Martin Heinrich reacts to Flu Outbreak

Congressman Martin Heinrich announced that he has established a swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection resource Web site for constituents in the First Congressional District to provide critical updates and links to reliable sources of information such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the New Mexico Department of Health. Providing appropriate guidance for the public health community and the general public is a top priority for Congressman Heinrich.

“There is currently no cause for alarm in our area, but it's important to have the correct and most current information regarding this flu,” said Rep. Heinrich. “That’s why I’ve launched a section on my Web site with resources and everyday actions people can take to stay healthy.”

While there is, at present, no recorded cases of swine influenza in this state everyone should be reminded to wash their hands often and to call their doctor if they show signs of a flu virus. Individuals should also stay at home if ill so as not to infect coworkers. The current rational is that the energy room is not the place for people with symptoms of a cold or flu since it is flu season. Over running the local emergency rooms would only decrease the effectiveness of the hospitals and if you don’t have the swine flu then you don’t want to be exposed to the possibility of coming into contact with people who may have it should it spread to this state.

If anything this outbreak of the flu does bring the need for universal healthcare to the attention of everyone since there will be many people that don’t have healthcare that also don’t have a regular doctor in which to call. Let’s hope that the hospitals set up health lines so that uninsuranced individuals are not forced to use the emergency rooms for basic care.