“We have seen a few more patients come in with flu-like symptoms, but it is the tail end of the flu season,” she said.
Swine flu is a respiratory disease that appears in pigs and is caused by type A influenza. The flu doesn’t typically affect people, but public health officials found that the current strain can be transferred from person to person.
Swine flu symptoms are similar to seasonal flu signs, such as a fever higher than 100 degrees, sore throat, cough, chills, stuffy nose, fatigue, headache and body aches.
But severe symptoms, including diarrhea, pneumonia and respiratory failure, can also form and lead to death. The flu can be treated and prevented with antiviral drugs.
The hospital provided patients, and their families, who suffered from respiratory illness with face masks to protect them, Stricker said.
Staff set up several stations with antibacterial hand lotions and gave hospital visitors handouts with information about the flu and how to avoid getting it, she said.
President Obama said Monday that while top U.S. public health officials were closely monitoring cases throughout the nation, there was no “cause for alarm.”
His administration issued a public health emergency Sunday after 20 flu cases were confirmed in the United States.
That number swelled Monday by another 20.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 28 cases were reported in New York, seven in California, two in Kansas, two in Texas and one in Ohio since Sunday.
The flu has killed 149 people in Mexico, but more than 1,000 cases have been reported.
State Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said in a news conference Monday morning that four flu cases were reported in San Diego County and three were confirmed in the Imperial Valley.
He described the cases as mild to moderate, and in most cases, the infected person had already recovered from the flu.
