As students around the country and state are preparing to head back to school, district officials are preparing not only for the return of students, but the potential return of the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu.
National and local health officials are warning that the virus, which first arrived on the scene in the spring, could reappear this fall as cold and flu season begins for the Northern Hemisphere.
Recommendations from the Center for Disease Control and the Seattle-King County Health Department focus on preventative measures and the prevention of spreading any flu, not just H1N1.
According to Kent schools spokesperson Becky Hanks, the district will be following those recommendations, as well as continuing to educate the population about general disease prevention.
“We will continue our efforts to make sure the community takes care of themselves during the upcoming flu season,” she said.
This spring, when the virus was first reported, several schools in the area – and throughout the country – shuttered their doors at first indication of the potentially deadly strain of the virus. But as a better understanding of the disease developed, the focus switched to preventative measures, such as proper hand washing and covering the mouth when coughing.
One of the local cases of the virus appeared this spring at Kent-Meridian High School; however, the school remained open. And as a reminder, parents were sent letters detailing the importance of not spreading the disease.
Kent, following county guidelines, focuses on hand washing, covering your mouth when you cough and keeping at home kids who exhibit flu-like symptoms.
“We expect to see it more this fall,” Hanks said. “We will be following the guidelines set for Seattle-King County Public Health.”
Though the flu pandemic has been relatively mild so far this year, officials want to make sure it stays that way.
According to Kent Nurse Facilitator Mary Newell, details regarding prevention of the H1N1 virus will be included in a presentation about potentially life-threatening conditions shown to staff before the year begins. School nurses also will visit every classroom at the start of the year to review proper hand-washing techniques and reviewing good respiratory hygiene, such as coughing into your sleeve.
In addition, Newell said, the district has tissues and soaps on hand.
“We’ve got our waterless soap ready,” she said.
Hanks also reiterated the traditional seasonal flu generally has a higher mortality rate than the H1N1 swine flu, though it is unknown exactly what kind of infection and mortality rate the new pandemic flu will have this fall.
So far, Hanks said, no new instructions have been issued from the government, but a conference call is scheduled for Aug. 25 with district officialsto discuss a potential swine flu outbreak. Hanks said Kent would participate in the call and additional information would available then.
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For more information regarding the pandemic H1N1 flu virus, visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/healthservices/health/preparedness/pandemicflu.aspx or http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.
According to the CDC, there have been 6,506 hospitalized cases of the H1N1 virus resulting in 436 deaths throughout the United States. Washington State has reported a total of 137 hospitalizations due to swine flu resulting in 11 deaths.
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