Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2009. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
Bay Area Reporter - April 30, 2009
Seth Hemmelgarn, s.hemmelgarn@ebar.com
"I think we should all take a deep breath," said Mayor Gavin Newsom at a news conference in his office Monday, April 27, where Health Director Dr. Mitchell Katz and others joined him.
While people with compromised immune systems, such as those living with HIV/AIDS, can be more susceptible to the flu, it appears they need to follow the same precautions as others.
As with other types of the flu, symptoms can include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, and coughing.
According to news reports, the flu - a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A (H1N1) influenza virus - has sickened hundreds in Mexico, where it started. The number of fatalities varied widely based on World Health Organization statements Wednesday.
Newsom noted Monday that there haven't been any confirmed cases in San Francisco or the Bay Area yet.
By Tuesday, however, Marin County in the North Bay had confirmed two cases and there were reports of a probable case in the South Bay.
But Newsom, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, and President Obama all called for calm Monday, with the president saying people should be concerned but not alarmed.
Fourteen cases have been confirmed statewide as of Wednesday morning, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Web site. According to the CDC, the number of cases nationally is 91. The country's first fatality was reported after a Mexican toddler died in a Texas hospital Monday.
Katz said there will be a case in San Francisco but he also joined others in working to reassure people, noting there's an adequate supply of the anti-viral medication needed to treat swine flu.
Dr. Susan Fernyak, director of communicable disease control and prevention for the city, said at the news conference that officials are not seeing the disease severity that has appeared in Mexico. The U.S. cases so far have been milder, health officials have said.
Dana Van Gorder, executive director of Project Inform, a San Francisco-based HIV treatment and advocacy agency, said "Vigilance is certainly warranted, but not grave concern at this point."
"Generally speaking, we're encouraging people not to be overly concerned about the situation ... we obviously need to see how this unfolds and gather more information," Van Gorder told the Bay Area Reporter. "That said, I think people with HIV should take all the same precautions in response to this that they do during a bad flu season," such as washing their hands frequently.
"If anyone experiences even the slightest kind of flu-like symptoms," such as fever or respiratory problems, they should "consult with their medical provider to determine whether they should be seen about it," he added.
Van Gorder said Monday that the organization, which runs a national HIV/AIDS treatment hotline, has not received any calls yet, "but I would expect that we will, given this has really hit the media today" and he assumes that attention will continue.
Katz noted that, like other types of flu, swine flu is transmitted through respiratory droplets - like what's produced when a person sneezes - but suggested it isn't clear yet how easily transmittable swine flu is. People cannot get the swine flu from eating pork.
Surgical masks in the city are selling quickly, but Katz said there's no need for them at this point. He also said they decrease the chance of getting swine flu, but they don't eliminate the risk.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have advised against unnecessary travel to Mexico. A European Union health official urged people to put off nonessential travel to parts of the United States and Mexico.
Asked about the European Union's stance, Newsom indicated officials should work to understand what they're dealing with, "rather than creating a sense of fear."
For more information, visit www.cdph.ca.gov.
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