Salvation Army in Olathe deals with flu among staff

Only two people staying at the Salvation Army Family Lodge homeless shelter in Olathe have gotten the H1N1 flu, but the virus has hit the Army’s staff.

Of the 11 people who comprise the staff at the Olathe Salvation Army, five have been absent because of flu.

“One of my volunteer coordinators just came up to me a couple of minutes ago and she had to go home,” Major Mark Martsolf said during an interview last Wednesday. “We keep having one after the next it seems like.

“We had been taking precautions even before (the start of flu season) and then our staff got it and it has gone through our staff in the last two weeks.”

The fact that just two of the 41 people staying at the shelter are known to have the flu is an amazing ratio considering the fact the shelter, which is a refurbished old motel, is comprised of small rooms that sleep four people to a room.

Martsolf said it’s not unlike any family that has children: once a child gets the flu other members of the family usually also are infected.

“We have been and we are taking the normal precautions: keeping people isolated and making sure everybody washes their hands,” Martsolf said. “And while our staff has been hit pretty hard, the shelter is doing OK.”

Another problem area for Martsolf is the Army’s church congregation.

“We had a couple of people in our congregation have the H1N1 flu virus,” he said. “We’re asking people who have had it to stay home until they are not contagious with the fever. But it’s hard to keep people separated; it’s been tough.”

People can help the Army by donating soap and hand sanitizers, he said.

“If anyone wants to contribute those things, we would like to put bottles of hand sanitizer in each of the rooms and throughout our building as well that people have access to,” Martsolf said. “We’re trying to take all the precautions we can to try and prevent and avoid people getting the flu: lots of washing of hands and using hand sanitizers.”

Martsolf said he is not sure what the procedure will be in inoculating Army staffers and families staying in the shelter with the H1N1 vaccine. The vaccine is to be given to people in one of five targeted groups until an abundant supply is available.

Those five groups are: pregnant women; people who have contact with children under 6 months of age; health care workers and EMS personnel; followed by everyone between 6 months and 24 years of age; and then those who are older but under 65 and have chronic medical conditions that put them at risk of more serious complications from the flu.

Since the Army does not have medical personnel on staff, most medical situations are handled through the Johnson County Health Department Clinic.

“We’ve not been approached nor have we approached anyone about the vaccine, yet,” Martsolf said.

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