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West Irondequoit Central School District 321 LIST AVENUE ROCHESTER, NEW YORK 14617 Telephone: (585) 342-5500 FAX: (585) 266-1556 www.westirondequoit.org |
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October 27, 2009
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We are all aware of the presence of H1N1 Flu in our community. Our schools are also experiencing an increase in student absences, many due to flu-like illnesses. Influenza is an infection of the nose, throat and lungs caused by influenza viruses. It is spread by respiratory droplets and can also be spread by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth. It can be serious, especially for younger children and children of any age who have chronic medical conditions.
Symptoms can appear from two to seven days after exposure and the degree of illness varies from child to child. Symptoms may include fever, cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea. Children who exhibit a fever and one or more of these symptoms should not come to school. Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, without using fever-reducing drugs.
Most physicians will not test children to determine whether their symptoms are the result of the H1N1 virus. Treatment for seasonal flu and H1N1 is the same. If your child is exhibiting flu-like symptoms, be alert for the following signs which may mean that a child needs immediate medical attention: - Fast breathing or trouble breathing - Bluish or gray skin color - Not drinking enough fluids - Not waking up or not interacting - Being so irritable that a young child does not want to be held - Flu-like symptoms improve but return with fever and a worse cough - Or if your child has a chronic medical condition such as asthma, diabetes or an immune system deficiency
Remember to report all absences on our attendance line. Please include your child’s specific symptoms in your message. This will allow us to monitor reasons for absenteeism. Call every day that your child is absent.
We will continue to post updates on our Web site at http://www.westirondequoit.org/news/Swine_Flu_index.htm which also contains links to sources such as the Centers for Disease Control. The Monroe County Web site http://www.monroecounty.gov/health-index.php lists seasonal flu vaccine clinics. As the H1N1 vaccine becomes more available, the site will be a good resource to locate distribution points.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call. Our school nurse can be reached at see list. We will use our Connect-Ed phone messaging service to communicate future updates.
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