SCHOOLS MUST TAKE SPECIAL PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FLU
17 August, 2009
As the new school year begins, school officials are faced with the possible increased spread of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) offers guidance to parents and school officials to help keep children well.
The guidance offered by the CDC is designed to decrease exposure to H1N1 and the seasonal flu while limiting the disruption to schools. Implementing these recommendations can help schools and health officials to protect students and school staff from flu. Collaboration is a key toward reducing the spread of H1N1 and other flu. The CDC, the U.S. Department of Education, state and local public health and education agencies, schools, students, staff, families, businesses, and communities all have play active roles in reducing the spread of flu.
Recommended responses for the 2009-2010 school year are:
Stay at home when sick and remain there until symptom free for at least 24 hours.
Keep students that are displaying flu-like symptoms separated from others until they can be picked up. If possible, have them to wear a mask.
Wash hands frequently with soap and water.
Cover noses and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
School staff should routinely clean all areas that are touched often by students and staff.
Under conditions of increased severity the CDC may recommend additional protective measures for students and staff.
Local health and school officials may opt to implement some of the following measures in the event that global and national assessments indicate that the flu is causing severe disease:
Screen students and staff that appear ill and send them home as soon as possible.
High-risk students and staff should plan to stay home when infection rates are high. That would include those that are pregnant or have otherwise compromised immune systems.
Students with ill house members should stay home for 5 days from the day the first member got sick.
Find innovative ways to put more distance between students and avoid situations that put large numbers of students in one area.
Extend the period for ill students to stay home to 7 days.
The CDC and its partners will continuously look for changes in the severity of influenza-like illness and will share what is learned with state and local agencies. School officials must closely monitor the situation in their area and make decisions to protect students and staff.
Sources
H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu): Resources for Child Care Programs, Schools, Colleges, and Universities
NAPOLITANO, SEBELIUS, URGE SCHOOLS TO BE PREPARED FOR FALL FLU
Prevention Relevance: The CDC anticipates more illness after the school year begins, because flu typically is transmitted more easily in the fall and winter.
Prevention Techniques:
Risk Management: Frequent hand washing and coughing and sneezing etiquette is essential toward reducing the spread of H1N1. Schools can also increase the frequency of cleanings to reduce the spread of disease.
Prevention Thought:
Risk Management: Do schools in your area have plans in place to monitor the spread of H1N1?
Comments on this OSDB are encouraged.
IPS Contact Information:
The Institute for Preventive Strategies is a national service of the Center for Rural Development, a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Somerset Kentucky.
You may contact the Institute by Email at info@preventivestrategies.net
You may correspond with the Institute at:
Institute for Preventive Strategies
2292 South Highway 27 Suite 300
Somerset, KY 42501
Telephone: 800-860-6657
Now available, the Institute for Preventive
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