Callers flood phone lines with flu questions

IN NEW MEXICO BOTH POSSIBLE CASES COME FROM SOCORRO COUNTY THE SAMPLES ARE FROM A 14-YEAR-OLD GIRL AND 15-YEAR- OLD BOY THE OTHER POSSIBLE CASES WERE ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY — A ONE-YEAR-OLD IN SANTA FE COUNTY AND AN 18-YEAR-OLD MAN IN VALENCIA COUNTY HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE TESTED A TOTAL OF 41 SAMPLES SO FAR THE FOUR THAT COULD BE SWINE FLU ARE BEING SENT TO THE C-D-C IN ATLANTA FOR FURTHER TESTING THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT SAYS IT SHOULD HAVE A NEW TESTING KIT TOMORROW — WHICH WILL ALLOW OFFICIALS TO CONFIRM ANY SWINE FLU CASES IN STATE WITHOUT SENDING SAMPLES TO ATLANTA NEW MEXICANS WORRIED ABOUT FLU SYMPTOMS ARE SWAMPING TELEPHONE HOTLINES - LOOKING FOR MEDICAL ADVICE STUART DYSON SPENT THE AFTERNOON WITH NURSES FIELDING THE CALLS - HE S IN OUR NEWSROOM NOW TO START OUR TEAM COVERAGE — STU OKAY - YOU DON T THINK YOU VE GOT THE SWINE FLU - BUT YOU RE RUNNING A FEVER - MAYBE A SORE THROAT - WHO WANTS TO TAKE CHANCES - SO YOU CHECK AROUND - CALL HOSPITALS AND HOTLINES - IF YOU HAVE SYMPTOMS YOU RE GOING TO WIND UP HERE But most flus have a cough or a sore throat or - you know - a runny nose or something THE PHONELINES ARE JAMMED AT NURSE ADVICE NEW MEXICO - THE NATION S VERY FIRST PUBLIC- PRIVATE OPEN-TO- EVERYBODY MEDICAL ADVICE HOTLINE SYSTEM - THEY VE GONE FROM MAYBE FOUR HUNDRED CALLS A DAY TO CLOSE TO EIGHT HUNDRED AS NEW MEXICANS SEE MORE - HEAR MORE - AND READ MORE ABOUT THE SWINE FLU OUTBREAK AND THE POTENTIAL FOR A GLOBAL PANDEMIC BUT IT S NOT FOR THE CURIOUS - IT S FOR PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY HAVE SOMETHING AND THEY DON T KNOW WHAT IT IS AND THEY FEAR IT S THE FLU The biggest thing is containment and if people are having symptoms it has to be very specific whether we think they re at risk for the flu Most of the people we ve had call have actually had something - they ve had a cough - they ve had a sore throat - they ve had a runny nose - they ve had a headache - they ve had a fever - they ve had some kind of symptoms People are not panicking - which is a very good thing - they re eager to get information - and they re happy to have information - they re open to information AND THE NURSES ARE AT THEIR BATTLE STATIONS 24 HOURS A DAY - NOT JUST DURING THIS CRISIS BUT 24-7 ALL THE TIME NURSES TELL ME THE CALLERS ARE SERIOUS - NOBODY DIALING IN WITH CONSPIRACY THEORIES OR UFO STORIES - ONE GUY DID WONDER IF A SORE TOE WOULD BE A SWINE FLU SYMPTOM - ANSWER - NO - IN THE NEWSROOM STUART DYSON EYEWITNESS NEWS FOUR THE NUMBER FOR THAT NURSE ADVICE