October 26, 2009

H1N1 Influenza Update

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools Pandemic Guide

H1N1Decision Chart  - A simple guideline to make the best decision 

Alberta Health Services

The Alberta Health and Wellness

www.health.gov.ab.ca/influenza/Pandemic.html

www.health.gov.ab.ca/influenza/Influenza.html

www.health.gov.ab.ca/public/PandBusChecklist.pdf

www.health.alberta.ca/influenza/Self_Care.html

H1N1 Influenza Overview 

Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools works very closely with Alberta Health Services to protect the health and wellness of students, families and staff. The Division consulted with a multi-disciplinary team to develop its current pandemic plan and we are constantly refining and updating the plan. Working with health experts and Alberta Education, the Division is prepared to respond to an influenza health issue.

Every year, a large number of people become sick with seasonal flu. Depending on the severity of the season, between 4,000 to 8,000 Canadians can die of influenza and its complications annually. H1N1 has infected people around the world, in Alberta and in our own community.  At the end of the 2009 school year, a few people in our schools had contacted the virus. Working with health official, each case was assessed and managed appropriately.

The Division is committed to educating everyone about the importance of influenza prevention and will share any new information so that all are kept informed and feel confident that Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools is doing all it can to respond to this influenza. 

As we begin the new school year, we want all our students to be healthy. Our teachers will regularly remind students about safe and healthy conduct at school. The following health tips are being made available to staff and students.

If you have questions about the pandemic plan, please contact your school principal or Paul Stewart, Associate Superintendent of Students Services.

Heath Tips:

Influenza is caused by viruses, and is generally spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes. Here are six simple precautions:

  1. If you have a fever or cough illness, regardless of where you have traveled, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
  2. See a health care provider if your symptoms become worse but call ahead of time to let them know you have fever or cough illness.
  3. Avoid close contact with people who are sick. If you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick.
  4. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, and throw the tissue away immediately. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
  5. Wash your hands. Washing your hands often will help protect you from getting sick. When soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers.
  6. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. You can become ill by touching a surface contaminated with germs and then touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
  7. Practice other good health habits: get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids, eat nutritious foods, and avoid smoking, which may increase the risk of serious consequences if you do contract the flu.

Fact sheet - what is a pandemic flu?

What are the symptoms of a pandemic flu in humans? They are similar to those of the seasonal flu: 

Some persons may show other symptoms like diarrhea, coma, encephalitis, and eye infections.

How is a pandemic flu spread? The current H1N1 flu virus is spread like other flu viruses that occur during Fall and Winter months.

What drugs are available for H1N1 Flu? The effectiveness of antiviral drugs is unknown.

Is there a vaccine against human H1N1 Flu? Health services are working on producing a vaccine at this time.  Distribution and access is not currently known.

Background Information

The following information is available on Alberta Health Services website at www.albertahealthservices.ca/13039.htm.

The virus which is called Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 is a new strain of influenza A which can be transmitted from person to person. New strains of seasonal influenza A circulate every year in flu season.

The Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus continues to circulate in Alberta. It is very important for citizens to continue to practice good hand hygiene practices to reduce the spread of the virus.

Symptoms of Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human seasonal influenza infection and include:

Some people with Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 have also reported runny nose, sore throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea in addition to a cough and fever symptoms. The vast majority of cases have recovered completely.

Reduce the Spread

If you have symptoms of a respiratory illness, you should:

Whether you have flu symptoms or not, you should:

Resources: