Jeffco records third swine flu case, state total jumps to 18

Jefferson County Department of Health headquarters in Lakewood.

LAKEWOOD: Swine flu struck another Jefferson County victim, bringing the county’s total number of laboratory-confirmed cases to three, state officials said Wednesday.

And a Jeffco charter school prepared to reopen Thursday after closing earlier this week in response to two confirmed cases among its 450 students, Jeffco Public Schools announced.

The state Department of Public Health now lists 18 confirmed Colorado cases.

Two of the Jeffco victims are who attend Excel Academy in Arvada. The school was the first in the state to close in response to swine flu.

Eight more Colorado cases were confirmed Wednesday and the state Department of Health said it no longer will list whether the cases originate after exposure to the disease outside Colorado.

State health officials have submitted lab samples from other possible Colorado victims and are awaiting test results from the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta.

Schools in New York and Texas also have closed because of the flu.

Excel Academy executive director Holly Hensey initially expected the school to be closed for at least a week. But after federal health officials discouraged further school closures Hensey said the school will reopen Thursday.

The students, who still were on spring break when classes were canceled, had to continue their schoolwork online.

Jeffco Department of Health spokeswoman Nancy Braden said the agency has been fielding calls form schools for more than a week.

“When we get calls (from schools), we are having our epidemiologist talk to them … as schools – or anyone – call us, it provides us an opportunity to make sure that they have the latest guidelines on the H1N1 virus,” Braden said.

The spread of the flu within a household is expected, Braden said.

Jefferson County last week received its share of anti-viral drugs from the state, one of 13 Colorado counties that received the medication. It will be reserved for people who are ill and is not available as a preventative, Braden said. 

Heightened public awareness also is reflected in the number of calls for information as well as quite a few from folks who think they have swine flu.

“And we expect that will be continuing until people really understand what the symptoms are, Braden said. “But the main thing for us right now is for people to follow the guidelines: wash your hands frequently, cover your cough, stay home if you get sick. That’s probably the biggest one.”

As of Wednesday, there were 1,893 laboratory-confirmed cases worldwide and 31 deaths, two in Texas and 29 in Mexico – the epicenter of the outbreak. The Centers for Disease Control said Tuesday 642 cases had been confirmed in the U.S. Illinois, with 122 cases, has more than any other state.

The state agency issued guidelines for schools and day-care centers in hopes of corralling the spread of the disease, suggesting that anyone with symptoms be sent home “until 24 hours after the symptoms are resolved.”

The warning signs of the illness, which don’t surface until after the victims is contagious, are similar to those of most flu strains: fever greater than 100 degrees, head and body aches, sore throat, cough, congestion, chills, fatigue and stomach problems.

Braden suggests that people displaying those symptoms go home and call their doctor.

Although the disease has been fairly mild in most victims, serious concern remains over its pandemic spread.