Give us all facts on flu outbreak

B y now, you've heard about H1N1 virus or swine flu, as it was called in the past. You can't help it. News about the virus is -- literally -- everywhere!

Originally detected in people of Illinois in April, H1N1 was given pandemic status by the World Health Organization on June 11.

And, in case you're not aware, a pandemic is an epidemic (sudden outbreak) -- think smallpox and tuberculosis -- that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent or the world.

Serious, right?

Well you'd think so, but according to the Plainfield School District, "H1N1 is, simply, the flu," as stated in the district's Oct. 19 update. And based on the Will County Health Department's guidance, the district does not intend to alert families about individual cases of H1N1. Instead, the district will continue to "communicate regularly and educate and inform" our families about the importance of prevention and appropriate treatment if our children do indeed get sick.

OK, but according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the H1N1 flu can be very serious, especially for younger children and children of any age who have one or more chronic medical conditions.

These conditions include asthma or other lung problems, diabetes, weakened immune systems, kidney disease, heart problems and neurological and neuromuscular disorders.

To date, H1N1 flu has caused a greater disease burden in people younger than 25 years old, unusual when compared with the seasonal flu that typically affects those 64 years old and older.

To me, as a parent, H1N1 is scary. First, several children with asthma are in our schools. Second, how many of us know whether or not our small children have heart problems or other disorders that might make their exposure to H1N1 extremely dangerous?

As a parent, I feel that I have a right to know how many kids are out of school with the flu. And at this point, I don't even care what type of flu it is.

But, in an effort to support their "no alert" policy, the district chose to post on its Web site an article from Dr. George Koburov, medical director for Edward Hospital's Pediatric Emergency Department.

In the article "H1N1: What you need to know," Koburov echoes that H1N1 is "no more dangerous than the regular seasonal flu," and states that "since H1N1 is a new virus, most of us have no immunity to it, which means more people will get sick from it." Huh? No more dangerous, but more people will get sick from it?

"We need to remain calm," Koburov says, "and use good judgment. H1N1 is more of an annoyance than a real danger for the vast majority of us."

Oh, I'm annoyed, all right, but it's not because I have the flu. And withholding information concerning the health of my child is having the opposite effect of keeping me calm.

I want the district to just give me the facts. I'll use my own judgment as to whether or not H1N1 is a danger to my child.

Lisa Bakewell is a full-time freelance writer living in Joliet. E-mail her at lbakewell01@sbcglobal.net.