San Luis Obispo County health officials announced yesterday that they were testing 30 patients in San Luis Obispo County for possible swine flu, and there were three probable cases. The probable cases all came from members of the Grizzly Youth Academy west of San Luis Obispo. About 70 students at the academy have displayed flu-like symptoms, officials said.
Though the cases haven’t been confirmed, 95 percent of probable samples sent to the California Center for Disease Control so far have tested positive and “it is therefore very likely that we will receive positive results soon,” the Public Health Department said in a statement.
Students displaying cold and flu symptoms were given masks during check-in at the Cal Poly health center as a precautionary measure.
Health Center director Marty Bragg advised students to maintain standard hygiene habits including washing one’s hands, keeping one’s hands away from one’s mouth and eyes and sneezing and coughing into one’s shoulder.
Symptoms of swine flu are very similar to that of the common seasonal flu including coughing, nasal congestion, body aches and joint pain, lethargy and most importantly, fever.