Flu Guidelines

Is it a cold or the flu? Symptoms Cold Flu High fever Rare Yes, 100-102° F Headache Body aches Sometimes; rare or mild Yes, often severe; sudden Tiredness Sometimes Yes, extreme Sore throat Yes, common Cough Yes, mild/moderate Yes, can be severe Stuffy nose

What is H1N1 Flu? H1N1 (swine) flu is a type A influenza H1N1 is NOT the only type A influenza This is a respiratory flu, not gastrointestinal flu Pandemic means it is widespread not more serious than regular flu

Symptoms of 268 hospitalized novel H1N1 patients Fever 249 (93%) Cough 223 (83%) Shortness of breath 145 (54%) Fatigue/Weakness 108 (40%) Chills 99 (37%) Myalgias (muscle pain) 96 (36%) Rhinorrhea (runny nose) 96 (36%) Sore Throat 84 (31%) Headache 83 (31%) Vomiting 78 (29%) Wheezing 64 (24%) Diarrhea 64 (24%)

The Numbers 2009 H1N1 Flu: Seasonal Flu: 47,246,422 reported cases 213,024 hospitalizations 9,807 deaths 1,089 pediatric deaths 4.6 % death rate from hospitalizations Seasonal Flu: 226,000 hospitalizations 36,000 deaths 15.9% death rate (According to CDC, 12/12/09)

People at higher risk Persons between ages of 6 mo through 24 years of age Health care and emergency services personnel Pregnant women People who live with or care for young children (6 months) People from ages 25-64 who are at higher risk because of chronic health conditions or compromised immune system

Prevention Hand washing is simple way of preventing the spread of ANY disease Get a flu shot every year Cough or sneeze into your sleeve Avoid touching entry ports (eyes, nose, mouth) Stay away from others who are sick

Treatment CALL your doctor if you think you have the flu DRINK lots of fluids and get plenty of rest STAY home if you are sick until fever free for 24 hours

What is BPUSD doing? We are taking a proactive approach to this issue: Hand sanitizers available in every room Acid washing restrooms “Cover your Cough” posters displayed in every room Ongoing training and support of office staff Talk to your students about hygiene Monitoring CDC, CDE, LACPH, and LACOE guidelines

To conclude… If you receive an email from the Department of Health telling you not to eat canned pork because of swine flu.............. Ignore it. It's just spam.

Christine Dennis, Assistant Superintendent Health Services Mariel Aloise, RN Shayne Golden, RN Sally Hassan, RN Terry Hope Richard, RN Emmy LeBrun, RN Veronica Perez, RN Carol Strother, RN Maria Traudes, RN Christine Dennis, Assistant Superintendent