At least 3,500 cases of the H1N1 virus have been confirmed in Pennsylvania, a health official said Tuesday night, but many registered distribution sites are still waiting for the injectable vaccine -- including Penn State.

The most recent edition of To the Best of my Knowledge, a monthly installment on WPSU-TV hosted by Penn State President Graham Spanier, focused on the awareness and prevention of the H1N1 virus.

Thomas Terndrup, the professor and chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine and associate dean at Penn State's College of Medicine, and Betsy Hunt, the Pennsylvania Department of Health epidemiology manager and communicable disease nurse, were Spanier's guests on the show.

They explained the general process for treatment and prevention of the disease and answered questions from callers.

Terndrup said testing for H1N1 has been halted unless someone is either hospitalized or "severely ill." Most of the time, patients seeking treatment are diagnosed with an "influenza-like illness," he said. Symptoms of the H1N1 virus, Terndrup said, include the chills, vomiting, diarrhea and sneezing.

Anyone with either the H1N1 virus or an influenza-like illness is encouraged to self-isolate, Hunt said, and not come in contact with anyone healthy until the fever has been broken for 24 hours without the aid of any fever-reducing products.

The virus can remain on surfaces anywhere from two to eight hours, Terndrup added, and the "incubation period" of the virus is from one day to one week from the time someone is exposed to it to the start of them developing symptoms.

Both Hunt and Terndrup agreed minimizing hand-to-hand contact is the best way to cut down on transmission. Vigorous hand washing is still one of the best ways to stay healthy, they said.

Shipment of the H1N1 vaccine is expected at Penn State's University Health Services soon, Spanier said. Some callers had concerns the vaccine could have negative effects, but Hunt and Terndrup said the best option is still to be vaccinated.

Antibodies will develop within 10 days to two weeks for those with a good immune system, Hunt said. Spanier advised viewers to remain smart in their decisions regarding the virus post-vaccination

"Don't go around kissing sick people," he said.

Dr. Margaret Spear of University Health Services said she thought Spanier and his guests did a good job of hitting the major points about H1N1. As someone who spends most of her day dealing with the virus, she said she hopes people were able to learn something new to help in the prevention of further illness.