Cases of H1N1 flu seem to be tapering off at schools like Washington State University, where it is suspected of affecting more than 2,000 students, but health officials say the nation needs to remain on high alert for breakouts of the virus.
"It’s good the student population is becoming generally healthier at WSU – but it doesn’t mean they can let their guard down," Joe Quimby, senior press officer for the Centers for Disease Control, told FOXNews.com on Tuesday. "And that same message goes for any other university, college, public school, city or town."
"It’s only a theory, but based on what we saw in the spring, and what we’re seeing in the Southeast … is that as more and more schools come into session we’ll continue to see the spread of H1N1."
He said the spike in cases in the Southeast can most likely be attributed to the fact that students are in such close proximity to one another.
In a press briefing last week, Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, made the point that the H1N1 virus is here to stay, and in fact it never went away. "We had H1N1 influenza throughout the summer in summer camps, and now with colleges and schools coming back into session, we're seeing more cases," Frieden said."The good news is that so far, everything that we've seen, both in this country and abroad, shows that the virus has not changed to become more deadly. That means that although it may affect lots of people, most people will not be severely ill."
But Frieden has stressed that the flu is generally "unpredictable."
"And that means two things," he said. "First, we have to vigorously monitor to see whether it's changing, who it's affecting and what's happening with it. And second, we have to be ready and prepared to change our approach depending on what the virus does."
About half of H1N1 cases affect people between 5 and 24 years old, most of who don't have to see a doctor and recover within five days.
"There's no reason to see a doctor or go to the emergency department unless you're severely ill," Freiden said. "For example, if you have trouble breathing or you have an underlying condition, such as diabetes, pregnancy, heart disease or lung disease. For people who do have an underlying condition, it's important to be seen promptly if you get a fever."