H1N1 reported in Mobile School

[Pathfinder]

H1N1 reported in Mobile
Co. School
Updated: Friday, 14 Aug 2009, 11:04 AM CDT
Published : Thursday, 13 Aug 2009, 10:16 PM CDT

Libby Amos
Photojournalist: Robert Brown
Mobile, Ala. - One case of the H1N1 flu strain has been reported at Eichold Mertz Elementary. The Mobile County Public School System is now sending letters home to parents about how to spot symptoms of the flu.

Wanda Hannon works in the health department of the school system.

"The flu is in our community, and what's in the community comes to school," she said.

Cases of the flu have been confirmed in the schools, and Hannon said that was expected. When children get sick with the flu they tend to spread it quickly because they congregate together. There is no avoiding having the children all together, and that is why Hannon stressed prevention techniques.

"Teach their children how to wash their hands, how to cover the nose and mouth when they cough or sneeze. Not to share things like drinks and food," Hannon added.

She also suggested washing your hands at least 10 times throughout the day, especially before meals. When you wash, it is important to develop a lather with the soap and then scrub for about twenty seconds.

"Sing 'Happy Birthday,' or 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat,' that's about how long you need to scrub," Hannon laughed.

Hannon also urged parents to pay attention to their child.

"If they are sick do not send them to school, and if they are sick we're going to send them home."

Each school now has a specific area where sick children will stay until they are picked up and taken home. The schools are also equipped with surgical masks for sick children to wear. Hannon said the masks reduce the spread of water droplets, which are responsible for spreading the virus

http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/education/reportedinMobileCoSchool

 

[wdcare]

Re: H1N1 reported in Mobile School

http://blog.al.com/live/2009/08/mobile_baldwin_school_official.html
Mobile, Baldwin school officials won't report location of swine flu cases
August 20, 2009 6:00 AM

MOBILE, Ala. -- School officials in the Mobile area said this week they won't be able to report how many students may have so-called swine flu or which schools they attend.


"Even if we were able to say there were 50 cases of swine flu, people would want to know which classroom it was in," said Nancy Pierce, spokeswoman for the Mobile County Public School System. "It would get out of hand. Parents would be so panicked."

Area school and health officials are asking everyone to practice good hygiene and staying home when sick.

School officials in Baldwin County this week announced there were at least a dozen students with H1N1 but did not disclose which schools were affected.

Kim Taylor, public information officer for the Baldwin County Health Department, said there is no quick way to determine the exact number of students sick from flu, whether it's the H1N1 strain or the seasonal variety.

Dr. Bernard Eichold, health officer for the Mobile County Health Department, said it appears that H1N1, which was at first called swine flu, is the predominant strain of influenza at the moment.

"I encourage people not to panic and treat anyone who develops flu-like symptoms with a fever above 100.3 as routine flu," Eichold said. "Unlike traditional seasonal flu, many more segments of our population do not have immunity to H1N1, therefore more people are probably going to be infected."

...

Last week, 81 people in Mobile County and 29 people in Baldwin had tested positive for the H1N1 strain, according to state health officials. Children and teens under 18 represented nearly 70 percent of the confirmed cases...