With the increasing threat of swine flu, we are working hard to keep our students healthy. The Mississippi Department of Education has received numerous reports of the flu in various schools around the state, among children in all age groups and all regions of the state. According to a MDE release:
"Due to the prevalence and deviation from normal seasonal flu patterns, a diagnosis of the flu is assumed to be the H1N1 (swine flu) strain."

In Clinton, we are working in accordance with state recommendations on the following responses:

1) Teaching students respiratory etiquette (tissues and elbow technique).
2) Teaching students hand hygiene - frequent hand cleansing with soap and water or hand sanitizer.
3) Maintaining an exclusion period for sick children - (the state recommends) 24 hours after fever is resolved, unaided by medications.
4) Routine cleaning - generally, it is not necessary to disinfect beyond routine cleaning. Use reason when determining the needed usual routine cleaning. Regularly clean areas and items with frequent hand contact. Detergent-based cleaners or EPA-registered disinfectants are appropriate.
5) Separation area - children who are sick should be separated from others until parents can pick them up. Staff members also should be separated from others at onset of illness at school.
6) Protective equipment - use should be for nurses or others that are designated to care for ill students and staff (gloves, masks) while they are waiting to go home.
7) Early treatment - high-risk students and staff who are exposed should contact their health care provider for possible antiviral medications.

A fever is defined as a temperature of 100.5 or greater. Parents, please monitor your children and keep them home if they are sick! Any flu cases that are reported to our school staffs will be reported to the Office of Healthy Schools. MDE is not recommending school closures if the flu is reported, "due to the total disruption of the community." In severe cases, however, other response measures would be considered.

We are encouraging children to take preventive measures at school, but we hope that parents will also speak to their children at home about not sharing utensils with other children, covering their mouths when they cough and how important it is to wash their hands, wash their hands, wash their hands.

For more information, visit the H1N1 Flu Information Center at http://www.healthyschoolsms.org/.

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