Swine Flu and Back to School

With back-to-school just around the corner...The CDC has just released its recommendations to schools for the 2009-2010 school year. I have to say that I am very pleased the CDC is taking a 'no need to panic' attitude towards back-to-school and the swine flu. I was worried they were going to pull a mandatory vaccine out of their aaass...(I mean) hat. And if that would have happened, it would have seriously thrown me off the deep end.

As much as the media loved hyping this story and scaring the bee-geezers out of everyone. Fear is never the answer.

Here are some of the CDC - Guidelines for schools (K-12) ...

    Stay home when sick: Those with flu-like illness should stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines. They should stay home even if they are using antiviral drugs. (For more information, see CDC Recommendations for the Amount of Time Persons with Influenza-Like Illness Should be Away from Others.)

    Separate ill students and staff: Students and staff who appear to have flu-like illness should be sent to a room separate from others until they can be sent home. CDC recommends that they wear a surgical mask, if possible, and that those who care for ill students and staff wear protective gear such as a mask.

    Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette: The new recommendations emphasize the importance of the basic foundations of influenza prevention: stay home when sick, wash hands frequently with soap and water when possible, and cover noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or a shirt sleeve or elbow if no tissue is available).

    Routine cleaning: School staff should routinely clean areas that students and staff touch often with the cleaners they typically use. Special cleaning with bleach and other non-detergent-based cleaners is not necessary.

    Early treatment of high-risk students and staff: People at high risk for influenza complications who become ill with influenza-like illness should speak with their health care provider as soon as possible. Early treatment with antiviral medications is very important for people at high risk because it can prevent hospitalizations and deaths. People at high risk include those who are pregnant, have asthma or diabetes, have compromised immune systems, or have neuromuscular diseases.

    Consideration of selective school dismissal: Although there are not many schools where all or most students are at high risk (for example, schools for medically fragile children or for pregnant students) a community might decide to dismiss such a school to better protect these high-risk students.

    *The CDC also has a tool-kit for schools.

The CDC recommends that people with influenza-like illness remain at home until at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100° F [37.8°C]), or signs of a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications.

This is a change from the previous recommendation that ill persons stay home for 7 days after illness onset or until 24 hours after the resolution of symptoms, whichever was longer. The new recommendation applies to camps, schools, businesses, mass gatherings, and other community settings where the majority of people are not at increased risk for influenza complications.

I agree with the new CDC guidelines and I also think we as parents can help by talking to our kids before they go back to school about the importance of hand washing and coughing etiquette.

The Mayo Clinic site is a good place to find information on proper hand washing. They also recommend using hand sanitizers - Something we can all buy for our children when we shop for back-to-school supplies (they even come with little clips now so the kids can clip them on to their school bags). The Mayo Clinic does have some additional advice about hand sanitizers...

    Not all hand sanitizers are created equal, though. Some "waterless" hand sanitizers don't contain alcohol. Use only the alcohol-based products. The CDC recommends choosing products that contain at least 60 percent alcohol.

    To use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer:

    * Apply about 1/2 teaspoon of the product to the palm of your hand.
    * Rub your hands together, covering all surfaces of your hands, until they're dry.

    If your hands are visibly dirty, however, wash with soap and water, if available, rather than a sanitizer.

So don't panic.  Enjoy getting your kids ready to go back to school, and just make sure they understand the ways they can prevent picking up illnesses at school.