HEALTH ALERT - FLU

Thursday, February 13, 2020

 

Message from the Nurse                                                                                                              February 12, 2020         

 

To Gill School Families,                                 

Cold and flu season is in full swing! The number of doctor confirmed flu cases has been on the rise at our school, and the flu outbreak is at peak levels in the community. At Gill Elementary, we are taking our regular precautions to avoid the spread of illness, including disinfecting frequently touched surfaces and reminding students and staff to wash their hands often. We ask that you please keep your child home if they are sick.

Flu comes on suddenly. Many people with the flu feel tired and have high fever, headache, dry cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose and sore muscles. Antiviral medications can make the flu milder, so see your doctor if you think your child may have it. Please let the school know if your child is diagnosed with doctor confirmed flu, and which type it is, if you know. Children and adults can spread the flu even before they feel sick and even after they feel better. Typically, flu season can begin in October and can last as late as May.

Our school policy states that you should not send your child to school if he/she has:

  • Temperature of 100 degrees or greater in the past 24 hours*
  • Vomiting in the past 24 hours*
  • Diarrhea in the past 24 hours*
  • Strep Throat (must have been taking an antibiotic for at least 24 hours before returning to school) or other infection requiring antibiotics, such as conjunctivitis (pink eye)
  • Bad cold, with a very runny nose or bad cough, especially if it has kept the child awake at night

 

*Children must be symptom free for 24 hours, without the use of medication, before returning to school. If your child becomes ill at school and the teacher or school nurse feels the child is too sick to benefit from school or is contagious to others, you will be called to come and take him/her home from school.

You can help to protect your family from illness and the flu by:

  • Teaching your children to wash their hands often with soap and water, and to use hand sanitizer when water is not available.
  • Teaching your child to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues and throwing them away immediately, or to cover with their elbow when tissues are not available
  • Getting the flu vaccine for you and your family.

Your physician’s office and many pharmacies offer the flu shot, if you cannot get one through your own doctor. Gill Elementary and the Town of Gill host a Flu Vaccine Clinic each fall at the school. Please contact the school nurse  if you have any questions or concerns about return to school.

Sincerely, Carol Varner BSN, RN, NCSN

Gill Elementary School Nurse   ph 413-863-7458  

 

For more information go to:

https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pdf/freeresources/family/flu-guide-for-parents-2018.pdf