District prepares for H1N1 virus

As the H1N1 influenza virus, or swine flu, begins to affect area schools, administrators and teachers are trying to get the word out on how to stop the flu from spreading.

Twenty UC Irvine students have contracted swine flu since Sept. 1.

As of Tuesday, two schools in the Newport-Mesa Unified School District — College Park Elementary in Costa Mesa and Lincoln Elementary in Corona del Mar — have seen more than 10% of their students call in absent since late last week. However, school and district officials Tuesday couldn’t say for sure whether an H1N1 outbreak was the cause of the high number of absences.

At College Park, 13 out of 18 students in one second-grade class either called in sick or were sent home sick. Forty-eight students school-wide were out sick Friday.

For College Park Principal Julie McCormick, fears of such an outbreak have hit her personally; her daughter, a Corona del Mar High School student, was diagnosed with swine flu Tuesday.

“She’s doing fine,” McCormick said. “And the second-grade class is recovering. We’re very, very cautious about sending them back before they’re completely well. There’s no reason to risk relapse. People’s health is what matters most.”

McCormick said teachers and staff are emphasizing clean habits like washing hands frequently, and no touching above the neck.

School representatives called every parent to calm them down and talk about the situation in their native language, McCormick said; 65% of College Park parents speak Spanish. Letters went home in English and Spanish; the latter version was crafted Monday by the district’s translator.

PTA President Michelle Pommier “cleaned out the shelves at Target” to buy large bottles of hand sanitizer for every classroom, she said.

And the district sent three maintenance and operations workers to College Park Friday to sterilize every door handle, counter top, faucet and desktop, McCormick said.

Both students and staff have contracted swine flu this school year, but exact numbers are unavailable, district spokeswoman Laura Boss said. There have been no reports in the district of fatalities or severe illnesses, she said.

“This is an issue that affects us all, so we feel strongly about keeping our schools and public informed,” Boss said. “Every appropriate precaution advised by the OC Health Care Agency is being followed.”

At this time, the district is not planning to shut down schools, Boss said. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta does not recommend that schools close during outbreaks, except as a last resort.

In the case of either a 10% overall absence rate or a 20% within-class absence rate, a school nurse is required to contact the County of Orange Health Care Agency to discuss how to proceed, the district said. The district also is notified; it has a team in place that represents health services, communications, human resources, emergency planning and administration, Boss said.

The school also sends a letter home to parents that details symptoms to watch for, high-risk groups, and tips to prevent the flu’s spread. College Park parents whose children were in the affected second-grade class received letters Friday; all other students were sent home Monday with letters. Lincoln Elementary students took letters home Tuesday.

Students or staff who appear to have a fever or other flu symptoms will be sent home and asked not to return until they’ve been fever-free for 24 hours without the aid of fever-reducing medicines like acetaminophen, Boss said.

The district also recommends that students and staff who develop flu symptoms, such as fever with a cough or a sore throat, stay home and follow the same procedure.

The district has its own swine flu information center at nmusd.ca.schoolloop.com/swineflu.

Sick anteaters

UC Irvine has developed similar protocols for its own sick students.

“As of Sept. 1, the UCI Student Health Center has confirmed 20 students as having H1N1 this quarter. From April to September, there have been 76 cases on campus,” said Tom Vasich, UCI’s assistant director of health services. More than 25,000 students attend the school.

The university is unable to confirm how many students have the virus; all information to date is anecdotal, Vasich said, but the university’s human resources department is collecting data.

Student Health Center representatives say that the H1N1 flu symptoms reported to date have been mild.

UCI dorm residents use a door hanger to indicate that they’re sick, Vasich said. Students on campus are encouraged to stay isolated in their rooms while they recover. Those with roommates are either transferred to an empty room, or the roommate is relocated while the sick student recovers. The sick students are monitored and given instructions for self-care, Vasich said.

The first week of school was Flu Prevention Week, and students and staff are sent campuswide e-mails alerting any news.

“We are telling people, ‘If you feel like you’re getting the flu, go home.’ And practice good hygiene — cover that cough, wash those hands,” Vasich said.

A large-scale vaccination program is in the works at UCI for those on the CDC’s priority list. The vaccine is expected later this month.

Just the facts

Swine flu, like other influenza viruses, is spread person-to-person through coughing and sneezing. Symptoms can include fever, cough, a sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue, the district said. Vomiting or diarrhea also may occur. The majority of people who contract swine flu — as in any type of influenza — only develop a mild to moderate form of the disease, and feel better within three to five days.

High-risk groups include pregnant women; those with chronic health conditions like asthma, heart or metabolic diseases or a suppressed immune system; those younger than 5, particularly infants; and those 65 and older. If high-risk individuals develop flu symptoms, experts recommend that they call their doctor and consider antiviral medications.

Many pediatricians and doctors aren’t offering tests to diagnose swine flu, due to its ubiquity.

The virus survives only two to eight hours outside the human body, county health officials said, and is not difficult to kill. Specialty cleaning products and vigorous scrubbing are not required.

The H1N1 flu vaccine is expected to be available later to this month. To see if flu vaccines are available, call your doctor or the Orange County Health Care Agency Health Referral Line at (800) 564-8448, or visit ochealthinfo.com.

How To Prevent Spreading Germs

• Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. If no tissue is available, cough into your elbow.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

• If you get sick, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

• Try to avoid close contact with sick people.

• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.

• Do not share personal items such as towels or utensils.

• Routinely clean items or surfaces that are frequently touched (use your normal cleaning products).

Source: Newport-Mesa Unified