November 18, 2009

To Our Ascension School Families:

     We have been informed by the ST. Louis County Health Department that the H1N1 vaccinations have been scheduled for administration on TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 24th.  The clinic will be open from 2:30-5:30p.m.  These vaccination will be for children who were previously registered.

     The entrance for the H1N1 vaccinations will be through the Multi-Purpose Room doors on the main parking lot. No other entrances will be unlocked.

Carol Albertelli, R.N.

School Nurse

Welcome back to a new school year. Many of you have been asking questions about the up coming flu season. I am working with and following very closely the direction from the Archdiocese, CDC and local heath authorities. Hope this information proves to be helpful.

TIPS:

Students, staff and their families must take personal responsibility for helping to slow the spread of the virus by practicing these steps to keep from getting sick with flu and protecting other from getting the flu.

1)      Each morning, all parents/care givers should assess all school-age children for symptoms of influenza (fever and cough or sore throat).

2)      Students with influenza-like illness (fever and cough or sore throat) should stay home and not attend school. All sick students should stay out of school for at least 24 hours after the fever is gone. (Fever should be gone without the use of fever reducing medicine.) STAY AT HOME IF YOU ARE SICK.  KEEPING SICK STUDENTS AT HOME MEANS THAT THEY KEEP THEIR VIRUSES TO THEMSELVES RATHER THAN SHARING THEM WITH OTHER.

3)      A sick student can return to school after 24 hours have passed with a normal temperature with out the use of fever-reducing medications. As the sick person begins to feel better you may decide to stop giving fever reducing medicines. Continue to monitor their temperature until the temperature had been normal for 24 hours. Then they may return to school.

4)      If your student has a diagnosed case of the H1N1 please let the school know. The archdiocese has asked that the school nurse keep tract of why each students is absent.

5)      Persons who are ill should stay home and not go into the community unless they need medical care. Ill students should not attend alternative child care.

6)      Encourage respiratory etiquette; wash you hands often with soap and water, cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, try not to touch you face, and stay six feet away from people who are sick.

7)      We encourage you to get your family members vaccinated as soon as possible against seasonal flu. This will offer protection against at least three flu viruses expected to circulate in our community this year. In, addition, a vaccine for H1N1 flu is expected to be available later this fall. Plans to offer this vaccine are still being finalized by the St. Louis County Department of Health, and our community will be notified when and where the vaccinations will be available.

Please take a look at the attachments. (see below)

What preventative measures Ascension School is taking:

1)      We emphasize healthy practices of washing hands and covering coughs.

2)      We continue to clean and disinfect our classrooms and buildings with special emphasis on high-touch surfaces (door knobs, desktop, light switches, water fountains, etc.)

3)      Our school nurse monitors student health throughout the day.

4)      We follow the recommendations of the CDC and the St. Louis County Department of Health. The CDC is not recommending the closing of schools due to confirmed or suspected cases of influenza A or H1N1.

IMPORTANT HEALTH ROOM INFORMATION

Parents here are a few tips to help you through the cold and flu season. Please remember this is not in place of a doctors visit. You are the parents and you know your kids. Contact your childs doctor when ever you feel you should these are just tips.



How to distinguish between the Cold and Strep Throat



There is no simple way to distinguish a viral sore throat from a bacterial sore throat. Although the throat culture test is the only way to know for sure if you have a strep throat, sometimes you can distinguish between the two based on your symptoms:



Stuffy or runny nose, Sneezing: Common cold usually starts with a runny nose and sneezing. Nasal symptoms are not usually present with strep.



Cough: As a general rule, if you have a prominent cough you are more likely to have viral infection than strep throat.



Temperature: What sets a cold apart from other infections is the lack of a high fever. However, a temperature higher than 38.5-C (101.3-F) is a typical symptom with strep.



Throat symptoms: Bright red inflamed tonsils; white or yellow spots; coating on the tonsils; swollen, tender lymph nodes (swollen glands) in the front of the neck are symptoms of strep.



Colds frequently have a sore throat, but not the other throat symptoms. Typically the degree of neck lymph node enlargement is modest and the throat often does not appear red, although is very painful. With cold the throat discomfort usually resolves by the second or third day.



Onset of symptoms: The onset of a cold is usually gradual. The cold symptoms do not usually occur all at the same time. Strep normally has a more sudden onset, with a fever that peaks on the second day.





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Symptom Cold Flu

Fever Fever is rare with a cold. Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the flu.



Coughing A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold. A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).

Aches Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold. Severe aches and pains are common with the flu.



Stuffy Nose Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week. Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the flu.



Chills Chills are uncommon with a cold. 60% of people who have the flu experience chills.



Tiredness Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold. Tiredness is moderate to severe with the flu.

Sneezing Sneezing is commonly present with a cold. Sneezing is not common with the flu.



Sudden Symptoms Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days. The flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.



Headache A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold. A headache is very common with the flu, present in 80% of flu cases.

Sore Throat Sore throat is commonly present with a cold. Sore throat is not commonly present with the flu.



Chest Discomfort Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold. Chest discomfort is often severe with the flu.



DISCLAIMER:

This is not a substitute for a professional, on-site medical diagnosis. However, you can use the printable symptoms results for discussion with your doctor or other healthcare professional during your visit to aid in a professional diagnosis.