H1N1 Swine Flu Virus
As you may know from the media, the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus is spreading rapidly across the globe, and has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization(WHO). And with students back in the classrooms there is more concern than ever from educators that sick students stay home from school to prevent spreading the virus to their classmates and teachers.
Below are tips for identifying the H1N1 Swine Flu virus as well as guidelines for making sure students with flu symptoms get proper medical treatment.
1. How do I know if my child has the flu?
Your child may have the flu if they have some or all of these symptoms:
2. What should I do if my child gets sick?
If your child gets sick with flu-like symptoms this flu season, they should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. Most people with 2009 H1N1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs and the same is true of seasonal flu.
However, some people are more likely to get flu complications and they should talk to a health care provider about whether they need to be examined if they get flu symptoms this season. They are:
* Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
* People 65 and older
* Pregnant women
* People who have:
o Cancer
o Blood disorders (including sickle cell disease)
o Chronic lung disease [including asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]
o Diabetes
o Heart disease
o Kidney disorders
o Liver disorders
o Neurological disorders (including nervous system, brain or spinal cord)
o Neuromuscular disorders (including muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis)
o Weakened immune systems (including people with AIDS)
Also, it’s possible for healthy people to develop severe illness from the flu so anyone concerned about their illness should consult a health care provider. There are emergency warning signs. Anyone who has them should get medical care right away.
3. What are the emergency warning signs?
In Children
* Fast breathing or trouble breathing
* Bluish skin color
* Not drinking enough fluids
* Not waking up or not interacting
* Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
* Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
* Fever with a rash
In Adults
* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
* Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
* Sudden dizziness
* Confusion
* Severe or persistent vomiting
4. Does my child need to go the emergency room if they are only a little sick?
No. The emergency room should be used for people who are very sick. You child should not go to the emergency room if they are only mildly ill. If they have the emergency warning signs of flu sickness, they should go to the emergency room. If they get sick with flu symptoms and are at high risk of flu complications or you are concerned about their illness, call your health care provider for advice. If they go to the emergency room and are not sick with the flu, they may catch it from people who do have it.
5. Are there medicines to treat 2009 H1N1?
Yes. There are drugs your doctor may prescribe for treating both seasonal and 2009 H1N1 called “antiviral drugs.” These drugs can make your child better faster and may also prevent serious complications. This flu season, antiviral drugs are being used mainly to treat people who are very sick, such as people who need to be hospitalized, and to treat sick people who are more likely to get serious flu complications. Your health care provider will decide whether antiviral drugs are needed to treat your child's illness. Remember, most people with 2009 H1N1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs and the same is true of seasonal flu.
6. How long should my child stay home if they're sick?
CDC recommends that anyone with the H1N1 virus stay home for at least 24 hours after their fever is gone except to get medical care or for other things they have to do and no one else can do for them. (Their fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol®.) They should stay home from school, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings.
7. What should my child do while they're sick?
They should stay away from others as much as possible to keep from making them sick. If they must leave home, for example to get medical care, have them wear a facemask if you have one, or cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. And make sure they wash their hands often to keep from spreading the flu to others.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has information on “Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home” on its website at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• Centers for Disease Control: H1N1 Virus page
• Utah County Health Department: What Is H1N1?
• Utah County Health Department: Letter To Parents
• KSL TV: Is it the flu, or just a cold?
As you may know from the media, the H1N1 (Swine Flu) virus is spreading rapidly across the globe, and has been declared a worldwide pandemic by the World Health Organization(WHO). And with students back in the classrooms there is more concern than ever from educators that sick students stay home from school to prevent spreading the virus to their classmates and teachers.
Below are tips for identifying the H1N1 Swine Flu virus as well as guidelines for making sure students with flu symptoms get proper medical treatment.
1. How do I know if my child has the flu?Your child may have the flu if they have some or all of these symptoms:
- Fever*
- Cough
- Sore Throat
- Runny or Stuffy Nose
- Body Aches
- Headache
- Chills
- Fatigue
- Sometimes Diarrhea and Vomiting
2. What should I do if my child gets sick?
If your child gets sick with flu-like symptoms this flu season, they should stay home and avoid contact with other people except to get medical care. Most people with 2009 H1N1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs and the same is true of seasonal flu.
However, some people are more likely to get flu complications and they should talk to a health care provider about whether they need to be examined if they get flu symptoms this season. They are:* Children younger than 5, but especially children younger than 2 years old
* People 65 and older
* Pregnant women
* People who have:
o Cancer
o Blood disorders (including sickle cell disease)
o Chronic lung disease [including asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease]
o Diabetes
o Heart disease
o Kidney disorders
o Liver disorders
o Neurological disorders (including nervous system, brain or spinal cord)
o Neuromuscular disorders (including muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis)
o Weakened immune systems (including people with AIDS)
Also, it’s possible for healthy people to develop severe illness from the flu so anyone concerned about their illness should consult a health care provider. There are emergency warning signs. Anyone who has them should get medical care right away.
3. What are the emergency warning signs?In Children
* Fast breathing or trouble breathing
* Bluish skin color
* Not drinking enough fluids
* Not waking up or not interacting
* Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
* Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
* Fever with a rash
In Adults
* Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
* Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
* Sudden dizziness
* Confusion
* Severe or persistent vomiting
4. Does my child need to go the emergency room if they are only a little sick?
No. The emergency room should be used for people who are very sick. You child should not go to the emergency room if they are only mildly ill. If they have the emergency warning signs of flu sickness, they should go to the emergency room. If they get sick with flu symptoms and are at high risk of flu complications or you are concerned about their illness, call your health care provider for advice. If they go to the emergency room and are not sick with the flu, they may catch it from people who do have it.
5. Are there medicines to treat 2009 H1N1?Yes. There are drugs your doctor may prescribe for treating both seasonal and 2009 H1N1 called “antiviral drugs.” These drugs can make your child better faster and may also prevent serious complications. This flu season, antiviral drugs are being used mainly to treat people who are very sick, such as people who need to be hospitalized, and to treat sick people who are more likely to get serious flu complications. Your health care provider will decide whether antiviral drugs are needed to treat your child's illness. Remember, most people with 2009 H1N1 have had mild illness and have not needed medical care or antiviral drugs and the same is true of seasonal flu.
6. How long should my child stay home if they're sick?
CDC recommends that anyone with the H1N1 virus stay home for at least 24 hours after their fever is gone except to get medical care or for other things they have to do and no one else can do for them. (Their fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol®.) They should stay home from school, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings.
7. What should my child do while they're sick?
They should stay away from others as much as possible to keep from making them sick. If they must leave home, for example to get medical care, have them wear a facemask if you have one, or cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. And make sure they wash their hands often to keep from spreading the flu to others.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has information on “Taking Care of a Sick Person in Your Home” on its website at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance_homecare.htm
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES• Centers for Disease Control: H1N1 Virus page
• Utah County Health Department: What Is H1N1?
• Utah County Health Department: Letter To Parents
• KSL TV: Is it the flu, or just a cold?
