County Scales Back Multi-agency Response to Virus Outbreak

For Immediate Release: Thursday, May 07, 2009

With the announcement from the U. S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the H1N1 flu is more comparable to seasonal flu than first expected, Department of Health and Human Services officials are ramping down their active operations in dealing with the virus.

The county Emergency Operations Center, activated to handle the potential virus outbreak by bringing in additional resources, returned the operation to the Department of Health and Human Services on Wednesday. The Health and Human Services Department Operations Center will close at 1:00 p.m. today (Thursday) and the Department will return to a regular operating schedule, although with "heightened awareness."

"We're grateful for the quick and decisive cooperation from our partners, especially the schools," said Washington County Public Health Officer Dr. Paul Lewis. Dr. Lewis added, "We'll continue to monitor the situation in the weeks and months ahead." The county will continue an aggressive information outreach to, health organizations, businesses, schools, and the general public through the coming summer and fall.

As of Wednesday, there were 45 confirmed cases of the H1N1 flu in Oregon. Health officials say the ability to test for the virus at state laboratories, rather than sending the samples to the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta, has eased concerns that the outbreak might grow rapidly during the delay in waiting for test results. Two-thirds of the samples tested are turning out to be seasonal, rather than H1N1, flu.

During the past eleven days of operations, Washington County accomplished the following:

• Provided direct and close coordination with Forest Grove School District, the site of the first confirmed virus patient in the county, to help mitigate any spread of the disease.
• Coordinated consistent health and safety messages through daily contact with public agencies and private organizations throughout Washington County, as well as the Oregon Public Health Division.
• Established a bi-lingual Public Inquiry Center to answer citizens' calls regarding the virus.
• Reached out to school district administrators with health information and consultation about the flu outbreak.
• Gathered information from local schools about increased absenteeism rates resulting from the virus.
• Created dedicated web pages to inform the public about ways to help prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus at www.co.washington.or.us/flu.cfm.
• Worked closely with the regional Health and Medical Coordinating Center, helping to provide all hospitals and clinics in the Portland metropolitan area with an accurate picture of the status of the healthcare system and coordinating the emergency medical resources of the region.

Despite the scale-down of emergency operations, health officials urge the public to continue:

• Washing your hands often (soap and water and alcohol-based and cleaners are effective.)
• Avoiding touching eyes, nose or mouth.
• Coughing or sneezing into your arm or onto a tissue, not into your hands.
• Avoiding contact with people who are ill.

Those who are sick with symptoms of flu should stay home and not go to work, public gatherings, sporting events, celebrations or any other place where people gather. The flu could be given to others for seven days starting from the first day that symptoms begin.

Media Contact:

Kent Burtner, Communications Officer
503-846-3634
[email protected]