H1N1 - interesting impacts

Over the past week I have attended a couple of emergency planning meetings where the H1N1 was on the agenda. The consensus continues to be that the H1N1 is no more dangerous that the annual influenza outbreaks that occur each year. Most cases are mild and do not require hospitalization or medical care. Although there have been fatalities due to the H1N1 the numbers are not any higher than the annual influenza.

The public perception of H1N1, on occasion, is that of fear (driven by the media???) resulting in some interesting impacts. Attached is a link to a news story in Florida where a bus transporting children home from a trip to Orland made an "emergency" stop at a hospital with fears the children had H1N1.

http://www.wftv.com/news/20016497/detail.html

Now that summer camps are in full swing and other activities where large groups of people gather, similar incidents are always possible.

Education efforts for camp staff, other summer activity staff, parents, and the media are important to ensure an appropriate response to any illness outbreak and reduce the risk 50 people showing up at the local ER on a bus.