The Roeper School - Roeper H1N1 Information

News of the anticipated spread of the H1N1 virus during this year’s flu season has garnered substantial coverage and speculation. What is certain, however, is that the flu—regardless of its severity—can spread easily from person to person, and schools are particularly susceptible to outbreaks given the sheer number and proximity of students.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer recommend school closures at the first sign of H1N1. Therefore, both at Roeper and at home, we must all do our best to take appropriate and ongoing precautions. At Roeper, we will educate our community about ways to prevent easy spreading of the flu.

We are monitoring the information from the CDC, the Oakland Health Department, and U of M hospital H1N1 information website. Here are some key points from those resources that we will reinforce on both Roeper campuses. We ask for your fullest support and assistance in reinforcing this at home, as well:

• School exclusion: Both students and staff with flu-like illnesses must stay home until they are fever-free without medication for at least 24 hours.

• When appropriate, we will conduct active fever and symptom screenings: School staff will ask students about symptoms suggestive of a respiratory infection such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches and fatigue. Any student who is experiencing flu-like symptoms or has a fever will be separated from others as they wait to be picked up from school.

• Educating and reinforcing proper hygiene to students: Throughout the school, we are finding creative ways to get students to remember and practice appropriate hygiene. Both campuses will have visible signage promoting good practices. Faculty and other staff throughout the school will include proper hand-washing techniques in their activities and conversations with students. Students are reminded to cough or sneeze into a tissue, sleeve or elbow, avoid touching their eyes, nose or mouth, and use hand sanitizer.

• Hand sanitizers: All classrooms and highly populated areas will be equipped with hand sanitizer and disinfecting materials.

• Cleaning: Teachers will regularly clean and disinfect high-touch surfaces such as desks, door handles, handrails, etc.

• Faculty preparedness: We understand that both faculty and students might need to be away from school for a short period of time. We have a list of very experienced substitute teachers (many of whom have taught at Roeper), and teachers are also prepared to communicate with individual students and/or their classes electronically.

Here are a few things you can do to help:

• Children must wash their hands often with soap and water. You will set a good example by doing this yourself.

• Children should not share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils, and should try to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues. If they don't have a tissue, they should cough or sneeze into their upper sleeve, not their hands.

• Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Flu symptoms include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater), cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and general exhaustion. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea.

• Don’t send children to school if they are sick. Any child who is clearly feeling sick and exhibiting one or more of the above symptoms will be sent home. Staying home when sick will allow your child to rest and heal. It also allows you to monitor their health closely. Keeping your sick child home is the responsible thing to do. It protects fellow students and school staff—especially those who are at higher risk of severe illness from the flu.

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Here are a list of links to help you find the most current information about the H1N1 virus:

• http://www.flu.gov - Official U.S. Government Flu Response

• http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ or call 1-800-CDC-INFO - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• http://www.oakgov.com/health or call 248-858-1280 - Oakland County Health Department

• http://www.who.int/en/ - World Health Organization

• Michigan Department of Public Health