DURANT — Flu season is upon us, and local partners are making plans to protect community residents through vaccination and public education about how to stay healthy.

The Bryan County Health Department in partnership with Durant/Bryan County Emergency Management Office, City of Durant, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Choctaw Nation, Durant Police Department, Bryan County Sheriff’s Office, Bryan County Commissioners, locals area schools, media and local volunteers are preparing for this influenza season.

Rhonda Dennis, director of the Bryan County Health Department said that over the past month, these partners have come together in preparation to plan for a mass drive-through flu clinic and to continue to educate the public on how to best protect themselves from flu this season.

“Students from area schools are beginning to experience flu like symptoms and a few have tested positive for the new H1N1virus,” Dennis said, in a news release. “Since we now know that the new influenza virus has spread throughout the state, the health department is not testing for individual cases of the new H1N1 influenza (swine flu) virus.”

Dennis emphasized that whether one has seasonal flu or the new H1N1 flu, the symptoms and treatment for flu are the same, so testing to determine which strain of influenza an individual may have is not necessary, unless the individual has been hospitalized.

“We are no longer tracking cases of the new H1N1 flu in the county,” Dennis said. “Whether it is seasonal or the new flu, influenza viruses are spread from person to person in respiratory droplets when a person who has the virus coughs or sneezes and spreads those infected droplets to others.”

Symptoms of flu include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some persons also report diarrhea and vomiting.

“Persons who are ill should not go to work or school and should keep away from others as much as possible,” Dennis said. “For mild flu symptoms, it is not necessary to see a doctor, however, if you are pregnant or have a health condition like diabetes, heart disease, asthma or emphysema, do check with your health care provider about appropriate treatment.”

Dennis said sick persons should seek immediate medical care if they have trouble breathing; have purple or blue discoloration of the lips; are vomiting and unable to keep liquids down; have signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing, absence of urination, or in infants, a lack of tears when they cry; have seizures (for example, uncontrolled convulsions); or are less responsive than normal or become confused.

“Otherwise, stay home and get plenty of rest, drink clear fluids to keep from being dehydrated, cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or cough or sneeze ‘into your sleeve,’ and wash hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub, particularly after using tissues or coughing and sneezing into hands,” she said. “Persons should not return to school or work for at least 24 hours after fever is gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine.”

For people who are at high risk for severe complications from the flu, some antiviral prescription medications may help lessen influenza symptoms. Most people will not need them to fully recover from the flu. Health officials caution that aspirin should not be given to children or teenagers who have flu-like symptoms, particularly fever. Instead, use medications such as acetaminophen to relieve fever and muscle aches associated with the flu. The use of aspirin in children has been associated with Reye’s syndrome, a potentially fatal disease in children, causing harmful effects to many organs, including the brain and liver.

“We are planning the mass drive-through flu clinic the last Saturday in September if our vaccine arrives in time, which will be done in collaboration with all our community partners, and will be for vaccination of the seasonal flu,” Dennis said.

“This effort would not be possible if it were not for our community agencies coming together and volunteering their time for this county.”

Dennis hopes to start receiving H1N1 vaccine about mid-October and those vaccines will be given on a priority basis according to Center for Disease Control guidelines.

For more information, call the Bryan County Health Department at 580/924-4285 or visit http://h1n1.health.ok.gov.