| Calhoun County Superintendent of Schools, Roger Propst has issued updates regarding responses and procedures in Calhoun Schools regarding H1N1 (Swine Flu)
October 23, 2009
Office of the Superintendent
Calhoun County Schools
Parents:
This is an update to the community regarding H1N1 (Swine Flu) and our responses and procedures in dealing with this virus. It is important for everyone to know that we are working very closely with the Mid-Ohio Valley Health Department and the State Health Department and following the recommendations of these healthcare professionals.
Our schools are being sanitized each day by custodial staff, teachers and other employees are assisting by wiping down door knobs, handrails and other commonly touched surfaces. Our school buses are also being sanitized prior to children loading. Our instructions to students are to wash hands frequently, hand sanitizers are available to all; cover nose when sneezing, and if exhibiting flu like symptoms, stay home. Those children diagnosed with this virus should not return to school until 24 hours after becoming symptom free. According to the Health Department, this is five to seven days. We will not be requiring doctors' excuses for absences during this period.
I have been monitoring closely daily attendance at our schools. Our absences are up at each of the schools, and some cases of the H1N1 virus have been reported. Not all physicians are testing for the virus when seeing children, but are diagnosing the illness as H1N1. Advice given to us is that a child who has the flu now, probably has this virus. We do have cases of this virus in our schools, but the numbers are small in comparison to neighboring counties. These numbers can change, but the response is still the same; keep your child home and follow your physician's directions.
Health care agencies and the West Virginia Department of Education, following the advice of the Center for Disease Control, recommend we keep schools open as long as staff is available for instruction. You can be assured that our primary concern is the well-being of our children, and we will continue to monitor closely and respond to the advice of health care professionals. We will issue additional updates at least weekly, and sooner should the need arise.
Respectfully,
Roger Propst
Superintendent of Schools
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