Local health care providers set up flu screening

<p>The impact of swine flu is becoming more visible in Sonoma County, even as local health care providers have yet to encounter their first probable or confirmed case of the virus.</p><!-- Nothing to do. The paragraph has already been output --><p>At the Petaluma Health Center on Southpoint Boulevard, a screening tent was set up Wednesday in an effort to separate the clinic's patients from those with flu-like symptoms.</p><p>"We want to identify patients who might have swine flu and also to ensure that we don't contaminate our waiting room," said Kathie Powell, CEO of the Petaluma Health Center.</p><p>Powell said everyone who walks up the pathway toward the clinic goes through a "simple screening," where they are asked if they have symptoms such as a fever, cough or sore throat. If any one of the symptoms is present, the patient is then sent to the screening tent.</p><p>Powell said that by the time the clinic closed at 8 p.m. Wednesday, 90 patients were examined at the screening tent.</p><p>"No one with any of those symptoms goes into the waiting room without being triaged or examined by a provider," she said, adding that the clinic will be reaching out to retired doctors in the area to help staff the screening tent.</p><p>Also Wednesday, the county's Health Care Disaster Planning Forum, a group that has been meeting quarterly for the past five years, officially convened for the first time in response to an actual event.</p><p>The group includes county public health preparedness managers, representatives of local hospitals, long-term care facilities officials, the Red Cross, health care center representatives and people from emergency medical services.</p><p>"The thermostat has been turned up by what's going on around the world," said Dr. Mark Netherda, the county's deputy public health officer. "We certainly continue to have concern, but we're doing everything we can to get information out as much as possible."</p><p>As of Wednesday, Netherda said 42 "specimens" or samples taken from patients with flu-like symptoms who match a particular profile have tested negative for the H1N1 swine flu virus. Another 16 specimens that couldn't be processed Wednesday are awaiting testing and will likely be tested with new samples submitted to the county today.</p><p>For Netherda, it was another day of briefings, meetings and education.</p><p>In the afternoon, about 60 principals, nurses and officials from Santa Rosa City Schools and other districts gathered at Ridgway High School to hear Netherda discuss what symptoms to look for among their students and what would justify a school closure.</p><p>Recent travel should not affect whether a student should attend school or not, he said.</p><p>"Kids should not be excluded from school. If someone in the family has an influenza-like illness, that kid should stay home," he said. "But if nobody in that family is sick, that kid should come to school."</p><p>If a student develops a cough, fever and sore throat, the student should stay home and the school should be alerted and a doctor called. If the child has been at school recently, the school should be informed how the child progresses, Netherda said.</p><p>Netherda urged teachers to talk to students about the virus -- how it's spread, what the disease is and why officials are looking at it.</p><p>If a student is determined to have a probable case of the virus, Netherda said county public health officials will be alerted by health care providers and contact both the school principal and the district office.</p><p>Any schoolwide dismissal would likely last seven days, Netherda said. The virus can live on a surface for about two hours and is passed by droplets rather than an airborne transmission, he said. Extra cleaning of desk tops, drinking fountains and other areas above and beyond typical cleaning are not likely to reduce any spread.</p><p>Sonoma County's testing for swine flu includes specimens from Mendocino, Lake and Sonoma counties, Netherda said.</p><p>In Mendocino County, health officials are advising travelers returning from Mexico to stay home for seven days, regardless of health status. Those with the H1N1 virus should be considered potentially contagious for up to seven days following the onset of illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control.</p><p>"We have quite a bit of travel between Mexico and our county. We're trying to mitigate the situation to the best of our ability," said Dr. Marvin Trotter, Mendocino County Public Health officer.</p><p>"Since there is no vaccination, we feel it is prudent to prevent the community spread of the disease at this time. It's much easier to do it now than later," he said.</p><p>Mendocino County officials were also warning parents there may be a sudden closure in a school that experiences just one case of swine flu, as recommended by the CDC.</p><p>"We want to prepare parents that have day care issues this could happen," said Public Health Director Stacey Cryer.</p><p>Staff Writer Kerry Benefield contributed to this report. You can reach Staff Writer Martin Espinoza at 521-5213 or mespinozapd@gmail.com. You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 521-5214 or clark.mason@pressdemocrat.com.</p>