Advice for parents if school is closed or children are sick and must stay at home because of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (Swine Flu)


Version 1.0 27th Aug 2009
(adapted from material produced by CDC US)   		 
     
  General

• Make arrangements to care for your children at home.
• Have activities for your children to do while at home, e.g. games, books, DVDs.

Prevent the transmission of flu by doing the following at all times:

• Make sure your child's hands are washed regularly with soap and water especially after coughing or sneezing. Hand drying facilities at school must not be shared between people with the exception of electric hand dryers and roller towels. Students may be asked to bring in and use their own individual towels.
• Have your child cough and sneeze into a tissue or into his or her elbow or shoulder if a tissue is not available. Dispose of tissues immediately as household rubbish.
• Wash hard surfaces such as kitchen worktops, door handles, etc. with a normal household cleaner as the virus can live on these surfaces.
• The HSE recommends that you get your child the Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 flu vaccine when offered.

Recognize if your child is sick

It is important to watch carefully for the signs and symptoms of flu. Flu usually presents with sudden onset of fever (temperature over 38° C) and cough or sore throat. Other symptoms can include runny or stuffy nose, limb or joint pain, headache, vomiting or diarrhoea.
Your child might have a fever if he or she feels warm, has a flushed appearance, or is sweating or shivering. Most children can be cared for without the need for medical attention. Watch for emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention including:
• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or grey skin colour
• Not drinking enough fluids
• Not urinating or no tears when crying
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough.

Caring for persons with the flu

• Persons with suspected flu should remain at home for 7 days from when symptoms began.
• If your child has a fever, use fever-reducing medicines such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Aspirin should not be given to children or teenagers.
• Persons who may be at higher risk for complications of flu include persons with chronic respiratory, heart, kidney, liver or neurological disease, immunosuppression (whether caused by disease or treatment), diabetes, haemoglobinopathies, people aged 65 years and older, children under the age of 5 years (especially those less than 2 years), people on medication for asthma, those who are severely obese and pregnant women. If the person with flu is in one of these risk groups you should speak with your doctor, as people at high risk of complications can benefit from early treatment with antiviral medicines.
• Make sure sick people get plenty of rest and drink clear fluids (such as water, broth, sports drinks, electrolyte beverages for infants) to keep from being dehydrated.
• Keep sick household members in a separate room in the house as much as possible to limit contact with household members who are not sick. If available and tolerated, the sick person should wear a facemask when sharing common spaces with other household members to help prevent spreading the virus to others.

 
 
 		  
 

How students can prevent the spread of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (Swine Flu) at school

  		 
     
  Be aware of the symptoms of flu

Flu usually presents with sudden onset of fever (temperature over 38° C) and cough or sore throat. Other symptoms can include runny or stuffy nose, limb or joint pain, headache, vomiting or diarrhoea.

Prevent spread of flu by doing the following at all times:

1. Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Hand drying facilities at school must not be shared between people with the exception of electric hand dryers and roller towels. Students may be asked to bring in and use their own individual towels.
2. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Dispose of tissues immediately as household rubbish in the normal way. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands.
3. Do not share wind instruments. Avoid sharing pencils, crayons, pens, toys/objects where possible and if sharing them clean them before passing them between students.
4. Students who have symptoms of flu should not attend school.
5. Persons with suspected flu should remain at home for 7 days from when symptoms began.
6. The HSE recommends that you get the Pandemic H1 N1 2009 flu vaccine when it is offered. It is also recommended that persons who may be at higher risk for complications from flu also get the seasonal flu vaccine.

Persons who may be at higher risk for complications of flu include persons with chronic respiratory, heart, kidney, liver or neurological disease, immunosuppression (whether caused by disease or treatment), diabetes, haemoglobinopathies, people aged 65 years and older, children under the age of 5 years (especially those less than 2 years), people on medication for asthma, those who are severely obese and pregnant women.  
   
 
 
 

Advice for parents of children at high risk of complications of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 (Swine Flu)

  		 
     
  Persons who may be at higher risk for complications of flu include persons with chronic respiratory, heart, kidney, liver or neurological disease, immunosuppression (whether caused by disease or treatment), diabetes, haemoglobinopathies, people aged 65 years and older, children under the age of 5 years (especially those less than 2 years), people on medication for asthma, those who are severely obese and pregnant women. If you are not sure if your child(ren) are at high risk of flu complications, please check with your family doctor.

Prevent transmission of flu by doing the following at all times
  • Make sure your child's hands are washed regularly with soap and water especially after coughing or sneezing. Hand drying facilities at school must not be shared between people with the exception of electric hand dryers and roller towels. Students may be asked to bring in and use their own individual towels.
  • Have your child cough and sneeze into a tissue or into his or her elbow or shoulder if a tissue is not available. Dispose of tissues immediately as household rubbish.
  • Wash hard surfaces such as kitchen worktops, door handles, etc. with a normal household cleaner as the virus can live on these surfaces.
  • Keep your child away from people who have symptoms of flu.
  • When there is a lot of flu in the community people who are at risk of complications of flu should seek medical advice as to whether there is a need to take any precautions regarding attending public gatherings.
  • The HSE recommends that you get your child the seasonal flu and the Pandemic (H1 N1) 2009 flu vaccines when offered.


Recognize if your child is sick

It is important to watch carefully for the signs and symptoms of flu. Flu usually presents with sudden onset of fever (temperature over 38° C) and cough or sore throat. Other symptoms can include runny or stuffy nose, limb or joint pain, headache, vomiting or diarrhoea. Your child might have a fever if he or she feels warm, has a flushed appearance or is sweating or shivering. If your child is at high risk of complications of flu and you think your child has flu you should contact your doctor to discuss whether there is a need for antiviral medicines. These are recommended to be started as early as possible for those at high risk for flu complications. Watch for emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention including:
  • Fast breathing or trouble breathing
  • Bluish or grey skin color
  • Not drinking enough fluids
  • Not urinating or no tears when crying
  • Severe or persistent vomiting
  • Not waking up or not interacting
  • Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
  • Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
  • Sudden dizziness
  • Confusion
  • Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough.


Caring for persons with the flu
  • Persons with suspected flu should remain at home for 7 days from when symptoms began.
  • If your child has a fever, use fever-reducing medicines such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. Aspirin should not be given to children or teenagers.
  • Make sure sick people get plenty of rest and drink clear fluids (such as water, broth, sports drinks, electrolyte beverages for infants) to keep from being dehydrated.
  • Keep sick household members in a separate room in the house as much as possible to limit contact with household members who are not sick. If available and tolerated, the sick person should wear a facemask when sharing common spaces with other household members to help prevent spreading the virus to others.
 
 
 
  www.swineflu.ie
www.hpsc.ie
www.education.ie
HSE 24 hour Flu Information Line Freephone 1800 94 11 00 
       
       
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