Educator

School officials all around the nation are expecting a rise in H1N1 infections with the start of the school year this month and next month. So a lot of attention is being given to precautionary measures such as frequent hand washing and the alternative sneeze known as Dracula sneeze.

How often is frequent enough for precautionary hand washing? Hands should be washed before and after every meal or snack, at the beginning of the school day, and at the end of the school day. Hands should be washed with soap and water or a minimum of 20 seconds. For a helpful counting aid have young children sing the song “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star while they wash their hands. Every teacher needs to be diligent to make hand washing a part of the daily classroom routine.

If your child’s school has a school nurse, suggest to the principal and classroom teacher that the school nurse make frequent visits to each classroom to emphasize the importance of proper hand washing. Even though the classroom teacher may discuss it, the nurse will be seen as an authority figure by the children and they will pay more attention to the nurse than to their teacher. Don’t have a school nurse? Then the principal of your school should make this one of his or her new duties. Since this is the number one method for prevention of the spread of the so-called swine flu, there is no such thing as too many demonstrations and explanations of proper hand washing techniques. All classrooms should be amply stocked with soap, tissues and paper towels.

The next best technique for stopping the spread of the H1 and one virus is for the students to get the habit of avoiding touching their own eyes, noses and mouth. Classroom teachers should develop or find resources for role playing skits to practice getting this important health habit.

Besides proper and frequent hand washing, and the avoidance of touching eyes, noses and mouths, it matters how you sneeze. No longer is it acceptable to cover your mouth with your hands when you sneeze. This is another technique that needs to be reinforced in the classroom, especially for young children. Teaching the “Dracula sneeze” can be fun and enjoyable for all young students. The teacher should demonstrate how the sneeze is caught in the crook of the arm with a bent elbow. Have the students practice many times until they have mastery.

School officials are hoping to avoid massive school closures as were experienced this spring, when more than 700 schools across the nation were closed because of suspected outbreaks of swine flu. There were substantial flu cases this summer and many overnight camps had to send campers home. At the start of the school year the word is keep sending your children to school unless the school serves a population of students at risk. Although the virus is contagious and children are highly susceptible, symptoms tend to be mild in healthy people. According to federal officials, in the case of the swine flu outbreak the only schools that should be closed are the ones that serve vulnerable populations such as pregnant teenagers or students with conditions such as muscular dystrophy. Of course, should the school have too few staff or students to function, then the school will be closed.

Officials are also urging parents to get children vaccinated for both seasonal flu and H1N1 flu when the vaccines are available. Uninsured children will be able to receive vaccinations through government programs administered at the county or state level.

Parents have a great responsibility in this prevention plan. Any child with a stuffy nose, fever cough or fatigue should be taken to see a doctor immediately. This means parents must be ready to leave work on a moment’s notice to take their child for medical care. Parents must also be willing to miss work or hire at-home child care for their sick children. Any ill child must stay home until 24 hours after the presence of a fever.

Schools also have a great responsibility to assist families in the prevention plan. For every child who is staying home ill, homework must be provided in a timely fashion. Flexibility will be important as a sick child will not be able to complete the full homework load of a healthy child.
Parents can ensure that the child has mastered the concept of each section of homework, but this does not mean that every answer must be completed. Sometimes mastery comes long before the worksheet is done. So this is a time to pay close attention to homework. The goal is to have the sick children be at approximately the same place as the classroom instruction when they return to school.

If we all do our part to follow these precautionary measures, it is likely that the outbreaks of H1N1 virus will be minor.