Over the last four days the City of
“Again, those 18 residents with this H1N1 Influenza A have either fully recovered or are on their way to recovery with no serious complications,” said Carl Caneva of the City’s Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The symptoms of the H1N1 flu virus in people are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting.
“While the number of citizens infected with this new influenza is less than one quarter of one percent of the overall City population, residents should always be proactive in protecting their health,” Mr. Caneva added. “Residents can follow some very basic public health tips to either keep from getting this flu or from spreading it: wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing, and stay home if you are sick so as not to spread the illness. Additionally, if you have a school aged child who is sick, keep them home from school as not to infect other children.”
In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services says the primary means of reducing the spread of influenza in schools is to focus on early identification of ill students and staff, advising persons to stay home when ill, and observe good cough and hand hygiene etiquette.
For more information: www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu or www.idph.state.il.us
<http://www.idph.state.il.us/>.
Anyone with questions should call the City’s Department of Health and Human Services, 847-866-2969 OR the CDC 24 hour information line at 800-232-4636 TTY: (888) 232-6348.