Evanston has eight confirmed cases of swine flu, the City of Evanston announced Thursday.
All eight patients are “either fully recovered or are on their way to a full recovery with no serious complications,” according to a City of Evanston press release.
The cases range in age from three to 28 years old.
These are the first confirmed cases of swine flu in Evanston. The quick rise in confirmations comes as area labs go through the backlog of suspected cases.
In a statement, Carl Caneva, acting director of Evanston’s Health and Human Services Department, advised against closing schools for confirmed or suspected cases “unless there is a magnitude of faculty or student absenteeism that interferes with the school’s ability to function.”
“We are urging people to take a very practical, common sense approach to this flu,” Caneva added. “Wash your hands frequently, cover your mouth when you cough, and if you or your children are sick — stay home so you do not infect others.”
As of 11 a.m. on Thursday, Illinois had 204 confirmed cases of swine flu, the most of any state in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There are nearly 900 confirmed cases nationwide.