Schools plan to prevent flu

Every Fairfield school student took home a letter about the H1N1 influenza virus Thursday afternoon ? what the district?s proactive measures are, tips on preventing the spread of the germ and symptoms to watch for.

Fairfield Middle School nurse Rosemary Roth said no students have had the flu, but the letter was sent to parents ?because the state of Iowa wants everyone to be aware of what?s going on.?

According to the letter, signed by Roth, elementary and high school nurse Mary Hill and superintendent Don Achelpohl, students are using hand sanitizers before eating in the cafeterias, faculty are encouraging student hygiene, posters about proper hygiene are hung through out the schools, and students who feel ill should visit the school nurse.

The letter also states frequently used surfaces, like drinking fountains, doorknobs, desks, restroom fixtures and school buses are being sanitized more frequently.

Sanitizing those surfaces helps prevent the spread of the virus because, Roth explained, if a person coughs into his hand and then touches a doorknob, another person can touch the doorknob and then rub his eyes and the virus is spread.

It also can be spread if an infected person coughs or sneezes into the air and those respiratory droplets are inhaled by another person, Roth added, which is why it is important for a person to cover his mouth and nose, throw away the tissue and clean his hands every time he coughs or sneezes.

The Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends singing the ?Happy Birthday? song twice while washing hands with soap and warm water.

When soap and water aren?t available, the CDC says alcohol-based disposable hand wipes and gel sanitizers can be used to kill the germs.

Symptoms of swine influenza include fever greater than 100 F, along with cough, sore throat, headache and body aches, and extreme tiredness. Some people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu.

?I would encourage parents to keep children at home if ill,? Achelpohl wrote in the letter.

?But not every kid who gets sick has this influenza,? said Roth. ?A test has to be done for it.?

If the symptoms are present, a health provider should be consulted, said Roth.

For the complete article, see the Friday, May 1, 2009, Fairfield Ledger.