GREAT BAY,– The Preventive Health Department (PHD) is appealing to parents/guardians to remind their kids to continue to practice cough etiquettes and good hygiene even when back at school.
Teachers, parents and guardians are role models and should demonstrate these behaviors which are a tool to prevent the spread of Influenza A (H1N1) virus.
On Monday, August 17 thousands of school children will return to school. The well-being of students, teachers and other teaching staff is of utmost importance.
Schools have a central mission of educating children and adolescents. It is crucial not to interrupt the learning process without due cause. Illness may be a cause, and schools and communities have a responsibility to balance the risks of illness among students and staff with the benefits of keeping students in school.
Children should know to wash their hands frequently with soap and water; cough and sneeze into a tissue or into the inside of your elbow/sleeve; dispose of used tissue paper in the trash properly; stay at least six feet away from people who are sick.
Children who are sick should be kept at home and away from school or day care centers until they recover. Parents and guardians should make sure your child remains healthy by giving them a lot of fluids, eat healthy and have plenty of rest. Monitor their temperature and symptoms; ensure your child’s health is in good condition.
Give your child medication prescribed by your family physician or ensure that medicines are child age appropriate. Do not give young children medicines for adults or teenagers. Keep tissues close to them and have a trash bag within reach for disposing used tissues.
The symptoms for children with Influenza A (H1N1) flu virus are similar to that of adults. The symptoms include high fever, a runny nose, cough, sore throat and body aches. At times these can be accompanies by, diarrhoea, breathlessness and dizziness.
School principals also have a role to play to ensure that their school remain healthy and the sick population on the school grounds attributed to flu remains to a minimum. Minimizing the spread of H1N1 virus within our community calls for us to work together.
Persons seeking additional information should contact PHD at telephone numbers: 542-3003 or 542-3553 or visit the following websites: www.cdc.gov/swineflu or www.who.int. for more information on Influenza A(H1N1) virus also referred to as swine flu.
