Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
H1N1 case confirmed at city schools
Posted: Friday, October 9, 2009
Staff reports
DELPHOS ?
The H1N1 virus has been confirmed in Delphos.
The Delphos City School District Superintendent Jeff Price was informed late Wednesday afternoon by the Allen County Health Department that one of his students has the H1N1 virus.
The confirmed case if a student at Jefferson Middle School.
At least two students have been tested with one confirmed case of the virus and the district is still awaiting the results of tests run on one additional student.
?We do have one confirmed case and we believe the second case will also come back positive,? Price said this morning. ?We are taking all precautions and asking parents to keep students home who do not feel well.?
School attendance reports have shown an increase in the number of absences among students over the past week. The district shared these numbers and concerns with the Allen County Health Department, which continues to work closely with the district in reporting symptoms and absences from school. An average of 10 percent of the student population has been absent over the past week.
Stacey Ricker, the school nurse, has been in daily contact with Allen County Health Department officials since late last week.
The district sent information home with the students Wednesday and expects additional help in the way of information packets for parents to be sent home by the Allen County Health Department on ways to prevent the illness.
Officials at the Allen County Health Department were unavailable at press time.
?At this point, the district will continue to monitor the situation but guidelines released earlier in the year from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) currently do not warrant a school closing,? Price said. ?The district will continue to communicate with county health officials and local community leadership to determine the most appropriate action to be taken.?
With the pandemic H1N1 virus circulating throughout Ohio, it?s important to recognize the symptoms of flu and stay home when sick. What are the differences between seasonal flu, pandemic H1N1 flu and the common cold? When is the time to seek medical care outside the home?
The symptoms of the pandemic H1N1 virus are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with H1N1, these symptoms have been more common in children.
Severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with H1N1 and seasonal flu infection. The common cold does not normally have fever or severe illness associated with it.
When exhibiting flu symptoms, either seasonal or pandemic H1N1, stay home from work or keep children home from school. If symptoms become more severe, the individual is pregnant or there is an underlying chronic medical condition, seek medical attention immediately. Like seasonal flu, H1N1 flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.
In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention 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
If you have had the flu, either seasonal or pandemic H1N1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends staying home for 24 hours after fever is gone without using fever-reducing medication.
The CDC is discouraging the practice of requiring a permission slip from a doctor to return to school or work during this flu season to ease the burden on the health care system.
For more information about H1N1 (Swine) Flu:
? Allen County Health Department website: http://www.allencountyhealthdepartment.org/know_what_to_do.htm
? CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ and CDC Information Line: 1-800-CDC-INFO
? ?Ask the Expert? ? available through the flu.gov website: http://www.flu.gov/faq/ask.html
? Ohio Department of Health: www.odh.ohio.gov Ohio H1N1 (swine) Flu Information Line: 1-866-800-1404
? Allen County Health Department: 419-228-4457 or www.allencountyhealthdepartment.org
? Van Wert County Health Department: 419-238-0808 or www.vanwertcountyhealth.org
http://www.delphosherald.com/2009/10/09/h1n1-case-confirmed-at-city-schools/
Posted: Friday, October 9, 2009
Staff reports
DELPHOS ?
The H1N1 virus has been confirmed in Delphos.
The Delphos City School District Superintendent Jeff Price was informed late Wednesday afternoon by the Allen County Health Department that one of his students has the H1N1 virus.
The confirmed case if a student at Jefferson Middle School.
At least two students have been tested with one confirmed case of the virus and the district is still awaiting the results of tests run on one additional student.
?We do have one confirmed case and we believe the second case will also come back positive,? Price said this morning. ?We are taking all precautions and asking parents to keep students home who do not feel well.?
School attendance reports have shown an increase in the number of absences among students over the past week. The district shared these numbers and concerns with the Allen County Health Department, which continues to work closely with the district in reporting symptoms and absences from school. An average of 10 percent of the student population has been absent over the past week.
Stacey Ricker, the school nurse, has been in daily contact with Allen County Health Department officials since late last week.
The district sent information home with the students Wednesday and expects additional help in the way of information packets for parents to be sent home by the Allen County Health Department on ways to prevent the illness.
Officials at the Allen County Health Department were unavailable at press time.
?At this point, the district will continue to monitor the situation but guidelines released earlier in the year from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) currently do not warrant a school closing,? Price said. ?The district will continue to communicate with county health officials and local community leadership to determine the most appropriate action to be taken.?
With the pandemic H1N1 virus circulating throughout Ohio, it?s important to recognize the symptoms of flu and stay home when sick. What are the differences between seasonal flu, pandemic H1N1 flu and the common cold? When is the time to seek medical care outside the home?
The symptoms of the pandemic H1N1 virus are similar to the symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with H1N1, these symptoms have been more common in children.
Severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with H1N1 and seasonal flu infection. The common cold does not normally have fever or severe illness associated with it.
When exhibiting flu symptoms, either seasonal or pandemic H1N1, stay home from work or keep children home from school. If symptoms become more severe, the individual is pregnant or there is an underlying chronic medical condition, seek medical attention immediately. Like seasonal flu, H1N1 flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.
In children, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention 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
If you have had the flu, either seasonal or pandemic H1N1, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends staying home for 24 hours after fever is gone without using fever-reducing medication.
The CDC is discouraging the practice of requiring a permission slip from a doctor to return to school or work during this flu season to ease the burden on the health care system.
For more information about H1N1 (Swine) Flu:
? Allen County Health Department website: http://www.allencountyhealthdepartment.org/know_what_to_do.htm
? CDC website: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ and CDC Information Line: 1-800-CDC-INFO
? ?Ask the Expert? ? available through the flu.gov website: http://www.flu.gov/faq/ask.html
? Ohio Department of Health: www.odh.ohio.gov Ohio H1N1 (swine) Flu Information Line: 1-866-800-1404
? Allen County Health Department: 419-228-4457 or www.allencountyhealthdepartment.org
? Van Wert County Health Department: 419-238-0808 or www.vanwertcountyhealth.org
http://www.delphosherald.com/2009/10/09/h1n1-case-confirmed-at-city-schools/