[BHS etree] BUSD: H1N1 Flu Updated Information for Berkeley Parents

[bhs at idiom.com]

Please do not contact the e-tree; contact Mark Coplan 510-644-6320 Mark_Coplan at berkeley.k12.ca.us

Note: This is an update from the document sent out yesterday. We will continue to send out updates from the City of Berkeley, and we will post them on the BUSD website as well.

Mark Coplan, BUSD Public Information Officer
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Department of Health & Human Services
Public Health Division

H1N1 (Swine) Flu
Information for Berkeley Parents
May 4, 2009

Suspected cases of H1N1 flu have been identified in students who attend Malcolm X Elementary School. The children are recovering at home and did not need hospital care.  Beginning Monday, May 4th, 2009, classes and functions at Malcolm X will be dismissed for 7 to 14 days, to slow the spread of this illness.  The City of Berkeley Public Health Officer will make the decision about resuming classes in consultation with the Berkeley Unified School District Superintendent.

While Malcolm X Elementary School classes are dismissed:

- Students from Malcolm X should stay home and away from other people and groups. They should not gather in other locations such as shopping malls, movie theaters, church, sporting events or community centers.  Families of Malcolm X students should avoid large gatherings.

- Members of the family may go to work or childcare if they are well, but the Malcolm X students should stay home.

- Students at schools other than Malcolm X should attend school as usual, unless they are sick.  All other schools remain open.  To keep the flu from spreading to more people, we ask you to keep all sick children home. Regular school guidelines will be followed regarding exclusion of sick children. Children, staff, and volunteers, as always, should stay home when ill.

People who are sick should stay home from work or school and stay away from other people until they are well.  The H1N1 flu illness has been mild, so regular home care as for any other flu may be all that is needed (see below for more detail).  People who are concerned or feel they need medical care should contact their health care providers.  If you do not have a health care provider, you may call the City of Berkeley Public Health Department, Nurse of the Day at 981-5300 for referral information. 

Why classes at Malcolm X were dismissed:

- A key responsibility of the Public Health Department is to slow the spread of disease in our community.  We know that children spread disease easily due to normal developmental behaviors and that they often bring home germs to family members.  We also know that this is a new flu virus that is unpredictable and changeable.
- Current guidance from the California Department of Public Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control is to dismiss classes at any elementary school where a case of H1N1 flu is detected in order to slow the spread of the disease.
- This policy is being re-evaluated daily as additional information about the virus and recommended public health response is known.  The Berkeley Public Health Department and Berkeley Unified School District are in close communication about this dynamic, changing situation and will update
parents and community members on a regular basis. 

What are my child care options if my school or child care program is
dismissed?

- Ideally your children should remain at home with a regular parent/caregiver or family member.  If that can not be arranged and your child/children are not sick, they may be cared for in small groups of 3-5 children.  These groups of 3-5 children should be the same children each day and the person taking care of them should be the same person each day.

The most important steps you and your family can take to stay healthy are:

- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or sleeve when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it and wash your hands.  Teach your children how to do this too!
- Teach your children to wash their hands often (especially before eating) with soap and water. Have your children sing "Happy Birthday" twice while washing their hands.  Be sure to set a good example by washing your hands yourself.
- Adults and children who are sick should stay home from work and school.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.  Teach children not to touch their faces.
- Avoid close contact with sick people.

Here are some tips for helping those who are sick with the flu:
- Have them drink a lot of liquid (juice, water)
- Keep the sick person as comfortable as possible. Rest is important.
- For fever, sore throat and muscle aches, use ibuprofen (Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Do not use aspirin with children or teenagers; aspirin use with viral illnesses (like flu) has been associated with the development of Reye's Syndrome, a life-threatening illness.
- Keep tissues and a trash bag within reach of the sick person.
- Be sure everyone in your home washes his/her hands frequently.
- Keep the people who are sick with the flu away from the people who are not sick.

Children should be taken for emergency medical care right away if they have these warning signs:
1) Fast or troubled breathing; 2) bluish skin color; 3) not drinking enough fluids; 4) not waking up or not interacting; 5) being so irritable that the child does not want to be held; 6) Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough; 7) Fever with a rash

Adults should get emergency medical care right away if they have:
1) trouble breathing or shortness of breath; 2) pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen; 3) sudden dizziness; 4) confusion; 5) severe or continuing vomiting

When Malcolm X classes resume:
- The Berkeley Unified School District will notify you when classes will start again.  A decision about resuming school will be made by the Health Officer in consultation with the Superintendent.
- Students do not need a doctor's note to return to school.  Regular school guidelines will be followed regarding exclusion of ill children.
- The school building is safe to occupy and does not require any special cleaning.

For more information:

- Call the city at 510-981-CITY (2489) or 510-981-5300, or
- Call the Swine Flu (H1N1) Hotline for the Public (1-888-865-0564).  This is a toll-free H1N1 hotline in English and Spanish. Assistance in other languages is also available. The hotline is operational Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on weekends from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- See the following websites:
- City of Berkeley Health and Human Services:
http://www.ci.berkeley.ca.us/Home.aspx
- California Department of Public Health:
http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/news/Pages/SwineFluLndingPg042409.aspx
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/swine/investigation.htm