September 1, 2009 - As children throughout Washington return to the classroom, state education and health leaders briefed school personnel Monday on the current status of H1N1, a new strain of flu that emerged in the spring. The virus is also known as the swine flu.
State Superintendent Randy Dorn, along with top officials from the state Department of Health (DOH), co-hosted a statewide video conference called “Preparing for H1N1 Swine Influenza.” School personnel were updated on the current status of H1N1 and offered guidance on steps schools can take to prepare for flu outbreaks during the coming season.
“Under our current plan, we are advising schools to stay open,” Dorn said. “There are specific steps to take if a student or teacher becomes ill. But we don’t want a repeat of what happened last May when schools in our state closed after the first reports of H1N1 surfaced. This fall, the severity of the virus will be the biggest factor in what measures our schools will take to maintain a continuity of education.”
The common seasonal flu is responsible each year for an average of about 36,000 deaths nationwide. However, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimated that rate could more than double with H1N1 because it is a new virus and people have little or no immunity to it. With about half of all respiratory virus transmissions occurring in schools, the timing of Monday’s update was crucial, Dorn said.
“Children in our schools spend a lot of time together in close proximity,” Dorn said. “The virus is passed from one person to another, so we’re concerned as students return to school. Everyone must practice good hygiene to slow the spread of the flu when it starts.”
On Monday, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and the DOH provided schools the latest information on H1N1 as news broke about dozens students at Washington State University in Pullman reporting flu-like symptoms. In addition, the two agencies partnered last week on a letter to parents on how best to prepare for the virus.
Unless the severity of the virus increases, Dorn said guidance from all levels of government is to keep schools open. The final decision to close an individual school rests with district superintendents and school boards or a local public health officer, he added.
The CDC has released new guidance for families and school personnel if the H1N1 virus presents itself at the same severity as it did in spring 2009:
Stay home when sick
Separate ill students and staff until they can be sent home
Wash hands often
Clean more frequently in classrooms (the virus can survive on objects, such as desks, for 48 to 72 hours)
Treat high-risk students and staff earlier
Consider selective school dismissal
To offer a primary point of contact for schools, the state Department of Health is funding a one-year position at OSPI that will be responsible for monitoring pandemic flu.
Since this strain of swine flu was first reported in Washington in April, 154 people have been hospitalized and 14 have died. The virus is still circulating at a low level in the state and around the nation. Cases are expected to increase through the fall and winter.
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