October and will begin distributing them in a priority order.

The first to receive the shots, which contain a "killed virus," in order, will be:

• emergency medical and health care workers;

• pregnant women;

• caretakers of children under six months of age;

• children and young adults between six months and 24 years old.

Elderly residents are not a priority to receive the shots, because, unlike with some illnesses, they are not are a high risk of contracting the H1N1 virus, the health officer said.

"[People] over 65 are much less likely to get the condition," Beilenson said. "Generally, it doesn't affect older people."

Those receiving a shot will need only one shot and not two, he said.

Howard County Executive Kenneth Ulman, who called the meeting to address questions about the flu, said the first e-mail he got about the H1N1 virus was "eerily similar" to the practice runs the county has done dealing with the pandemic flu. Every year, the county government practices its responses to a large outbreak of flu.

"Your county government has been working hard to plan for just this scenario for years," he said. "We had the largest drive-through flu clinic that any jurisdiction has in the country."

The county executive also had some simple advice for anyone concerned with getting the virus: "The most important thing is to wash your hands."

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user comments (2)

user peterpan says...

I am not sure I would describe it as "mild" (my son is just getting over it) - short lived maybe, but not mild. He had a fever of 103.9 at the doctor's office which was a bit scary. He had a horrible three days - seems pretty much over it after five. I don't know, maybe a short flu meets the definition of "mild".

Posted 1:58 PM, 09.15.09 | Permalink

user belovedcartoonmouse says...

Wait. If I have symptoms, I need to wash my hands and avoid contact with others? Can we slow down the powerpoint presentation? Not all of us went to med school. Eat right. Take your vitamins. Exercise. Pray to the god of your choice. Next topic please.

Posted 3:55 PM, 09.16.09 | Permalink