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Swine flu and schools.

S

suesam

TUG Member
Joined
Jun 14, 2005
Messages
570
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22
Location
Iowa
I have two sons. One in high school and one in college. My younger sons school is having the kids wash their desks with bleach water after every class and is having them use antibacterial gel before they get their lunches. Talking and talking about hand washing and prevention.

My older son is in college and all three of his roommates are sick and have temperatures! My son is fine, so far. His roommates may just have the regular flu, who knows. He said his college has talked to them about proper hand washing but that is about it. I am sending him vitamin D in a care package today since I read that it may be helpful.

I guess I am just sort of obsessing about this since they are both in the high risk groups due to their ages.
I am not a believer in vaccines for various reasons but am not sure how I feel about this one.
Anyone else worrying?
 
Not worrying but I don't have children in school. My DH is on planes alot so that is a concern and my grown children work around lots of people including military. I think just trying to eat nutritious foods and practice good hygiene is about all one can do, short of getting an immunization or self-quarantine (what kind of a life is that?).

I am more worried about the economy than the swine flu. Can you imagine what will happen to the economy if hundreds of thousands come down with the flu? Yikes!
 
I figure with 3 in school we are all going to get it. I just hope it is sooner then later. I think the schools are going a little overboard to think that they can prevent the kids from getting it. One sneeze in a cafeteria and about 30 people are infected.
 
My daughter had to sign a form when she checked into her dorm Sunday that said if she developed any signs of the flu, she would immediately be sent home. I think that a little overkill. First, the symptoms may not be caused by the flu. Second, by the time the signs appear, she will already have spread the virus to others. Third, if she does have the H1N1 flu, she'll simply spread the virus further. Better to keep the sick kids isolated, IMO.
 
Not worrying, and I work in a germ factory with school kids all the time.

Worry is unproductive - it's interest paid on a debt not yet incurred (stole that from a local kiosk). I don't see the point in worrying about what you can't control. Seems to me that with the swine flu, the highest risk people are those that are usually considered low risk, so it's a crapshoot all around. many of the deaths have been those who were healthy people so being healthy am I now high risk? :shrug:

If I get the flu, I'll see a doctor. I'll get my flu shot like I always do and if they offer the vaccine here at work, I'll do that, too. If they don't, I won't sweat it.
 
I teach high school and I have hand sanitizer at the door of my classroom - all students are requred to use it when they enter the room.
 
suesam said:
My older son is in college and all three of his roommates are sick and have temperatures! My son is fine, so far. His roommates may just have the regular flu, who knows. He said his college has talked to them about proper hand washing but that is about it. I am sending him vitamin D in a care package today since I read that it may be helpful.
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longtimer said:
My daughter had to sign a form when she checked into her dorm Sunday that said if she developed any signs of the flu, she would immediately be sent home. I think that a little overkill. First, the symptoms may not be caused by the flu. Second, by the time the signs appear, she will already have spread the virus to others.
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geekette said:
Not worrying, and I work in a germ factory with school kids all the time.

Worry is unproductive - it's interest paid on a debt not yet incurred (stole that from a local kiosk). I don't see the point in worrying about what you can't control. Seems to me that with the swine flu, the highest risk people are those that are usually considered low risk, so it's a crapshoot all around. many of the deaths have been those who were healthy people so being healthy am I now high risk? :shrug:
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As Longtimer said, once the symptoms appear in a student/roommate the other kids are already infected. So unless you want to lock yourself away for the next 9 months, we will all likely be exposed.

So if the vaccine comes out, get one. If not, why worry?
 
DeniseM said:
I teach high school and I have hand sanitizer at the door of my classroom - all students are requred to use it when they enter the room.
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I hope you don't have the kind that smells like "grandma perfume". My Jr High kid used to come home smelling like he got into some of my MIL's perfume.


Surprisingly hand sanitizer wasn't on the list for either my 2nd or 7th grader this year. :shrug: . Last year I had to buy about 3-4 bottles for the 2 of them.

The school is supplying it this year, perhaps due to the swine flu or I did hear something about it containing alcohol and it needs to be rationed by some school official.
 
My 11 year old has it. He has had temps between 102 & 103.5 He has had a headache, bodyaches and a sore throught. Really no vomiting though. The doctor prescribed Tamiflu to help him get through it quicker. They really don't want him to take anything for the fever. They say the fever is the bodies natural way of fighting this thing so if he can go with out it, it is best. Rest and fluids that is about all you can do. Since I work for the school district I was required to stay home for 24 hours, which I was anyway, and my older two children also had to stay home for 1 day. So far no one else in the family has it. Washing our hands alot and and using a few more bleach wipes than normal keeping things disinfected and clean. Unless you are medically fragile it is not too much different than the yearly flu. It is just that this one is focusing on a different age group. The elderly are getting a little break this year since they have been exposed to this earlier in their life.
 

2009 Swine flu death toll - about 3,000 (800 in North America)

Annual "regular" influenza death toll - about 500,000 worldwide (36,000 in the US alone)



I am not at all worried. This is being overplayed by the media.

I'm going to get my flu shot, like I always do. I wash my hands often, always have. Worry about swine flu? Not a chance. I have better things to do. If I had the time and money, I'd jet off to Mexico in a heartbeat -- I love having a country all to my self, with no other tourists around. That's my favorite kind of travel.
 
ScoopLV said:

2009 Swine flu death toll - about 3,000 (800 in North America)

Annual "regular" influenza death toll - about 500,000 worldwide (36,000 in the US alone)



I am not at all worried. This is being overplayed by the media.

I'm going to get my flu shot, like I always do. I wash my hands often, always have. Worry about swine flu? Not a chance. I have better things to do. If I had the time and money, I'd jet off to Mexico in a heartbeat -- I love having a country all to my self, with no other tourists around. That's my favorite kind of travel.
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EXACTLY! I'm with you on this one. What a bunch of ballyhoo about nothing! I'll do what I've done every other year - I'll get my annual flu shot, I'll continue to wash my hands regularly, I'll (try to) get enough sleep, etc.
 
I don't think I want to get the vaccine, based on this report.
 
DD has carried hand sanitizer for several years, and also hand wipes. She often wipes down the lunch table before eating; I don't know about the desks at school. The teachers all have hand sanitizer, but I don't know if its use is required, highly recommended, or what.

Today DD was in the nurse's office getting her meds, and a student walked in announcing that he had something contagious and was there to pick up something. The nurse made the student put on a mask. Meanwhile, the student's parents were presumably in the car while their contagious kid walked into the school. :confused: I'm only getting this second hand so it might be wrong.....

I met a family that had the swine flu last month; the kids picked it up at camp and then the parents got it. They said they had flu symptoms for about 3 days, and then were ok.
 
Karen G said:
I don't think I want to get the vaccine, based on this report.
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Had not seen that - thanks!

I heard on the news the other day that they were rushing to get the vaccine available. This may be an unpopular opinion, but I'd rather the FDA finish up before getting the vaccine. FDA can take forever and requires mountains of paper work and testing but I'd feel better knowing they had fully reviewed it all.
 
ScoopLV said:

2009 Swine flu death toll - about 3,000 (800 in North America)

Annual "regular" influenza death toll - about 500,000 worldwide (36,000 in the US alone)



I am not at all worried. This is being overplayed by the media.

I'm going to get my flu shot, like I always do. I wash my hands often, always have. Worry about swine flu? Not a chance. I have better things to do. If I had the time and money, I'd jet off to Mexico in a heartbeat -- I love having a country all to my self, with no other tourists around. That's my favorite kind of travel.
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It's not the death count that worries health officials. It's the potential for huge numbers of people to become sick at the same time. Businesses and service providers may be hit hard if a significant number of employees are out at the same time. There's some concern that companies, schools and other places may need to close for a period of time - not because of quarantine, but because there simply won't be enough people to keep the places operating.
 
I thought this was a good article from CNN:
By Dr. Sanjay Gupta
CNN Chief Medical Correspondent

(CNN) -- Over this past week, I had some interesting conversations with colleagues who are also health care professionals. These conversations usually start with, "You know what I hate about the media ... ?"

Now, over the past eight years, I have grown accustomed to being engaged in these sort of discussions where I am asked about everything the "media" have reported over the past few months, and asked to defend things point by point. It can be a challenging task.

This time, however, the topic was H1N1, or swine flu.

I spent the weekend thinking about what I was being told, and realized there was a larger point here.

People were scared, more than I had seen in a long time. And, health care professionals were blaming the media -- accusing them of being alarmist.

So, I decided to get away from the studio, away from the talking heads discussing mortality rates, and away from the hypothetical discussions about what might or might not happen. I wanted to see for myself what was happening in emergency rooms right now.

I was most curious about pediatric ERs, because young people seem to be most affected by this, and selfishly, I was curious about my own three girls and how I should react if they become ill this fall. Watch Dr. Gupta give more tips to parents »

In short, I wanted to create a parents' guide to dealing with the swine flu that is based on the best science and my interviews with experts all over the country. In Depth: H1N1 flu

First off, there is no question that pediatric emergency rooms are much busier than this time last year -- about two to three times busier at the ER I visited.

Many of the patients sitting in the waiting room were there with flu-like symptoms, worried about H1N1.

The doctor who met me started by saying he was giving the media a C+ in its overall coverage of H1N1, and blamed his busy ER, in part, on the media for stoking fears.

"Fair enough," I answered back, "but, how do I get to an A?" In order to get there, I wanted to report clear, concise answers about what a parent should do with a sick child. So, here we go.

Point 1. As things stand now, the vast majority of children who develop flu-like symptoms this fall will have a few miserable days, and nothing more. And those days are best spent at home -- not in the ER or a doctor's office.

Point 2. If you are worried, you should call your pediatrician's office first. Don't take your child in without calling. Two reasons: Your child may not have H1N1, but could become exposed by being around sick children. And, after several hours of waiting, you are still likely to be told the basics -- plenty of fluids, rest and dose-appropriate acetaminophen for a fever. After all, it is still the flu we are talking about. Dr. Gupta talks preparedness with HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius »

Point 3. One doctor told me a way to think about things that was helpful. He said "remove the term H1N1 from the equation." If your child had regular flu, would you take him to the hospital? If the answer is no, then don't take him/her to the hospital now.

Point 4. Yes, hearing between 30,000 and 90,000 could die from H1N1 is scary, but keep in mind -- around 40,000 people die from the regular or seasonal flu every year. The numbers may not be that much different, yet there is not panic about the regular flu. As things look now, H1N1 is causing only mild to moderate illness, not the widespread deaths people are worried about.

Point 5. There are some children who should be seen by their doctor. Call your doctor if:

• A baby younger than 12 weeks has a fever greater than 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit

• A child, older than 12 weeks has a fever for three days

• A child's fever returns after a 12-24 hour time period

• A child is not passing urine or making tears for more than six hours

• A child does not smile or show interest in playing for several hours

Dial 911 if:

• A child cannot speak while trying to breathe

• Has a blue or dark purple color to the nail beds, lips or gums

• Is not responding to you because he is too tired or weak

One point that was reinforced to me over and over again by the pediatricians is the best place for a sick child is at home. And, with regard to school -- after 24 fever-free hours without the aid of medications, he or she can go back.

This is the advice that my wife and I will be following this fall for our own children. Hope it is helpful to you, and the media can score an "A," at least this time around.
Click to expand...
Kurt
 
longtimer said:
Businesses and service providers may be hit hard if a significant number of employees are out at the same time.
Click to expand...

Businesses can go [censored] themselves.

These are the same businesses who don't give their employees adequate health care (in the US, at least). They do not pay a living wage. They hire two part-timers to do the job of a full-time employee because it's better for their bottom line.

And now we're supposed to be worried that they may be "hit hard?" Boo-freakin'-hoo.

Seriously, though...

This is the first I've heard of anyone worried about H1N1's possible effect on business. Most of the people I speak to are either worried about contracting it. Or more often, they're worried about their children contracting it.

I haven't talked to anyone who was freaking out because they might not be able to buy cheap groceries at Wal-Mart, because all the clerks are sick. What little television news I watch is peppered with "local-angle" stories such as "How to keep your kids safe from the killer flu" or "Swine Flu ravages local elementary school (in a training exercise, held by local bureaucrats, at a mock-up of a school, in Des Moines)."

It's all fluff and no substance.
 
Businesses can go [censored] themselves.

These are the same businesses who don't give their employees adequate health care (in the US, at least). They do not pay a living wage. They hire two part-timers to do the job of a full-time employee because it's better for their bottom line.

And now we're supposed to be worried that they may be "hit hard?" Boo-freakin'-hoo.
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Right On!:clap:

And same to The Media!

Another reason to save some money by cancelling Cable TV and turning the propaganda doom & gloom machine off. Listen to music.
 
IMHO, it's a bad thing to lean either one way (media hype) or the others (little to no concern).

There is potential for major economic issues over this if larger than normal people are out sick. Not just private businesses but the public service sector as well. Imagine going into an emergancy room that is only 50 to 75% staffed. People who rely on public transportation being unable to get to work secondary to the system being shut down et.....

And then you have the media with all their glory running around MAKING news rather than reporting the facts. Nothing like a 24/7 Chicken Little screaming the sky is falling to get people to go to far the other way.

Personally, I'm getting set for plenty of overtime and heavy work loads. This virus seems to attack the younger healthier population more so than the older population. The age group that is unacustomed to being critically ill and waits until it's almost to late to seek medical attention. If 15 to 25% of my fellow employee's are out at the same time and, if there are heavier than normal patient counts in the hospitals this year, it could be a very long flu season and make for some very long and uncomfortable shifts.

I'll tell you the one thing that really ticks me off. We had a confirmed case this past month. Family REFUSED to take any sort of precautions when entering the room. By refusing to gown, glove and mask, they were potentially exposing all of my co-workers, any other guests at the hospital and anyone else they came into contact with to this particular virus. It's people's attitudes of "I don't care" that are potentially the most damaging this season.

We've seen the warning shot that mother nature fired a few months ago. Somehow I think it's only prudent to pay attention rather than stick our heads in the sand.
 
Oh great, more "To Hell With Everybody!" just what the world needs.

But I'm confused, Doug. If there is an infected patient being treated, is he masked while there? I guess I didn't envision that, and instead thought the health care workers would be masked? Regardless, can't there be rules that if not followed, do not allow entry? Especially this year, that really needs to happen, for everyone's protection. mask or stay out!

We visited an ER in Europe this summer. They were in full prevention mode - sanitizer at the entry that all were to use, glass for the receptionists, no visiting your loved one in the ER, guards making sure that didn't happen. What was odd, tho, is that they would let the patients go outside to smoke and go right back in. Hmmm, if we can't visit them in the ER, why let them back out to infect or pick up infection?? puzzled me. what am I missing?

I think the truth will lie somewhere in the middle. While I support estimating impacts, making readiness plans, etc., I'm not a fan of fear-mongering. Problem is, even if the media simply reported without embellishment or drama, plenty of people would freak out. But when the talking heads are deliberately spreading panic, it's simply not helping.

Informing the public on prevention is good. Encouraging people to have a plan is good.
 
geekette said:
Oh great, more "To Hell With Everybody!" just what the world needs.

But I'm confused, Doug. If there is an infected patient being treated, is he masked while there? I guess I didn't envision that, and instead thought the health care workers would be masked? Regardless, can't there be rules that if not followed, do not allow entry? Especially this year, that really needs to happen, for everyone's protection. mask or stay out!

We visited an ER in Europe this summer. They were in full prevention mode - sanitizer at the entry that all were to use, glass for the receptionists, no visiting your loved one in the ER, guards making sure that didn't happen. What was odd, tho, is that they would let the patients go outside to smoke and go right back in. Hmmm, if we can't visit them in the ER, why let them back out to infect or pick up infection?? puzzled me. what am I missing?

I think the truth will lie somewhere in the middle. While I support estimating impacts, making readiness plans, etc., I'm not a fan of fear-mongering. Problem is, even if the media simply reported without embellishment or drama, plenty of people would freak out. But when the talking heads are deliberately spreading panic, it's simply not helping.

Informing the public on prevention is good. Encouraging people to have a plan is good.
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What's missing is common sense for the most part.
 
swift said:
My 11 year old has it. He has had temps between 102 & 103.5 He has had a headache, bodyaches and a sore throught. Really no vomiting though. The doctor prescribed Tamiflu to help him get through it quicker. They really don't want him to take anything for the fever. They say the fever is the bodies natural way of fighting this thing so if he can go with out it, it is best. Rest and fluids that is about all you can do. Since I work for the school district I was required to stay home for 24 hours, which I was anyway, and my older two children also had to stay home for 1 day. So far no one else in the family has it. Washing our hands alot and and using a few more bleach wipes than normal keeping things disinfected and clean. Unless you are medically fragile it is not too much different than the yearly flu. It is just that this one is focusing on a different age group. The elderly are getting a little break this year since they have been exposed to this earlier in their life.
Click to expand...

Just an update. The fever and everything lasted about 3 days. He came down with it Sunday evening and the fever broke and he was back to normal by Tuesday evening. He stayed home from school still today, Wednesday, but will be back tomorrow. All is well.
 
swift said:
Just an update. The fever and everything lasted about 3 days. He came down with it Sunday evening and the fever broke and he was back to normal by Tuesday evening. He stayed home from school still today, Wednesday, but will be back tomorrow. All is well.
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That's great news. So glad it wasn't any worse and hope the rest of the family doesn't get it.
 
Thanks everyone for your input! Truthfully I usually do not worry much about this stuff..... it is just different when it is my kids.... you know how that goes!:)

I also work for an assisted living management company and since many of our staff are in this age group it might make life interesting for a few months! Gotta make sure we have the staff to take care of the older people!!!


It will be interesting to see how this all works out!

sue
 
As an independent journalist, I always try to temper my reports with realistic facts and common sense. Unfortunately, I can't control what TV stations or newspapers do with my material. So, I've seen my own stories spun in different directions than originally intended.:wall: IMHO, here's what people need to keep in mind: For most healthy individuals who become sick, the H1N1 flu will be a nuisance rather than a danger. You're going to feel really bad for about and week and probably weak and tired for a week or two more. If the current strain mutates, it's possible it may become more deadly, but I don't believe that's something people need to worry about at this point. Since this flu spreads so easily, there is more of a concern that those who are infected will give it people who are at risk for severe complications - those with weakened immune systems and chronic medical conditions. People simply need to use common sense, like using hand sanitizer, washing their hands frequently, and staying home if they are sick.
Keep in mind that media have two goals in mind with news - they want to inform the public AND they want to sell air time/print space to advertisers. IMO, the later is often more important, which is why news stories often become hyped. The more the public watches, the more they can charge for ads and the higher their revenue (that's why ads are so expensive during the Super Bowl).
 
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