Increased Absence in Northern Virginia Fairfax County Public School

[Lurker]

School is almost over, but they detect a spike in absence.


http://www.fcps.edu/news/swineflu/lettertoparents611.pdf



=======Community Outreach Message from FCPS=======

Dear Member of FCPS Community,

You have been sent a new message through the Connect-ED system.

FCPS
Message sent - 6/12/2009
H1N1 Update from Dr. Dale 6/12/09

===================================================
Message
===================================================

Dear Parents and Guardians:

It is our goal to promote good health for students in our school system and to manage communicable diseases. We have been working with the Fairfax County Health Department (FCHD) to monitor student absences using the Health Department-School Illness Monitoring System (HD-SIMS). Through the use of this system, the FCHD has identified a recent rise in the number of schools with increased student absences. Upon further investigation, the FCHD has found that a number of these absences are due to influenza-like symptoms. During this time of year, it is unlikely that these symptoms are caused by the seasonal influenza that we see at other times of the year. Instead, these symptoms likely reflect the spread of the new H1N1 virus (swine flu) within our community. Although illness from this new virus is mild in most people, school staff and students should continue to take steps to limit disease spread.

Please practice these flu prevention measures to help protect your child and others.

? Monitor children for influenza‐like symptoms (fever plus a cough or sore throat) and keep them at home if they exhibit these symptoms. Students with flu-like symptoms should stay at home and out of school for at least seven days, even if symptoms go away sooner. If children are still sick after the seven-day period, keep them at home until at least 24 hours after the symptoms have ceased. If children have flu‐like symptoms, they should not participate in any school activities, including school age child care (SACC), or be out in the community except to seek medical care.

? If your child appears to have an influenza‐like illness when he or she arrives at school, a parent or guardian will be notified and asked to pick up the child. Please ensure that your school has your contact information and that you pick up your child if you are called.

? Help your child understand the importance of covering his or her nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing. Also, emphasize washing hands with soap and water, especially after a cough or sneeze. Alcohol‐based sanitizers are also effective when soap and water are not available. Avoid contact with those who have flu symptoms. Please model these behaviors for your child.

Since it is expected that the new H1N1 virus will continue to spread through the summer and fall, it is important to make good respiratory and hand hygiene habits part of our daily practices, even after school has ended. FCPS continues to work with the Fairfax County Health Department to monitor health conditions in the county and will use Keep in Touch (KIT) to communicate new information.

Your support in calling in student absences and specifying the type of illness has been invaluable. Thank for your continued help in our effort to reduce the spread of influenza in our school community. If you have additional questions, please contact your school.

Sincerely,

Jack D. Dale
Superintendent
Fairfax County Public Schools

 

[thebes]

Re: Increased Absence in Northern Virginia Fairfax County Public School

That's interesting because my kids are in Arlington County schools (elementary & middle) and they brought home a letter yesterday written by the Chief of the Arlington School Health Bureau. It doesn't seem to be posted online but the first part reads:

We have recieved many reports of illness among children in Arlington Public schools. Some have flu-like illness, others have strep throat or allergies. Some of those with flu-like illness have been confirmed by laboratory testing to have H1N1 flu. This is not unexpected. H1N1 has been confirmed in the U.S., the region, Virginia and Arlington.

Arlington Public Schools will continue to monitor the situation with Arlington Public Health. We have advised school officials that there is no need to close the school or to cancel activities at this time and they concur.....blah, blah, blah.....

A couple of comments:
1. They don't give any indication at all where these cases of flu are. What if your child is at high-risk for complications? What if a teacher (or parent) is pregnant? These people have a right to make their own decisions about their health and whether they'd like to take the risk of being exposed to the virus. There are only 3 days of school left and they're not doing anything of substance in the classrooms - just a bunch of parties and video watching. A child would not be missing any real instructional time.

2. In the entire letter it never says "swine flu" so many parents I talked to last night at a soccer game didn't even know they were talking about the pandemic virus - and these are well-educated, informed (so I thought) people.

I think we're going to have big problems in the fall.

 

[senegal1]

Re: Increased Absence in Northern Virginia Fairfax County Public School

Fairfax county public schools have a computer program that they plug the number of absent kids into every day. If that number reaches something over 20 percent absent (not sure its 20 not sure over how many schools) they are alerted to unusual activity and should respond. Not sure if Arlington schools have the same or not.

 

[HenryN]

Re: Increased Absence in Northern Virginia Fairfax County Public School

Fairfax county public schools have a computer program that they plug the number of absent kids into every day. If that number reaches something over 20 percent absent (not sure its 20 not sure over how many schools) they are alerted to unusual activity and should respond. Not sure if Arlington schools have the same or not.

I believe all school districts have to monitor attendence, as a school as well as individually. They know in an instant how many are absent and what is "normal". In media reports describing school closings or unusually high absenteeism, most indicated attentend is usually in the 95-97% range, and schools with outbreaks are typically above 10%.

For North Allegheny in the Pittsburgh area, I was told that the absenteeism wasn't higher than flu season in the winter. However, that statement was made in mid-May, when flu season was over. At that time, there were 10 probable/comfirmed. Several days ago, the number was up to 22. I suspect the number infected is well above 100, but this is a VERY large school district and true numbers won't be forthcoming because school ended Thursday.

 

[Lurker]

Island Creek: Alexandria Kingstowne Area -Increased Absence in Northern Virginia Fairfax County Public School

Island Creek: Alexandria Kingstowne Area -Increased Absence in Northern Virginia Fairfax County Public School

That's interesting because my kids are in Arlington County schools (elementary & middle) and they brought home a letter yesterday written by the Chief of the Arlington School Health Bureau. It doesn't seem to be posted online but the first part reads:



A couple of comments:
1. They don't give any indication at all where these cases of flu are. What if your child is at high-risk for complications? What if a teacher (or parent) is pregnant? These people have a right to make their own decisions about their health and whether they'd like to take the risk of being exposed to the virus. There are only 3 days of school left and they're not doing anything of substance in the classrooms - just a bunch of parties and video watching. A child would not be missing any real instructional time.

2. In the entire letter it never says "swine flu" so many parents I talked to last night at a soccer game didn't even know they were talking about the pandemic virus - and these are well-educated, informed (so I thought) people.

I think we're going to have big problems in the fall.

On your first point, there is finally something from the local elementary school. They say they have increased sickness.

On your second point, while the first letter from the district that I posted earlier is "on point" with respect to the seasonal flu being non-existent, they dropped the ball in this letter from Island Creek. Note my highlighting where they state that this is the time of year for respiratory and flu outbreaks. Bad communication probably lulling the local parents into thinking it is just regular flu.

Lastly, I agree that the fall is likely to be pretty bad. Cross your fingers that it won't be.

http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/documents/Influenza 09.pdf


INFLUENZA-LIKE ILLNESS

June 16, 2009


Dear Parent or Guardian:

It is our concern to promote quality health for the students in our school and to control and manage communicable diseases. In cooperation with the Fairfax County Health Department, we are sending this health information letter home because we are seeing an increased number of students with respiratory illness in the school.
This is the time of year when we expect to see an increase in the number of influenza and other upper respiratory infections in our community, and you can do a number of things to protect your child and others. The following recommendations help control the spread of influenza (flu) and other respiratory illnesses:

? Encourage your child to follow standard disease control recommendations. A student should use a tissue to cover his or her mouth when coughing or sneezing, or cough into his or her upper sleeve, not the hands, and wash his or her hands regularly.

? Monitor your child for signs of illness. Symptoms of flu include fever (usually high), headache, extreme tiredness, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, and muscle aches. Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may also occur and are much more common among children than adults.

? Contact a doctor if your child shows symptoms of influenza. Consult a doctor if your child develops a fever (100?F or higher under the arm, 101?F orally, or 102?F rectally) and chills, cough, sore throat, headache, or muscle aches. Treatment for influenza may be available if sought early in the illness.

? Vaccinate you child and yourself against influenza. For information about influenza vaccine availability, call 703-246-2411 or see the Fairfax County Health Department web site at www.co.fairfaxcounty.gov/hd.

? Do not send any child experiencing influenza symptoms to school. To prevent spreading the illness to others, keep an ill child home and away from others until the child has been symptom free and without fever for at least 24 hours.

If your child has been sent home from school because of an influenza-like illness, we request that your child remain at home until 24 hours after symptoms cease. This will ensure that the spread of this contagious disease is limited as much as possible.

If you have further questions, please contact your physician or the Fairfax County Health Department at 703-704-6100.


Sincerely,
Susan Z. Owner, PhD
Principal