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Fearing Ebola? Doctors say get a flu shot

By WTOP Staff

LINDSEY TANNER
AP Medical Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — Fever? Headache? Muscle aches? Forget about Ebola — chances are astronomically higher that you have the flu or some other common bug.

That message still hasn’t reached many Americans, judging from stories ER doctors and nurses swapped this week at a Chicago medical conference. Misinformed patients with Ebola-like symptoms can take up time and resources in busy emergency rooms, and doctors fear the problem may worsen when flu season ramps up.

That’s one reason why doctors say this year it’s especially important for patients to get their flu shots: Fewer flu cases could mean fewer Ebola false alarms.

“The whole system gets bogged down, even if it’s a false alarm,” Dr. Kristi Koenig said during a break at the American College of Emergency Physicians’ annual meeting.

Since the first Ebola diagnosis in the U.S., on Sept. 30 in a Liberian man treated in Dallas, doctors say they’ve had to reassure patients with many fears but none of the risk factors.

Examples shared by those attending the meeting include:

–An Ohio patient who thought she had Ebola because her husband had worked in Dallas, but not with the Ebola patient.

–A New Mexico woman who sought ER testing for Ebola because she had visited Africa two years ago.

–Two Alabama patients who worried they were infected after traveling through an airport in Atlanta, the same city where Ebola patients were treated.

Those Alabama patients had intestinal symptoms but no contact with Ebola patients nor recent travel to Ebola-plagued countries in West Africa, and they were sent home after doctors consulted with the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Dr. David Pigott, an emergency medicine specialist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Flu and other airborne diseases can be transmitted by indirect contact with infected people. By contrast, the only way to get Ebola is through direct contact with blood, vomit and other body fluids from Ebola patients, experts say.

While Ebola can be quickly ruled out for many patients by asking about recent travel to West Africa and contact with Ebola patients, “there’s still some concern about anybody with symptoms that could be Ebola because it’s so much in the news right now,” said Koenig, director of public health preparedness at the University of California in Irvine.

That means a patient with the flu could trigger a full-court press in the ER, including isolating the patient and ER staff grabbing the hazmat suits until Ebola is ruled out.

Ebola was among hot topics at the meeting, and hundreds packed sessions on how to handle a disease they most likely will never have to treat.

Only four people have been diagnosed with Ebola in the United States, and experts doubt that Ebola will become widespread in this country. But if more Ebola cases do occur, getting vaccinated against the flu now “would make the screening process a lot easier,” said Dr. Daniel Bachmann, an emergency medicine physician at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center.

So far, flu activity is low nationwide and only one death has been reported, in a child earlier this month.

But unlike Ebola, flu contributes to thousands of U.S. deaths each year and many more hospitalizations. And unlike Ebola, there’s a vaccine to protect against the flu, recommended annually for adults, teens and children starting at 6 months of age.

So when patients express fears about Ebola, Bachmann tells them, “Go get your flu shot.”

Flu vaccination rates are low; a little over half of eligible U.S. children and teens and just 42 percent of adults got vaccinated in the 2012-13 flu season, CDC data show.

While there have been reports of scattered flu vaccine shortages this fall due to delayed vaccine shipments, seven manufacturers have estimated that as many as 156 million doses — an adequate supply — will be available this flu season, said CDC spokeswoman Erin Burns.

“As of Oct. 17, 2014, manufacturers reported having shipped 117.8 million doses of flu vaccine,” she said.

Flu season often begins in October, peaks between December and February and then tapers off.

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Online:

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov

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AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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