H1N1 Virus

With the marvels and convenience that comes living within the "information age" also comes a great deal of responsibility and rationality. Never before has it been so easy to acquire virtually any type of information about any subject at such a great rate. Additionally, never before has it been so easy to create crisis, epidemic and hysteria. Swine flu is a perfect example. Upon its identification, people were quarantined, confined to their houses for weeks on end and entire schools, offices, maybe even some gated communities, were shut down and identified as modern day leper colonies.

Based upon the assumption that lobbyist for the pork industry objected to the moniker bestowed upon the virus, swine flu has been re identified as the H1N1 virus, and the thinking regarding reaction to it has become more level-headed. We don not have the ability to stop the virus, particularly in environments that are most susceptible to passing germs, but we can control it to some degree.

The flu can be easily spread from person to person. Therefore, we are taking steps to reduce the spread of flu in Holy Angels School. We want to keep the school open to students and functioning in a normal manner during this flu season. But, we need your help to do this.

We are working closely with the Arcadia Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Health Department to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning schools. We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available.

If the flu becomes more severe, we may take additional steps to prevent the spread
such as:

conducting active fever and flu symptom screening of students and staff as they arrive at school,

 making changes to increase the space between people such as moving desks farther apart and postponing class
trips, and

 dismissing students from school for at least 7 days if they become sick.

For now we are doing everything we can to keep our school functioning as usual. Here are a few things you can do to help.

Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water or an
alcohol-based hand rub. You can set a good example by doing this yourself.

 Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or un-
washed utensils, and to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. Covering up
their coughs or sneezes using the elbow, arm or sleeve instead of the hand when a
tissue is unavailable.

 Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever
(100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater), cough, sore throat, a
runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people
may also vomit or have diarrhea.

 Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have fever
or do not have signs of fever, without using fever-reducing drugs. Keeping children with a fever
at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.

 Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are deter-
mined to be sick while at school will be sent home.

I have been told that the reality is the H1N1 virus is really no more dangerous than any other flu virus. While I don't know the accuracy of this statement, it seems like we should go about our daily lives with a bit more attention to hygene and not let a media -fueled hysteria become a rationale for making reactionary decisions