AlaskaDenise
In Memoriam
(Alaska cases are almost never covered in the press - I assume they're getting the message out to students)
THIRD CASE: Three Anchorage high schools have reported having an athlete with H1N1 virus.
By BETH BRAGG
bbragg@adn.com
(08/05/09 22:31:41)
A Dimond High volleyball player who attended a camp with 40 other players this week has a confirmed case of swine flu, the third high school in Anchorage to report a case involving an athlete in the last week.
The Anchorage School District will send form letters to the families of players in attendance, informing them about the sick player and offering tips on how to avoid the swine flu virus.
School doesn't open until Aug. 19, but some high school sports teams are already practicing. The West High and Bartlett High football teams each have a player sick with what's believed to be swine flu, and each player on those teams has received the same letter that will be sent to families of the Dimond volleyball players.
And that's just the tip of what is expected to become a swine flu iceberg once school starts.
"They're predicting that when schools open, there will be an increase in flu cases" all over the country, said school superintendent Carol Comeau.
"Eventually everyone's going to get a letter," said Mike Henry, the district's director of high school education.
State epidemiologists have confirmed 322 cases of swine flu in Alaska, 255 of them in Anchorage and the Valley, but medical officials say more people than that have the virus. The state has decided to limit swine flu tests to only the sickest; people with mild cases who visit a doctor are being given the A/B influenza test, and those testing positive are assumed to have the swine flu because no other flu strain is circulating here, said Nancy Edtl, director of nursing and health services for the school district.
In preparation for more cases once school starts, Henry has given high school administrators instructors on how to keep the district informed in the event a student has a confirmed case of the flu.
"We do not want phone calls," he said. "The principal is to email me directly and tell me exactly what it is and then we will get out word immediately."
If the sick student plays on a team and there's a game coming up, administrator Todd Arndt will call the opponent to let them know, Henry said.
Most cases so far have been mild, Edtl said.
She said the best way to avoid the virus is to practice good hygiene -- wash your hands frequently, and if you're sick, stay home and avoid contact with others. Those who are sick should stay home a full 24 hours after their symptoms disappear before returning to school or practices, Edlt said.
http://www.adn.com/life/health/story/889355.html
THIRD CASE: Three Anchorage high schools have reported having an athlete with H1N1 virus.
By BETH BRAGG
bbragg@adn.com
(08/05/09 22:31:41)
A Dimond High volleyball player who attended a camp with 40 other players this week has a confirmed case of swine flu, the third high school in Anchorage to report a case involving an athlete in the last week.
The Anchorage School District will send form letters to the families of players in attendance, informing them about the sick player and offering tips on how to avoid the swine flu virus.
School doesn't open until Aug. 19, but some high school sports teams are already practicing. The West High and Bartlett High football teams each have a player sick with what's believed to be swine flu, and each player on those teams has received the same letter that will be sent to families of the Dimond volleyball players.
And that's just the tip of what is expected to become a swine flu iceberg once school starts.
"They're predicting that when schools open, there will be an increase in flu cases" all over the country, said school superintendent Carol Comeau.
"Eventually everyone's going to get a letter," said Mike Henry, the district's director of high school education.
State epidemiologists have confirmed 322 cases of swine flu in Alaska, 255 of them in Anchorage and the Valley, but medical officials say more people than that have the virus. The state has decided to limit swine flu tests to only the sickest; people with mild cases who visit a doctor are being given the A/B influenza test, and those testing positive are assumed to have the swine flu because no other flu strain is circulating here, said Nancy Edtl, director of nursing and health services for the school district.
In preparation for more cases once school starts, Henry has given high school administrators instructors on how to keep the district informed in the event a student has a confirmed case of the flu.
"We do not want phone calls," he said. "The principal is to email me directly and tell me exactly what it is and then we will get out word immediately."
If the sick student plays on a team and there's a game coming up, administrator Todd Arndt will call the opponent to let them know, Henry said.
Most cases so far have been mild, Edtl said.
She said the best way to avoid the virus is to practice good hygiene -- wash your hands frequently, and if you're sick, stay home and avoid contact with others. Those who are sick should stay home a full 24 hours after their symptoms disappear before returning to school or practices, Edlt said.
http://www.adn.com/life/health/story/889355.html
