There's a confirmed case of swine flu at Ernst & Young headquarters in Times Square in New York, the firm said. An E&Y employee became sick after being exposed to the virus by a family member.
The staffer is said to be resting at home, and E&Y released this statement on Monday, April 27:
"An employee in our offices at 5 Times Square was diagnosed on Sunday with swine flu, which she contracted from a family member. The individual had not been in offices since last Thursday. According to the Center for Disease Control, the disease has a 24-hour incubation period. Given the timeframe, we believe that it is unlikely that any other of our people have been infected.
"The health of our people is our foremost priority. Since learning of the diagnosis, we have followed the procedures outlined by the Center for Disease Control, including closing the offices on the floor where she worked and retaining a skilled sanitation service to clean the area. We have alerted our people and have told them to feel free to work from home if they would be more comfortable doing so. We have also notified the appropriate authorities."
As of Tuesday morning, April 28, there were 82 confirmed cases of swine flu—including 42 in the United States—according to the World Health Organization (WHO), which raised its pandemic level in response to the outbreak.
In addition, Mexican health officials suspect as many as 149 people have died as a result of the flu, but those cases have not yet been confirmed.
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