October 13, 2009
Dear Parents/Guardians:
As you have watched the local news or heard on the radio, flu season is upon us here in Lancaster County. There have been many concerns, in particular, with the H1N1 virus. Hempfield School District has worked daily with local physicians, Emergency Management, and the PA Departments of Health and Education to make sure our district is prepared to meet the needs of our children and families. Our district is monitoring attendance, having our nurses work closely with families of sick children, and continuing to maintain high standards in cleaning to keep our schools as clean and safe as possible for children. We have increased the number of hand sanitizer stations in buildings throughout the district. Through our monitoring process, today we have confirmed several cases of H1N1 influenza in district students.
The PA Department of Health encourages families with sick children to send well children to school. In accordance with our district plan, the nursing staff has been communicating with families of sick children. Schools are being encouraged to stay open and put measures in place to keep schools clean and safe. Our district is encouraging families with sick children to consult with their doctors and follow all the medical, treatment, and safety precautions provided. In particular, the district encourages families and staff that may have significant pre-existing health conditions to stay in contact with their physicians as the flu season emerges. The district, in conjunction with the Departments of Health and Education, has put together safety procedures in the event of an H1N1 pandemic.
At this time, medical facilities are not necessarily specifically testing for H1N1, according to new protocols. It is important that we continue to follow the guidelines for flu prevention in all settings, regardless of the type of flu suspected. On the reverse of this document, we have included a list of the most recent symptoms for your convenience. If your child demonstrates any of these flu symptoms, or you have questions, please contact your child’s school nurse.
Information regarding the flu changes regularly as we learn more about the current strains. For the most current information, visit www.health.state.pa.us, www.flu.gov, or www.cdc.gov or call the PA Health Center at 1-877-724-3258 or the CDC at 1-800-CDC-INFO. We will post these links and contact information on our district website http://www.hempfieldsd.org to make sure you have the most current information on how to keep your child healthy.
Sincerely,
Brenda J. Becker, Ed.D.
Superintendent
H1N1 Actions and Symptoms
- Teach and remind your children to wash their hands often with soap and water, if soap and water are not available, encourage them to use an alcohol-based hand rub. You can set a good example by doing this yourself.
- Teach and remind your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils, and to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. It is important to share that covering up their coughs or sneezes using the elbow, arm, or sleeve instead of the hand when a tissue is unavailable, can help reduce the spread of germs.
- Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea.
- Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are determined to be sick (showing the above symptoms) while at school will be sent home.
- Students who have the flu may need to be home 3-5 days. Once you visit your child’s doctor, s/he may even encourage you to keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have any signs of fever, without using fever-reducing drugs and no longer have a persistent cough, without the use of cough suppressant medicine. Keeping children with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected. Please inform your school nurse when children return to school so that they may help monitor student health.
- Take extra care to keep high use objects (doorknobs, phones, remotes, keyboards) clean and disinfected. Involving students in this process, where age appropriate, is encouraged.
Emergency Warning Signs
http://www.h1n1inpa.com/symptoms/emergency-warning-signs/
Some cases of H1N1 may be more severe, primarily for people most vulnerable to complications from H1N1, like those with certain underlying medical conditions (asthma, diabetes, suppressed immune systems, heart disease, kidney disease and neurocognitive and neuromuscular disorders), children and pregnant women.
In children, the warning signs that emergency medical care is required include:
- Fast breathing or trouble breathing
- Bluish or gray skin color
- Not drinking enough fluids
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Not waking up or not interacting
- Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:
- Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
- Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
- Sudden dizziness
- Confusion
- Severe or persistent vomiting
- Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough