For Health Providers
Health Alert Update for Healthcare Providers and Clinicians - Pandemic (H1N1) 2009
Posted: July 23, 2009
To: Healthcare Providers
From: Mark Netherda, Deputy Health Officer, 565-4567
Dear Colleagues,
Please find attached two documents pertaining to the current H1N1 pandemic:
- Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Health Alert Update for Healthcare Providers and Clinicians - July 22, 2009 (California Department of Public Health) (pdf)
- Emergency Use Authorization of Tamiflu Fact Sheet for Health Care Providers - July 14, 2009 (Centers for Disease Control) (pdf)
Of note:
Antiviral medication (oseltamivir and zanamivir) is recommended to reduce severe disease and mortality caused by the H1N1 virus infections. While prompt treatment is optimal, beginning treatment more than 48 hours after onset of symptoms may still be beneficial and is also recommended.
Testing: please submit respiratory specimens only from the following patients for PCR subtyping by the Sonoma County Public Health Laboratory:
- Hospital patients with ILI.
- ICU patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome regardless of previous influenza test results, who also meet at least one of the following criteria: died or have been hospitalized for >24 hours.
- Hospitalized or outpatients who meet the following criteria: are part of an outbreak or suspected outbreak, such as in a school or other institutional setting.*
*Institutions include facilities with household-like living arrangements (e.g., long-term care facility, dormitory, jail, shelter and group residential home) and facilities where people gather for significant amounts of time (e.g., daycare, school, university, and other types of campuses, etc.).
Please refer to the Sonoma County Public Health website for updates: http://www.sonoma-county.org/h1n1
Your continued cooperation in mitigating the negative effects of this novel virus is critical for the health of Sonoma County residents.
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