Schools prime for swine flu

Published 10:54 pm Thursday, August 27, 2009

Flu season’s looming arrival has health care professionals preaching prevention — especially now that school is back in session.

“It’s a constant everyday battle to make sure it doesn’t get to the pandemic level,” said Julie Parker, a registered nurse at City Park Elementary School.

The H1N1 virus, also known as “swine flu” because it was initially transmitted to humans through sick hogs, is a concern this year, said North Georgia Health District public information officer Jennifer Moorer. Swine flu is no more deadly or severe than other strains of flu, she said, but there is no vaccination for it. The virus targets young people more than older adults who have lived long enough to have some immunity to a similar strain, officials said.

Moorer said the best prevention strategies are hand-washing, avoiding close contact with sick people, staying home if sick, covering your mouth while sneezing or coughing and avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth.

Health officials are working to develop an H1N1 vaccination expected to be available in October. The seasonal flu vaccine is scheduled to come in late September. Flu season typically runs from October to March.

Administrators in Whitfield County Schools, Dalton Public Schools and Murray County Schools say they’ll follow health district officials’ advice on prevention strategies and methods of dealing with a flu outbreak.

“We’re told by public health (officials) that we can expect to see H1N1 cases in the schools and in the community,” said Mike Ewton, director of safety and security for Whitfield schools. “It will happen, we just hope it’s not at a great magnitude.”

Four deaths from the virus have occurred in Georgia, and 147 people were hospitalized as of Wednesday, according to the state Department of Community Health Web site. Ewton said there is “anecdotal evidence” of the flu in Whitfield schools but no confirmed cases.

Dalton schools human resources director Craig Harper said there are no firm rules on how widespread an outbreak would need to be to prompt a school to close. It’s possible flu shots will be offered on school campuses, he said, but that will depend on the availability of the vaccine and what health district officials advise.

“We’re still working through what all of our responses would be,” he said.

Murray County public schools start back Sept. 8, and administrative services director Dean Donehoo said seasonal flu shots are available now for faculty and staff. He said that if there is an outbreak, community and government agencies will be expected to collaborate on implementing plans they’ve been working on for several years.

Still, all the details aren’t worked out. As of Thursday, Donehoo said school would likely close if there were a 20 percent absenteeism. That number could easily change, he said, since other factors like how fast the virus is spreading will be taken into consideration.

All three school districts are sending out letters to parents from the North Georgia Health District. The letters offer advice about prevention and what to do for sickness. Moorer said patients should not go to the hospital only because they suspect they have H1N1. The swine flu typically lasts about a week, she said, and for most people can be treated the same way as any other flu strain.

At Dalton State College, vice president for enrollment and student services Jodi Johnson said students living on campus this year will be asked to return home or move to an empty dorm if they are sick. Of the school’s more than 5,000 students, more than 100 students live on campus in the former Wood Valley apartments.

“Given that we are still primarily a commuter campus, what we are communicating to the campus population is if you are sick stay home,” Johnson said.

Johnson said flu shots will likely be administered on-site once vaccines become available.

Not everyone plans to be vaccinated against H1N1 or seasonal flu. Dalton State College junior Blake Gentry said he’s never had the flu and doesn’t plan to get a shot this year unless the virus becomes extremely widespread.

“I don’t feel like there’s enough reason now to get it,” he said.

Hand-washing, however, is a top priority. Gentry said he washes frequently and even opens restroom doors with a paper towel and tries to avoid touching a lot of things in public.



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Flu advice

• Do not send your children to school with a fever. Keep children with flu-like illness at home so they don’t infect others.

• Sick children should not return to school or participate in any activities putting them in contact with others until their fever has been gone for at least 24 hours without the use of fever-inducing medication.

• Cover your nose and mouth when you cough or sneeze (using your sleeve is good). If you use a tissue to cover coughs or sneezes, throw it in the trash after you use it. Teach your children to do the same.

• Avoid giving children aspirin and products that contain aspirin.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective. Be a good role model for your children.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

• Have your family — including your children — vaccinated against regular seasonal flu.

Source: North Georgia Health District