Family violence providers throughout Texas are taking measures to decrease the risk of spreading swine flu. Due to our population density, emergency shelters are susceptible to the spread of illness. There has been an enormous amount of media coverage regarding the swine flu and the potential for it to spread rapidly. The United States Government has declared a public health emergency in response to an intensifying outbreak in the U.S. and internationally caused by a new influenza virus of swine origin. On April 29, 2009 the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 5. A Phase 5 alert is a “strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.”

The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) response goals are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency. The CDC is issuing and updating interim guidance daily in response to the rapidly evolving situation. For accurate and current online information visit the CDC’s website.

In an effort to provide your program with accurate current information, the Texas Council on Family Violence contacted the Swine Flu Incident Command Center and the Texas Department of State Health Services for best practices advice for residential and nonresidential family violence programs. The Command Center suggests that family violence programs offering emergency shelter follow guidelines similar to individual households. Family violence emergency shelters and nonresidential programs should:

  • Have pump dispensers in areas where residents/nonresidents gather so they may wash their hands immediately after coughing or sneezing.
  • Have plenty of tissues to use to cover the mouth or nose when sneezing or coughing.
  • Ask the adult residents/nonresidents to notify staff if anyone is ill with a sore throat or cough and fever equal to, or greater than, 100.4°F.

The Swine Flu Incident Command Center also provided the following information for family violence programs when human infection with Swine Influenza A (H1N1) is confirmed in a community.

Strongly Recommend Home/Shelter Isolation of Cases

  • Persons who develop influenza-like-illness (ILI) (fever with either cough or sore throat) should be strongly encouraged to self-isolate in their home if the person is a nonresidential client and the home is safe. If the person is a shelter resident, the resident should use a mask when in common areas and have a separate room/area for seven days after the onset of illness or at least 24 hours after symptoms have resolved, whichever is longer.
  • Persons who experience ILI and wish to seek medical care should contact health care providers to report the illness by telephone or other remote means before seeking care at a clinic, physician’s office, or hospital.
  • Persons who have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath or are believed to be severely ill should seek immediate medical attention.
  • If ill persons must go into the community (e.g., to seek medical care) they should wear a face mask to reduce the risk of spreading the virus in the community when they cough, sneeze, talk or breathe. If a face mask is unavailable, ill persons needing to go into the community should use a handkerchief or tissues to cover any coughing.
  • Persons in home/shelter isolation and their household members should be given infection control instructions: including frequent hand washing with soap and water. Use of alcohol-based hand gels (containing at least 60% alcohol) when soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty. When the ill person is within six feet of others at home, the ill person should wear a face mask if one is available and the ill person is able to tolerate wearing it.

Regarding Household/Shelter Contacts

  • Household/shelter contacts who are well should remain home or at the shelter.
  • At the earliest sign of illness, minimize contact in the community to the extent possible.
  • Designate a single household/shelter family member as the ill person’s caregiver to minimize interactions with asymptomatic persons.

TCFV recommends that Residential and Nonresidential Family Violence Programs have the following items readily available:

  • thermometers
  • garbage bags
  • laundry soap –to clean clothes etc. (specific to residential programs)
  • dishwasher liquid soap-if using a dishwasher
  • soap and water
  • pump dispensers- alcohol-based hand gels (containing at least 60% alcohol)
  • face masks
  • tissues
  • infection control instructions for clients and employees

For infection control instructions, visit http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/guidance/ or
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/swineflu/.

For PDF brochures on tips to contain the spread of the flu both in English and Spanish, visit Stop the Spread of Flu ( PDF, 106 kb) or Detenga el Contagio de la Gripe ( PDF, 56 kb).
TCFV also recommends that residential and nonresidential family violence providers contact their local health service region and/or their emergency planning authorities. This collaboration will assure that the particular risks for and needs of survivors of family violence and program staff is addressed in the health services and emergency planning and responses. To contact your local health service region visit: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/regions/default.shtm

You may also contact The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at 800-CDC-INFO (800-232-4636), TTY: (888) 232-6348, or cdcinfo@cdc.gov, 24 hours, every day.

Additional helpful information:

TCFV staff will continue to work closely with state and federal agencies, monitor health alerts and send your program updates.

If you have any questions or concerns, you may contact TCFV staff at 1-800-794-1133.