Apr 28, 2009 8:44 pm US/Eastern
Md. Doctor Expects Surge Of Swine Flu Testing
Reporting
Adam May
BALTIMORE (WJZ/AP) ―
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People here in Maryland are undergoing testing for the swine flu virus.
Adam May reports there are no cases yet in Maryland, but precautions are being taken.
St. Joseph Medical Center has worked for years to perfect their pandemic flu plan. One family triggered a real life test Tuesday.
Lab workers tested five flu samples after an unnamed school in the Baltimore area urged a swine flu precaution.
"The family was sent here by their school system because they returned from Mexico," said Dr. Rich Boehler from St. Joseph Medical Center.
They had no symptoms, but the school was worried.
"They were all negative," Boehler said.
He expects many more patients in the next few days.
"I have no doubt we're going to see a surge in cases," he said.
Health care workers are taking more precautions, too. Doctors and nurses have to wear masks and face shields in all suspected cases of swine flu.
Flanked by some of the top doctors in the state, Governor O'Malley delivered a message about swine flu earlier this week.
"Right now, we are watching this. We are monitoring this, and we are taking appropriate actions in conjunction with all our public health officials. So we anticipate because of this that there will probably be a case in Maryland," said O'Malley.
With the swine flu having already spread to other countries, local officials here are prepared for the worst.
"In Maryland, we have been planning for public health emergencies for years, and we have tested and trained ourselves for various scenarios following an all-hazards approach. So regardless of what the public health emergency is, we're going to be ready for it," said Secretary John Colmers, Department of Health.
With more than two dozen confirmed cases in New York, officials in Maryland are on high alert.
At Johns Hopkins Hospital, health officials are preparing, ready to respond if the virus shows up. Workers at Hopkins are testing patient samples and sending any questionable ones to the state for further testing. There's no swine flu yet, but there is increased screening.
"At this moment, we can say, 'Have you traveled to border states near Mexico? Have you been to a certain part of New York City?'" said Professor Trish Perl, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
Officials at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport are warning travelers heading back from Mexico. They are handing out a sheet outlining symptoms to look for now that they're home.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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