Small Town News

Flu bug bites

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Hospital, schools reeling from illnesses

The flu bug is biting hard and often forcing local schools and hospitals to take extreme precautions in an effort to curb the onslaught of the outbreak in the community.

The Quentin Burdick Memorial Health Care Facility in Belcourt has installed a sanitary station at both main entrances while closing the emergency room area because it is too confined and makes for easy spreading of the flu (influenza).

At the St. John Public Schools, last week's absenteeism hit more than 30 percent. According to St. John Elementary Principal Paul Fry-denlund, the absentee rate at that local school has never reached more than 10 percent during the past decade.

Roxanne Unabia-LaVallie, CEO of the Quentin Burdick IHS, is taking steps to protect the patients and the staff of the facility. The flu is hitting hard and the hospital and clinic in Belcourt has the appearance of a major flu epidemic. Hospital staff from the intake and appointment desk and all across every department are wearing masks and washing their hands.

Patients in the waiting area were also wearing masks and most of the people there were being assessed for flu-like symptoms. At risk for the flu are people who were not vaccinated and the groups who are most susceptible to the severe effects of the flu are the elderly, chronically ill, heart patients, diabetics, infants, and those with respiratory ailments. However, the H1N1 has seemed to been especially dangerous on the young and healthy. There are three confirmed cases in Rolette County of the H1N1 flu virus.

"There are a lot of flu cases coming through our doors on a daily, and nightly basis. So we felt we had to figure a way to come up with a plan to stave off the spread of the flu, regardless of the strain," said Unabia-LaVallie. "The main thing people should do when they come into our facility is to wash their hands and put a mask on, especially if they're sick. We don't want people to bring a virus in or take one home with them that might be here already. This providers," Wraalstad noted.

The Quentin Burdick IHS and the Presentation Medical Center both are allowed to only send three samples for H1N1 cases for testing on a daily basis to the State Health Department. So in essence, there could be some cases that would be missed if the cases of the (H1N1) swine flu would rise rapidly in the future.

At the Belcourt school system, the staff and school nurses are working hard to educate the students about washing their hands properly and making sure everyone washes their hands properly and for the athletes in sports, it is paramount that the players or runners do not share drinks with each other.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), flu symptoms are marked by fever, sore throat, cough, headache, chills, muscle aches, and fatigue. The CDC reports that on the average, 225,000 patients are hospitalized for the flu each year and that there is an average of 36.000 deaths attributed to influenza annually -- mostly the elderly.

Until the flu bug pulls back its fangs a bit, the IHS will continue to monitor traffic in the hospital and clinic and provide the cleansing stations.

"All we ask is that everyone, whether you feel sick or not, wash their hands, entering and leaving our facility," said IHS CEO Unabia-LaVallie. "You'll be doing it not only for your own good, but everyone

For a hand-washing guide, please see the Rolette County Public Health ad below.



Copyright 2009 Turtle Mountain Star, Rolla, North Dakota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from SmallTownPapers, Inc.

© 2010 Turtle Mountain Star Rolla, North Dakota. All Rights Reserved. This content, including derivations, may not be stored or distributed in any manner, disseminated, published, broadcast, rewritten or reproduced without express, written consent from DAS.

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