Is Norwalk Ready for Swine Flu?

My kids had their annual physical Wednesday. During their check up I asked their doctor, Jeanne Marconi of the Center for Advanced Pediatrics in Norwalk, about the H1N1 virus more commonly known as the Swine Flu.

"It's coming," she said. "Be prepared."

Her words echoed what I had been reading.

The United States is about to hit by a second wave of the swine flu according to an article earlier this week in the Washington Post, but the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) discourages schools from being closed if a few students contract the disease. Schools can decide to close if an influenza outbreak becomes severe says the CDC.

""We're potentially looking at a very big mess," William Schaffner, an influenza expert at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine who advises federal health officials told the Post.

Nevertheless the CDC issued an advisory this week saying: "Based on the experience and knowledge gained in jurisdictions that had large outbreaks in spring 2009, the potential benefits of preemptively dismissing students from school [is] outweighed by negative consequences, including students being left home alone, health workers missing shifts when they must stay home with their children, students missing meals, and interruption of students’ education."

Still, the CDC says that the decision to dismiss students should be made locally in conjunction with state health officials.

School officials in Norwalk who I spoke to say they have no set plans on how to deal with an outbreak of swine flu. "Any district plan will be made with input from State and local health officials, said Leah H. Turner, a nurse and co-ordinator of School Health Services. "At this time neither body has provided any additional recommendations."

School districts in other states are taking a more proactive approach. For example the Washington Post (in a different article) reports that in Fairfax County near Washington D.C. the school district held a back-to-school briefing on Tuesday for teachers and principals to discuss plans for swine flu preparedness.

According to the article: "Fairfax principals wrote out questions on blue index cards for health and school officials to answer. There were queries about the vaccine's effects (it should be as safe as a seasonal flu shot); about how to clean rooms in schools (with standard cleaning products, because antibacterial soap isn't any more effective against a virus); and about who will pay for cleaning products (the school system)."

In Texas, school officials are distributing posters in English, Spanish and Vietnamese about the swine flu and preparing for school vaccination programs when the swine flu vaccine, presently undergoing human trials in multiple locations around the country, becomes available.

Ms. Turner said that she had no information on swine flu briefings being held for Norwalk school workers. Similarly she did not have any information on whether there are any plans to have children vaccinated at their schools.

In late July, however, 250 school and health officials from across Connecticut did met at Southern Connecticut State University to compare their experiences and co-ordinate their plans for the coming year. According to a report in the Hartford Courant Dr. Matthew Cartter, the state epidemiologist, said that in a pandemic some parents won't be convinced that a school is safe under any circumstances and will keep their children home. According to Cartter evidence from past pandemics suggests that to have a lasting effect on stopping flu transmission, schools must close for four to six weeks.

Dr. Marconi, my children's doctor, said she is concerned about H1N1 not because it is any more severe than other flus. It is, however, more contagious and the youth population is most at risk for complications. According to the CDC the majority of the more than 37,000 Americans who have been infected have been under 24.

Dr. Marconi told me that there will be another statewide meeting held on September 12, to discuss the swine flu. That's after school starts of course.

In its guidance, the CDC changed its advice on how long sick kids should stay home. Students and teachers can return to school or work 24 hours after their fever is gone. (The old advice was to stay home for a week.)

The CDC also recommends that if a child or teacher develops symptoms while at school that they be separated from other students and staff and sent home. While they are waiting to be picked up both the people who are sick and the school staff who come into contact with them should wear surgical masks.

To prevent infection the CDC advises that students and staff be encouraged to wash their hands often and be taught the etiquette of sneezing into a tissue and throwing the tissue into the trash.

The CDC also suggests that schools thoroughly clean areas that are likely to have frequent hand contact.