Swine flu hits Casey

By Lia Bichel and Kelly Yates
THREE swine flu cases have been confirmed in Casey as of Tuesday, with a local councillor in voluntary quarantine.
Rivergum Ward councillor Lynette Keleher missed a council meeting on Tuesday night after fears a family member was exposed to the H1N1 influenza virus.
Several nurses from Casey Hospital have returned to work this week after testing negative to swine flu.
Southern Health spokeswoman Suzana Talevski said the nurses were on the Pacific Dawn cruise ship and were off work for a week.
“Staff with flu-like symptoms should not come to work and should avoid public places and close contact with others, especially children and the elderly,” she said.
“Southern Health is not aware of any staff member having tested positive to the swine flu.”
GP Dr Nicolas Demediuk said swine flu was similar to the seasonal flu that hits hundreds of Victorians each year, and he expected more people to be affected by the virus soon.
“It will soon be impossible to trace everyone who gets it and impossible to contain, but it’s not particularly dangerous,” he said. “People shouldn’t be worried about it.”
Dr Demediuk said the only way to tell the different between a normal flu and the swine flu is by getting a swab test done.
“If people do have it, they should use Tamiflu, Panadol, drink lots of liquids, and wash their hands frequently to help prevent the spread,” he said.
And, like a normal flu, Dr Demediuk said sick people should sneeze into tissues, wash hands frequently, and stay at home until symptoms pass to prevent the virus spreading to others.
Dandenong Hospital has opened one of seven dedicated flu clinics across Melbourne to provide services to those living in the south-east.