Back to Home Print This Page Email This Page

New H1N1 Virus Update

SEIU Calling on State and Local Health Departments to Adopt Preventive Measures

SEIU nurses are backing the first and only comprehensive scientific review control that offers guidelines to protect healthcare workers with a suspected or confirmed case of H1N1 (Swine Flu). N95 Respirator

An Institute of Medicine (IOM) panel, which included a broad based group of experts in occupational health and infection, has concluded that the lowest level of protection for healthcare workers, when caring for a patient with a suspected or confirmed case of H1N1 (Swine Flu), is a fitted NIOSH certified respirator (NIOSH N95 respirator pictured on right).

Panel Conclusions:
• Surgical masks are incapable of forming a face seal between the mask and the users face, thus providing a poor barrier from the inhalation of airborne flu particles.
• Many state and local health departments have ignored this advice and recommended inferior surgical masks or no respiratory protections at all.
• It is critical that healthcare employers purchase and stockpile sufficient quantities of NIOSH approved respirators so that healthcare workers can be assured of protection as the fall flu season approaches.

Nationally, SEIU is calling on OSHA to use its authority to ensure employers establish comprehensive respiratory protection programs to protect healthcare workers from H1N1.

Other facts on H1N1:
H1N1 appears to pose a particular risk to working-age people as more than 95 percent of hospitalized cases are of individuals under the age of 65—the exact opposite pattern for those hospitalized for seasonable flu.
There is no vaccine yet and workers who eventually get vaccinated are not expected to have full immunity until at least Thanksgiving.
For everyone the best protection is regular hand washing and use of foam or liquid hand cleaners containing alcohol often.

Locally, your involvement can make a difference.

H1N1 Flyer H1N1 FlyerDownload the H1N1 factsheet to print and distribute at your worksite.

 If you don’t know already, please investigate what protections your facility is taking against the H1N1 virus.
Please inform us if your facility is not using the N95 masks for suspected H1N1. Also inform us if your employer is making the H1N1 vaccine mandatory or making employees wear a surgical mask. Finally, please make sure your facility does proper fit testing of the N95 mask/respirator; otherwise use may not be effective.