Pathfinder
Editor, Senior Moderator
<TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD class=contentheading width="100%">Three H1N1 cases in school </TD><TD class=buttonheading align=right width="100%">
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><TABLE align=right><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Since the summer, health officials have expressed their concern about the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus once the school year resumed; just this week three individuals at the same Granby school have come down with the illness.
One staff member and two students of Parkview elementary school have been diagnosed with the virus, according to the ETSB (Eastern Townships School Board).
?They are confirmed mild cases and they?ve been asked to stay home for the next 48 hours to recuperate,? said ETSB spokeswoman Sharon Priest, who noted that the recorded cases follow the average seasonal flu absences that occur around this time of year.
Following the confirmation of the presence of H1N1, an email was circulated and a newsletter was sent home with children Wednesday afternoon explaining the situation to parents, according to Priest.
Steps were also taken to clean and sanitize areas where the infected staff member and students frequented and school principal, Andrew Retchless, reminded staff and students to follow the pandemic procedures that are in place.
Earlier this year in the wake of the pandemic fears, the ETSB issued letters to parents explaining the board?s pandemic plan as well as the preventive procedures taken by schools within its jurisdiction. The plan is available on the ETSB?s website at www.etsb.qc.ca.
Staff and students are encouraged to employ proper and frequent hand washing and the correct cough and sneeze protocol ? to direct the coughs and sneezes into the elbow or shoulder ? and parents were advised to keep children home for seven days flu like symptoms exhibited.
Parents were also urged to practice these preventative techniques at home.
The recent infections bring the total cases of H1N1 within the ETSB to four. The first confirmed case was that of a St. Francis Elementary School student in Richmond earlier this month.
That student?s case was also described as mild and the child has since returned to school. As yet, no other cases have appeared at that school.
For all schools it seems to be a waiting game to see how the virus progresses. Besides taking steps to spread infection, there is little else to be done.
?We?ve followed our protocols and procedures,? said Priest.
?We?ll wait and see how things go but we feel we are well prepared.?
Many reported cases of H1N1 nationally have thus far been mild, however it is still important for individuals to recognize the signs that a flu patient is taking a turn for the worse and needs medical assistance immediately.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, symptoms of concern in children are fast or troubled breathing, skin turning bluish, not drinking enough fluids, being unusually hard to wake up or not interacting, being so irritable that the child doesn?t want to be held, flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough or a fever with a rash.
For adults symptoms require medical assistance and include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, severe or persistent vomiting, sudden dizziness or confusion.
South America still ranks the highest number of deaths attributed to the flu pandemic, North America comes in second according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The progression of the virus still seems to blaze a twisted trail throughout the world.
As of Wednesday the ECDC reported Spain as having the highest number of confirmed H1N1 cases, 137, admitted to intensive care unit while only 303 cases of admission into the hospital was recorded.
Italy on the other hand reported 1155 hospitalizations but no intensive care admissions related to the virus.
In the last week the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) reported three deaths, two being in British Columbia and one in Saskatchewan.
Around the world the virus also seems to continue jumping to various species including turkeys in Canada, pigs in Japan and mink in Denmark.
By Corrinna Pole
2009-10-22
http://www.sherbrookerecord.com/content/view/307058/1/
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><TABLE class=contentpaneopen><TBODY><TR><TD vAlign=top colSpan=2><TABLE align=right><TBODY><TR><TD></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>Since the summer, health officials have expressed their concern about the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus once the school year resumed; just this week three individuals at the same Granby school have come down with the illness. One staff member and two students of Parkview elementary school have been diagnosed with the virus, according to the ETSB (Eastern Townships School Board).
?They are confirmed mild cases and they?ve been asked to stay home for the next 48 hours to recuperate,? said ETSB spokeswoman Sharon Priest, who noted that the recorded cases follow the average seasonal flu absences that occur around this time of year.
Following the confirmation of the presence of H1N1, an email was circulated and a newsletter was sent home with children Wednesday afternoon explaining the situation to parents, according to Priest.
Steps were also taken to clean and sanitize areas where the infected staff member and students frequented and school principal, Andrew Retchless, reminded staff and students to follow the pandemic procedures that are in place.
Earlier this year in the wake of the pandemic fears, the ETSB issued letters to parents explaining the board?s pandemic plan as well as the preventive procedures taken by schools within its jurisdiction. The plan is available on the ETSB?s website at www.etsb.qc.ca.
Staff and students are encouraged to employ proper and frequent hand washing and the correct cough and sneeze protocol ? to direct the coughs and sneezes into the elbow or shoulder ? and parents were advised to keep children home for seven days flu like symptoms exhibited.
Parents were also urged to practice these preventative techniques at home.
The recent infections bring the total cases of H1N1 within the ETSB to four. The first confirmed case was that of a St. Francis Elementary School student in Richmond earlier this month.
That student?s case was also described as mild and the child has since returned to school. As yet, no other cases have appeared at that school.
For all schools it seems to be a waiting game to see how the virus progresses. Besides taking steps to spread infection, there is little else to be done.
?We?ve followed our protocols and procedures,? said Priest.
?We?ll wait and see how things go but we feel we are well prepared.?
Many reported cases of H1N1 nationally have thus far been mild, however it is still important for individuals to recognize the signs that a flu patient is taking a turn for the worse and needs medical assistance immediately.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, symptoms of concern in children are fast or troubled breathing, skin turning bluish, not drinking enough fluids, being unusually hard to wake up or not interacting, being so irritable that the child doesn?t want to be held, flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough or a fever with a rash.
For adults symptoms require medical assistance and include difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, severe or persistent vomiting, sudden dizziness or confusion.
South America still ranks the highest number of deaths attributed to the flu pandemic, North America comes in second according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
The progression of the virus still seems to blaze a twisted trail throughout the world.
As of Wednesday the ECDC reported Spain as having the highest number of confirmed H1N1 cases, 137, admitted to intensive care unit while only 303 cases of admission into the hospital was recorded.
Italy on the other hand reported 1155 hospitalizations but no intensive care admissions related to the virus.
In the last week the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) reported three deaths, two being in British Columbia and one in Saskatchewan.
Around the world the virus also seems to continue jumping to various species including turkeys in Canada, pigs in Japan and mink in Denmark.
By Corrinna Pole
2009-10-22
http://www.sherbrookerecord.com/content/view/307058/1/
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