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Show Join the crowd Elm is really on mowing By TOM BUSSELBERG FARMINGTON A lot of people peo-ple are feeling as gloomy as the weather's been lately. The influenza season is here, .confirms the Davis County Health Department, with 59 cases reported re-ported at the weekend, up from 37 the previous week. Health Director Enrico Leopar-di Leopar-di says "the outbreak appears to be very small right now but a progressive progres-sive increase in numbers of cases is expected in the weeks ahead." Those cases don't include the Type A influenza, Taiwan strain,; where one of 14 cases statewide is reported in Davis County. Incubation usually takes one- three days, Dr. Leopardi says, with fever often signaling the onset. It may abruptly reach 103 degrees with a frontal headache involving in-volving both sides of the forehead very common. Cold-like symptoms such as runny run-ny nose and dry, hacking cough are common along with generalized muscle soreness and aches, such as in the back and legs. Extreme fatigue fati-gue and weakness are also common com-mon complaints, he continued. How do you get rid of it? The health director advises bed rest, increased liquid intake and supportive care, including the use of simple pain relievers. "Children may be given acetaminophen, aceta-minophen, such as Tylenol, Tern- pra and Luquiprin, to reduce fever -and relieve pain," Dr. Leopardi advises, "but children showing symptoms of influenza should absolutely not be given aspirin!" The best prevention method is vaccination. As he explains it, "the antiviral agent amantadine has been shown to be effective in decreasing de-creasing the duration of fever and other symptoms when prescribed within 24-48 hours of the onset of influenza A infection." Among those who should consider con-sider such options are persons in the so-called "high risk" groups: anyone above age 65; those with cardiovascular or pulmonary diseases; dis-eases; nursing home residents; those with chronic diseases such as kidney failure, diabetes, immunosuppression, immuno-suppression, asthma or anemias-children anemias-children requiring aspirin therapy ' and medical personnel. : Those in the high-risk category' , should contact their physician as " soon as possible after the onset of influenza-like symptoms to ask ab- . out advisability of receiving pre---scribed amantadine. If they ha-"' ven't yet acquired influenza they-, should request an immunization, -he stresses. The health department has ex- hausted its influenza vaccine supp- ; ly, Dr. Leopardi notes. Further information is available by calling your physician or the : health department at 451-3337. |
