Swine Flu

www.cdc.gov/swineflu/

• The American Red Cross is monitoring the developing situation with this swine flu (H1N1) outbreak and is in close contact with federal and state officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Department of Homeland Security.  We have spent the past few years working with federal agencies to plan for a pandemic and participated in numerous exercises and work groups on the subject.

 

• In preparation for a pandemic, the Red Cross formed a corporate pandemic task force in 2006 to plan with government for such an event and to develop education materials for the general public. Since that time, we have offered a video, a Red Cross pandemic workshop, brochures and other items to educate the public on coping with a pandemic and caring for sick loved ones.  All of those items can be found on RedCross.org.

 

• This swine flu virus continues to have the potential to spread throughout the U.S., and it is a good time for families, businesses and organizations to follow good public health practices and to review and update their preparedness plans.

 

• A recent Red Cross poll shows that four out of five of those surveyed reported that they are following the swine flu story very or fairly closely, and 37 percent said they were either very worried (8 percent) or somewhat worried (28 percent) about this flu virus.

 

• But the swine flu outbreak has prompted people to take more steps to prevent the spread of the virus, with 55 percent saying they are paying extra attention to proper hand-washing, 48 percent covering their coughs more, and 41 percent disinfecting surfaces more. In addition, more than one in three have used hand sanitizers more and made an extra effort to avoid touching their mouth, nose and eyes.

 

• The best way to protect yourself is through common-sense hygiene practices.  These include covering your cough/sneeze with a tissue, frequent hand-washing, visiting a doctor for flu-like symptoms and staying home when sick.

 

• Even if this version of the swine flu virus is not as dangerous as initially feared, public health officials worry that it could come back in a more severe form this fall.  The Red Cross believes that prudent preparedness steps now can help keep families healthy throughout the year.

 

• While Red Cross organizations in Mexico and other nations provide basic medical care to the public as part of their ongoing mission, the American Red Cross and its chapters have different responsibilities, and focus more on providing shelter, food and mental health counseling.  The Red Cross response to a pandemic may vary from community to community depending on the needs of that specific area.

 

• The American Red Cross and its chapters will continue to work with government officials on the swine flu issue and stand ready to help as appropriate.  The Red Cross is committed to maintaining the blood supply for the public, to educating the public on preparedness and safety, and to ensuring that we can continue to provide disaster services to those in need.