Four of Maryland's 15 probable cases of swine flu have been confirmed.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the confirmed cases include a student from Milford Mill Academy in Baltimore County, two other cases involving Baltimore County adults and a case involving a preschool-age child at Folger McKinsey Elementary School in Anne Arundel County.
Howard University Student Probable
On Sunday, a Howard University student and another George Washington University student were added to the list of probable cases of swine flu.
Howard officials made the announcement late Sunday, saying the student has recovered but will be isolated until test results come back from the CDC.
The Howard student became infected after traveling abroad last month, officials said. Affected residence halls and common areas will be sanitized, President Sidney A. Ribeau said.
Over in Maryland, an elementary school teacher became that state's latest case. Starting Monday, the University Park Elementary School in Hyattsville, Md., will be shutdown for up to 14 days, per the CDC guidelines.
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The Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has sent the teacher's and four additional probable swine flu specimens to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be tested.
On Friday, Maryland school officials closed Rockville High School in Montgomery County, Milford Mill Academy in Baltimore County, Folger McKinsey Elementary School in Anne Arundel County and Montpelier Elementary School in Prince George's County. All of the schools had at least one student with a probable case of swine flu.
Some Rockville High students took Advanced Placement tests at Mark Twain Monday. They used a separate entrance than the rest of the school and were kept away from the other students.
In Virginia, there are three confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus. One patient is a man from eastern Virginia, and the second is a woman from the central part of the state. A student at Washington and Lee University also came down with a mild case but is recovering. Authorities also are looking into a second possible case at the school.
In the District, there are four probable cases of the swine flu: the one at Howard and the three at GW. Two freshmen at GW were placed in a private dorm after they became sick. They have since recovered. The latest possible case at GW did not require hospitalization.
Classes at both schools have already ended for the semester. The campus will remain open and all activities including final examinations and commencement exercises will proceed as scheduled.
Meanwhile, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore, which includes Anne Arundel County, has encouraged its churches to take steps that would minimize the spread of the flu virus. In a letter to pastors on Thursday, Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien suggested that during Mass they should:
- Consider offering Communion only in the hand rather than on the tongue.
- Consider suspending holding hands while praying the Our Father.
- Consider suspending shaking hands and other personal contact during the sign of peace.
- Make sure all priests and Eucharistic ministers sanitize their hands before and after distributing Communion.
- Make alcohol-based sanitizers available.
- Disinfect holy water containers at church entrances prior to refilling them.
The archbishop also encouraged parishioners to stay at home if they have any symptoms of the flu or a severe cold. "It is not sinful to miss Mass if you are sick and unable to attend; it is an act of charity," he wrote in the letter.
On the Sunday talk shows, health officials were cautiously optimistic that the new swine flu isn't as dangerous as first feared. But they urged people to keep taking precautions.
Here's how to contact your local flu hotlines:
- Maryland: 877-MDFLU4U (877-633-5848), open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Friday; 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. E-mail questions to swineflu@dhmh.state.md.us.
- Montgomery County: 240-777-4200, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
- Virginia: 877-ASK-VDH3 (275-8343), 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
- The District: 311, if calling from a D.C. number; for those calling from a non-D.C. number, 202-737-4404.
