Swineflu-letter

This letter will give you information about a new swine flu identified in the United Statesand how that might affect us at RUHS. We are glad to report that up to this point wehave had no suspected cases of this flu within our school community.
Every year, some people get sick with the "seasonal flu" during the fall and wintermonths. However, as you have likely heard, there is a new flu virus , a flu beingidentified as the Swine flu or Influenza H1N1, which is making people sick. Symptomsare the same as those of the seasonal flu: fever, chills, sore throat, cough, headache, bodyaches ( sometimes nausea, vomiting and diarrhea).
It appears that this new flu can be spread from person to person. You may have heard, andhave concerns, that this H1N1 virus has caused illness and death in some people inMexico. As of April 27th, 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC) isreporting 40 confirmed cases within the US. It's important for you to know that mostpeople who got sick in the US have very mild illness. As was expected, since April 27th,there have been several more cases identified. However,at present, there are no reported cases of the new swine flu in VT. We want to do all wecan to try to prevent transmission within Vermont and within the school. If you or your child has recently returned from Mexico, monitor for symptoms ofinfluenza for seven days after return. If symptoms occur, call your healthcareprovider for evaluation. Be sure to mention your recent travel history.
If your child develops any of these symptoms, please inform the school, so thatwe can watch for others with similar symptoms.
Wash your hands well and often. Encourage your children to do the same. 20seconds is the recommended time for washing.
If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer. Gels, rubs or hand wipes,as long as they have at least 60% alcohol.
Remind children to keep their hands away from their face and don't touch mouth,nose or eyes.
Disinfect surfaces touched by or within 3 feet of the ill person. Disinfect with ableach solution of one oz of bleach to one gallon of water or with isopropylalcohol.
Cover your cough. Teach your children to do the same. Cough into the inside ofyour elbow, or into a tissue-not your hands! Throw tissue away and wash yourhands.
Don't share water bottles, utensils, cups, lip balms etc. with others.
If people in your home are sick with the flu, contact your healthcare provider.
Give plenty of fluids, including fluids with electrolytes. Avoid energy drinks, ordrinks with lots of sugar or caffeine. Use acetaminophen ( Tylenol) or Ibuprofen( Advil), appropriate for your child's age. DO NOT give aspirin to children orteens, because of a condition called Reye's Syndrome, which can be brought onby the use of aspirin in the treatment of the flu. If the swine flu continues to spread in the US and if it causes severe illness,closing of school may be considered. The purpose of closing schools is to keepchildren at home away from others, in order to slow the spread from person toperson. If you have questions, call your school nurse or healthcare provider. It is important to keep informed about what's happening. You can get moreinformation from: CDC website at www.cdc.go/swinefluVermont Department of Education at www.education.vermont.govVermont Department of health at www.healthvermont.govThe federal government keeps current information for individuals

Source: http://mail.ruhs.k12.vt.us/pdf/sfletter.pdf