Published: August 15, 2009 05:07 pm      

Schools prepare for Swine Flu - just in case

YOUR HEALTH | Teachers preaching good hygiene as a major prevention tool

“I believe we should prepare people, not panic them,” Savanna Public Schools Superintendent Mitch Tidwell said. “We can be cautious without scaring people.”

Tidwell’s statements were in response to questions about the upcoming flu season and the implications of a possible H1N1 Swine Flu outbreak.

“We’ve put our teachers through in-service training on hygiene practices, the prevention of spreading germs and how to recognize flu symptoms,” he said. “And as we speak, the school nurse is going over that information in class meetings with our students.”

Tidwell, along with other Pittsburg County school administrators, is following the guidelines issued by the Center for Disease Control and the local health department.

The main focus of each of these institutions is education and prevention.

“We met with McAlester school administration on Aug. 4, and with administrators from all Pittsburg County schools, as well as some from Hughes and Latimer counties, on Aug. 7 to discuss the most recent recommendations and guidance regarding prevention, preparation and response for flu season,” said Melissa Tidwell, District Nurse Manager for the Pittsburg County Department of Health. “We have always, and continue to, work very closely with the schools, their nurses and representatives, and with the medical community to provide the best and most current information available.

“Especially in the upcoming flu season, we want people to be diligent with their basic hygiene practices, such as hand washing, respiratory etiquette, disposal of tissues, etc.,” she added.

The first case of the H1N1 strain was reported in the U.S. in mid-April of this year. By June, all 50 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands had reported cases, but more recent surveillance indicates influenza activity is on a downward slide, according the CDC.

“We do expect to have a higher activity of influenza this year because of the larger amount of people not having been exposed to the H1N1 strain, so they haven’t built an immunity,” Melissa Tidwell said. “But the prevention and control methods are the same for both influenza and H1N1. It’s just a different vaccine for each.”

Tidwell added that seasonal influenza vaccines are expected to be available by the early part of September, while the health department is preparing to administer the H1N1 vaccine in mid-October.

“We’re not expecting to limit seasonal influenza vaccines,” she said. “But we are expecting to limit the H1N1 vaccine to high risk groups, which include pregnant women, children under six months of age, health care and emergency workers, children six months to 24 years of age, and non-elderly adults with chronic conditions putting them at risk of influenza complications.”

According to Melissa Tidwell, state epidemiologists are recommending that those suspected of having H1N1 not be tested unless they are pregnant, are in institutional settings, are ill enough to require hospitalization, or are health care providers.

As for treatment, “Antivirals are definitely not recommended except for certain individuals,” she said, “because we don’t want these flu strains to become resistant.

“We do want the public to know that we will devote our resources to providing vaccinations to as many people as possible, as soon as they become available.”

Meanwhile, school administration and medical personnel are doing everything possible to educate their students and parents in order to prevent as many cases as possible, and prepare for the ones that surface.

“The CDC issued its most recent guidance tips on Aug. 7, and that’s what we presented in our teacher in-services and to our students,” said Mary Ann Higgins, certified school nurse at Savanna. “Of course the main recommendations are to practice respiratory etiquette, use a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or do so into the elbow of your sleeve if tissue is not available; reinforce hand washing; advise students not to share a pop or eat after each other; and, above all, stay home if you have a fever, and do not return to school until the fever has been gone, without the use of fever-reducing medications, at least 24 hours.”

Higgins added that hand-washing recommendations include 20 seconds with warm water or soap. If using instant hand sanitizers, rub hands until the gel is completely dry.

“If a student, or anyone else for that matter, has any underlying medical issues such as asthma or diabetes, they need to contact their doctor,” she added. “They may need to take additional steps.

“Overtly ill students will be sent home,” Higgins said. “They must wear a mask and be isolated until they are picked up; and teachers are advised to be very careful about cleaning items that have high contact, like desks, keyboards, and faucets.”

Higgins is preparing a letter with the latest updated information to send home with Savanna students.

Parents are also advised to have a back-up plan for child care ahead of time, in case their child becomes ill and they cannot take off from work for an extended period of time.

“Our main goal at this point is to educate people to take those simple steps to protect themselves,” Higgins said. “The CDC is recommending right now that schools stay open, and do everything possible to keep kids healthy and away from these illnesses.”

Superintendent of McAlester Public Schools Tom Condict echoed what other administrators and health officials have said —education and prevention are key.

“We stay in very close communication with Mike Echelle and the health department,” Condict said. “They’ve worked with us to instruct us on how to identify and deal with these illnesses. We rely very heavily on their input.”

Administrators and health officials across the board agree that only extreme circumstances should merit a school shut-down. Last spring, school closings ran rampant, with Texas alone closing more than 75 districts for two days or more.

Officials are encouraging school systems to practice prevention rather than plan for disaster, and local schools have not discussed what will constitute the need for closings.

“We’re being proactive in our influenza education,” said Savanna’s Mitch Tidwell, but panic is not part of the plan. “We’ll play it by ear and see what develops. We’ll do what’s best for our students.”