Seasonal Flu Information for Schools

February 18, 2008

Seasonal Flu Information for Schools

FAST FACTS

Influenza is a viral infection of the nose, throat, and lungs. Symptoms include high fever, dry cough, runny or stuffy nose, sore throat, body aches, headache, and extreme tiredness.
Some viruses and bacteria can live from 20 minutes up to 2 hours or more on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. (Ansari, 1988; Scott and Bloomfield, 1989).
Students need to get plenty of sleep and physical activity, drink water, and eat good food to help them stay healthy in the winter and all year.

Alwaysremind children to:

Cover their nose and mouth with a tissue when they cough or sneeze—have them throw the tissue away after they use it.
Cough into their sleeve if they don’t have a tissue.
Wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after they cough or sneeze. If water is not available, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
Avoid touching their eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs often spread this way.

What else can be done to prevent flu?

Get a flu shot! If you haven’t had one yet, it’s not too late. From 1996-2006, flu activity in the US peaked in January (20 % of seasons) and in February (43% of seasons).
Strongly encourage anyone who is ill to stay home from school. Students/faculty should not return to school until they have been fever-free for 24 hours.
Keep tissues and hand sanitizer in the class rooms.
Make sure there is an adequate supply of soap and paper towels in the bathrooms at all times and encourage good hand-washing on bathroom breaks.
Disinfect door knobs, telephones, desk tops, light switches, keyboards, water fountains, and etc. with an approved disinfectant (one that is effective against viruses) during regular cleaning schedule. If using a chlorine bleach solution for disinfection, mix ¼ cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water.

Over-the-Counter Cough and Cold Products Health Advisory

Over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold products should not be used to treat infants and children less than 2 years of age because serious and potentially life-threatening side effects can occur from such use. OTC cough and cold products include decongestants, expectorants, antihistamines, and anti-tussives (cough suppressants) for the treatment of colds. Pending completion of the FDA's ongoing review, parents and caregivers that choose to use OTC cough and cold medicines to treat children ages 2 to 11 years should: Follow the dosing directions on the label of any OTC medication, understand that these drugs will NOT cure or shorten the duration of the common cold, check the "Drug Facts" label to learn what active ingredients are in the products because many OTC cough and cold products contain multiple active ingredients, and use only the measuring spoons or cups that come with the medicine or those made specially for measuring drugs.