Dorchester Public Schools TeacherWeb | Dorchester Public School: FLU INFO. AND NOTICES

Fact Sheet - Action Steps to Prevent the Spread of Flu

Take the following steps ALL the time and not only during a flu pandemic to help keep
you and others from getting sick with flu.

Educate and encourage others to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue when
they cough or sneeze. Also, provide them with easy access to tissues. Remind them to cover
coughs or sneezes using their elbow instead of their hand when a tissue is not available.

Remind others to practice good hand hygiene and provide the time and supplies (easy
access to running water and soap or alcohol-based hand cleaners) for them to wash their hands
as often as necessary.

Be a good role model by practicing good hand hygiene and covering your mouth and nose
when coughing or sneezing.

Keep an eye out for sick people and suggest that they go home or otherwise get
checked for illness. Sick people should stay at home until at least 24 hours after they no
longer have a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine).

Clean surfaces and items that are more likely to have frequent hand contact such as desks,
door knobs, keyboards, or pens, with cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas.

Adults and children should stay home from work or school when sick. Stay home
until at least 24 hours after you no longer have a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of
fever-reducing medicine).

If you are pregnant, have asthma, diabetes, or other conditions that put you at
higher risk for complications from the flu, you should speak with your doctor as
soon as possible if you develop symptoms of flu-like illness. People at high risk of flu
complications who develop flu can benefit from early treatment with antiviral medicines.

If you have children, plan ahead for child care if your child gets sick or his or her school is
dismissed.

For more information: Call PHSDHD at 402 826 3880 or visit www.flu.gov.

Guidelines for Home care of Patients with Flu- Like- Illness

1. Anyone with the following symptoms should stay home and away from school or work:
a. Fever greater than 100 degrees
b. Sore throat
c. Cough
d. Stuffy nose
e. Chills
f. Body aches
g. Feeling much more tired than usual
h. Some people may have vomiting and/or diarrhea, but this is less common
i. Call the doctor, if the ill person is very sick , or if she or a member of the family is
pregnant, has a chronic disease, is immune compromised, is around small
children or is otherwise at risk. The doctor will decide if the ill person needs
testing or treatment or if there are family members at risk and need prophylaxis.
j. Keep the ill person at home until they feel better and have been without a fever
for 24 hours.
k. If an ill person must go out to the doctor, for example, they should stay away
from groups of people and wear a mask.
2. Prevent the spread to other family members:
a. Assign only one person to take care of the sick person
b. Avoid close contact with others. Those who are well must stay at least 6 feet
away from the sick person.
c. Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue, throw the tissue into the trash after you
use it, and wash your hands. If you donï¿½t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into
your elbow
d. Wash your hands often and donï¿½t touch your eyes, nose or mouth because
germs are often spread that way.
3. Care for the sick person:
a. Have them get plenty of rest
b. Give them clear fluids frequently to keep from getting dehydrated (water, broth,
sports drinks, electrolyte beverages for babies)
c. Do not give aspirin to children or teenagers who have flu symptoms ï¿½ this can
cause a rare but serious illness called Reyeï¿½s syndrome.
d. Children younger than 2 years should not be given over-the-counter medications
without your doctorï¿½s permission.
e. Fevers and aches can be treated with acetaminophen or ibuprofen
4. If the sick person gets sicker and /or has the following symptoms seek emergency
medical care for the sick person at home:
a. Has difficulty breathing or chest pain
b. Has purple or blue discoloration of the lips
c. Is vomiting and unable to keep liquids down
d. Has signs of dehydration such as dizziness when standing, is unable to urinate
or urinates in small, infrequent amounts, or has few or no tears when they cry
e. Is less alert than normal or seems confused.

Please call your physician or the PHSDHD at 402 826 3880 with any questions.

H1N1 FLU IS INCREASING : ADVICE FOR THE PUBLIC

Practice prevention

Wash hands

Cover coughs and sneezes

Stay home if ill until there is no fever for 24 hours

Keep unwashed hands away from your face, eyes, nose and mouth.

Be prepared if you or your family get sick

Have a plan on what you will do if your child gets the flu or needs to be

picked up from school. Someone will need to be there to be with them and

to take care of them. Make agreements with neighbors, friends or family

about how you will help each other so you can minimize work loss but

assure your family members is being cared for. You might need

transportation or someone to care for your child.

If you become ill, stay home if you work. Call your employer and tell themyou have the flu. Find out if they will require a medical note for absence.

Some have waived this requirement. If you are a stay at home person with children, it is ok for your children to go to school. If they are too young for school, you should call a friend, family member or neighbor to take care of your little ones to decrease the chances they get the flu. If you have babies call the doctor for advice about what to do. If you live alone and get sick call a friend or family member and let them know you are sick and ask them to check in on you.

Find out now whether your employer will require a medical note for anabsence. Some have waived the requirement.

If you are an employer, send ill workers home. You are advised to pay for absences to assure you don't have people who will work while sick and expose you, your employees and your customers to flu. It is also best not to require a medical excuse as this can result in unnecessary physician vists which could crowd already busy offices.

Get a shot when you can. Even if you have had the flu you should get a shot unless your flu was lab confirmed because there is a chance your flu may not have been H1N1.

Call the doctor if someone who is under 6 months, has asthma, is pregnant, has a chronic disease becomes sick with the flu.

Call the doctor don't just go to the doctor's office. They will give the ill person a mask when they get there to avoid spreading flu.

If you must take the ill person to the doctor or hospital, leave the well people at home and have someone who is well watch them if they are young.

How to Care for Those with Flu

Don't give a child aspirin.

Don't give a child Pepto-Bismol; it contains something like aspirin.

Wait 24 hours after a fever disappears before returning to work.

Don't give cough medicine to a child younger than 5.

Have only one person or as few people as possible in charge of caring for the sick. That person must be extra careful to wash hands, wash the utensils and clothes of the ill person separate from others and take extra precautions to avoid catching the flu. Others in the house should stay away from the sick person.

Don't send a sick person to work, school or day care. Keep them home until they are without fever for 24 hours without fever reducing medicine.

Everyone in the household should practice prevention

o Don't touch face or rub your eyes with unwashed hands.

o Stay away from all sick people or people who cough or sneeze.

o Wash hands frequently.

o Sanitize areas frequently touched.

o Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue then discard.

o If you have no tissue cough or sneeze into your elbow

If the sick person becomes very ill or gets worse call the doctor.

Call the doctor immediately or call for urgent care if you observe the following in the sick person:

The skin around the lips turns bluish.

Breathing is labored nostrils flaring, skin between the ribs pulling inward, stomach breathing.

A fever spikes above 105 degrees or if Tylenol doesn't bring down a fever. (And don't withhold Tylenol so emergency workers believe the fever was high they'll believe you.)

The person has been getting well and then gets worse. It could be serious complications.

You pinch the person's skin and it doesn't spring back but stays creased, or the ill person urinates less often or has fewer wet diaper, the sick person may be dehydrated.

A child can't be comforted no matter what, or if a normally cuddly child refuses to be held. Or you begin observing unusual behavior.

Please call the PHSDHD at 402 826 3880 or 402 641 0536 for information about vaccine. A small amount of vaccine is available through Crete Area Medical Center, Saline Medical Specialties, Fairbury Clinic, Gage County Immunization Clinic, Thayer County Health Services, Fillmore County Medical Center, and the office of Dr Verhage.