KATIE COSEO
The Corsair
A full house was at the Warrington campus student center for the Swine Flu Seminar with presenter Dr. I.E. Ephtimios on Oct. 14. Students from various programs attended the seminar.
Edith Finley, coordinator of Student Leadership and Activities, heard about Dr. Ephtimios and contacted him. New events such as “Chat with the President” on Oct. 15 and “All want for Christmas is a passing grade” workshop in Nov. are on the agenda for Warrington campus. “I’m very willing to get out there and find a presenter,” said Finley.
Dr. I.E. Ephtimios, a Greece native and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine at FSU, began his lecture with a comical video about how coughing in a sleeve was actually better than your hands, because it will deterrent germs from surviving long and not transmit as easily. The video even suggested disposable sleeve guards, but pointed out that this would not be fashionable at this point in time.
“The basic message is H1N1 is not going anywhere,” said Dr. Ephtimios. As with many flu viruses swine flu has actually been around longer than we thought; it just changed. The circulation of the flu continues every year and Dr. Ephtimios pointed out, “After 10 years you have a totally different virus.”
The Influenza and Spanish flu back in 1918 were also H1N1 viruses and took the lives of millions around the world. Unlike many viruses and diseases that generally affect the very young and the elderly, the viruses affected the young and healthy, ages 20 to 40 years. It is unknown why this age group was more affected, theory is based on that this age group has more social interaction.
This H1N1 was reported back in April 2009 and by June it was declared that the swine flu was now a world wide pandemic. Now with flu season starting up many are worried how to tell the difference between seasonal flu and H1N1.
“Signs and symptoms are the same as seasonal,” explained Dr. Ephtimios, pointing out that if you have flu like symptoms during the summer, it’s most likely swine flu. In fact, Dr. Ephtimios pointed out that, “99 percent of the virus circulating is the H1N1.”
Adults should be suspicious however of having swine flu if they have difficulty breathing, sudden dizziness, confusion, persistent vomiting, and flu symptoms that go away but come back with worse cough and fever. Parents and care givers can be concerned for children who look blue or have grayish color skin, not interacting or waking, don’t eat or drink, persistent vomiting and again a return of symptoms but with worse cough and fever.
Live vaccines are available and taking the regular seasonal flu vaccine will not protect you from H1N1. Getting both vaccines at the same time it’s best to sure to get the inactivated seasonal flu vaccine then getting two live vaccines.
Those who should be getting the vaccine are pregnant women, those who live with or provide care to children less than six months old, health care and emergency personnel, persons six months to 24 years old, and those from 25 to 64 who have medical conditions that can increase the likelihood of influenza complications..
From Dr. Epthimios lecture, as of Oct. 2, Florida has had 2, 915 cases of swine flu and 23 deaths. Pensacola has been documented as having localized outbreaks, while counties next to Escambia have more widespread influenza reporting.
As they say in the commercials, “cover your coughs. Stay at home when you feel sick and most importantly if you can’t use your sleeve wash your hands.”