17 June 2009

NSW changes influenza response to "PROTECT"

NSW Minister for Health, John Della Bosca, tonight announced that the State would adjust its human swine influenza response to the newly created 'PROTECT' phase, in line with the Australian Government's national recommendation.

"The advice of the NSW Chief Health Officer, in consultation with the other States, Territories and the Commonwealth, is that PROTECT is now the appropriate level for NSW," Mr Della Bosca said.

"This response is due to the moderate severity of the illness in its current form, its consequences for the community and the emergence of the first cases of community, or person-to-person, transmission in NSW.

"Going to PROTECT is a sensible progression in the management of this ongoing public health risk," the Minister said.

NSW Chief Health Officer, Dr Kerry Chant, said the new phase would result in a greater focus on people known to be vulnerable to the H1 N1 09 Virus and those who become seriously ill.

"PROTECT recognises that the effects of human swine influenza are moderate on most people, but still potentially severe for some who contract the disease," Dr Chant said.

"The community groups we are particularly concerned about are pregnant women and people who have underlying health conditions such as diabetes, respiratory, heart and renal disease. 

"If those people develop flu-like symptoms, they are advised to contact their GP.  The Healthdirect telephone service can provide advice on 1800 022 222," she said.

Dr Chant said that people who have no underlying medical conditions and are experiencing only mild flu-like symptoms should stay at home and minimise contact with others, until they are well.  People who develop moderate symptoms should see their GP.  Those with severe symptoms should go to their nearest Emergency Department.

Key elements of the new Australian PROTECT phase are:

• Identification and early treatment of those with moderate or severe disease, especially people with respiratory difficulty.
• A focus on early treatment of people who may be vulnerable to severe outcomes. These people include pregnant women and those with respiratory disease including asthma, heart disease, diabetes, renal disease, morbid obesity, and immunosuppression.
• Control of outbreaks in institutional settings, such as special schools.
• Discontinuing school exclusion for students who have travelled to areas of high prevalence
• Voluntary home isolation and supporting treatment such as over-the-counter medication for those with mild disease
• Antivirals from national and state medical stockpiles provided to people with moderate or severe disease or whose underlying conditions, after appropriate clinical assessment, could make them vulnerable to severe infection.
• Testing to focus on identification of H1N1 in people with moderate or severe illness, people more vulnerable to severe illness, those in institutional settings and Indigenous Australians.
• Increased identification and monitoring of H1N1 hospital admissions, ICU admissions and levels of morbidity, as well as increased monitoring of clinical outcomes throughout the influenza season.
• Increased sentinel testing to identify levels of community transmission and the strain of circulating influenza viruses.
• Ongoing monitoring of the virus for the emergence of antiviral resistance or other changes that could herald a change to greater virulence.
• Discontinuing additional border measures such as thermal screening and Health Declaration Cards

Summary of confirmed human swine influenza cases in NSW

Table last updated: 17 June 2009, 10.30am EST. National figures as published at 17 June 2009, 5am EST, available at: http://www.healthemergency.gov.au

Further information is available from the Flu hotline on 180 2007 and at the NSW Health website: www.health.nsw.gov.au by clicking on the 'Swine Flu Information' button.

For a range of health information, go online to http://www.health.nsw.gov.au