ORLANDO, Fla., April 27, 2009 (3 p.m.) – Florida Hospital and its urgent care clinic, Centra Care, are ready to respond to any cases of swine flu.  Right now, there are no reported cases in Central Florida, and there is no need for citizens to panic.  We continue to work closely with our local Health Department to ensure we are informed of the latest developments.   Out of an abundance of caution, Florida Hospital is taking the following steps in the event there is a swine flu case identified in Central Florida.
 

• Communicating to employees: We are in the process of informing our employees about the signs and symptoms of the disease and how to take appropriate action.  The Florida Department of Health has asked that if doctors see patients with high fever and a cough or sore throat, a specimen should be collected for testing.  We are complying with that request.  At this time, it is too early for us to compile a number of patients exhibiting these symptoms that have come to our Emergency Rooms.


• Taking precautions: At this time, we encourage everyone to take proper precautions to prevent swine flu from spreading.  The State Surgeon General recommends washing hands frequently and staying home from work or school if you have respiratory illness.

 
We will continue to provide updates as warranted. More information about swine flu can be found at the following government Web sites: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu or  http://www.hhs.gov . For media inquiries, contact Florida Hospital Media Relations at 407-303-8217.