Fort Bend County
Health and Human Services

4520 Reading Road - Suite A - Rosenberg, TX 77471
Jean N. Galloway, M.D., Director

For immediate release

Fort Bend County health officials are asking members of the public worried about H1N1 influenza not to go to hospital emergency rooms unless they are seriously ill.

The directive comes after hospitals contacted county health officials indicating that their emergency rooms were overwhelmed with large numbers of people asking to be tested for H1N1.

“Do not go to the emergency room for mild illness or to obtain testing for H1N1 flu,” said Dr. Jean Galloway, director of Fort Bend County Health & Human Services. “If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.” 

People who become very ill with flu-like symptoms should contact their regular health care provider to see if they should come in for testing or treatment, said Galloway.

H1N1 influenza symptoms include fever (over 100 degrees), cough, sore throat, body aches, and/or vomiting and diarrhea.

Galloway said only people experiencing any of the following warning signs should seek emergency medical care:

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
• Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting

For additional information, call the state health hotline at 1-888-777-5320, or look for the latest information on the county website at fbcoem.org or the state health department website at www.dshs.state.tx.us.