| Influenza or Flu As you may have heard on the news, the flu season has hit us "early and severely" ~ at least 6 weeks earlier than was expected. What is happening this year is that a new strain of influenza, called A-Fujian, has become the predominant form of influenza. When such viral mutations occur, the new strain tends to hit children hard because their immune systems do not recognize it and do not mount a vigorous response. This year's flu shot does not contain A-Fujian. The A-Fujian strain from China first surfaced earlier this year in Australia and New Zealand after the flu vaccines were made. Texas, Nevada and Colorado have already reported numerous cases. The hard fact is that influenza outbreaks are hitting schools hard and that children are falling sick in larger numbers than in recent years. There are several things we can do to help prevent the spread of this highly contagious, communicable disease: 1. Instruct your children to wash their hands with soap and water frequently. 2. You may want to send a water bottle to school with your child. [The teachers would prefer the flip-top type of bottle rather than a screw top, in order to prevent spills.] 3. If your child has a fever or has vomited within 24 hours before school starts, please keep them home. 4. Children should not return to school until flu symptoms have been gone for at least 24 hours. Want to avoid the flu? Go wash your hands right now. Influenza is one of the most easily transmitted diseases, caused by a range of related viruses. It relies on human habits -- most notably the tendency to rub a runny nose. The virus can live on a plastic or metal surface for hours or even days. When a patient touches a drippy nose and then pushes a button or uses a telephone, the virus sits there, ready to be picked up by the next unwary person. Simply touch the nose, mouth or even the eye, and you, too, can have the flu. The virus also can be passed when a patient coughs or sneezes a fine spray of saliva and mucus into the air and an unfortunate passer-by breathes it in. Influenza causes respiratory symptoms -- a cough, sneezing, headache, muscle aches and fever. Unlike a cold, which creeps up on a patient, influenza begins suddenly. Although people often refer to "stomach flu," influenza does not cause gastrointestinal symptoms. It can, however, cause pneumonia, and patients weakened by flu can then become infected by a range of bacterial diseases. This is why flu kills between 250,000 and 500,000 people around the world each year -- 36,000 in the United States alone. Parents should take their children to a doctor if the child is listless, has a high fever for more than 24 hours, cannot be calmed down, is not drinking fluids, or has difficulty breathing. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Frostbite: As you and your children are spending time outside during cold weather, be alert for signs of frostbite and take immediate action if you notice any. The parts of the body most affected by frostbite are the exposed areas of the face - cheeks, nose, chin, forehead, the ears, and the wrists, hands, and feet. Frostbitten skin is whitish and stiff and feels numb rather than painful. To treat frostbite, warm the affected part of the body gradually. Wrap the area in blankets, coats, sweaters, etc. If no warm wrappings are available, place the frostbitten hands under the armpits or use your body to cover the affected area. Seek medical attention immediately. Do not rub frostbitten areas; the friction can damage the tissue. Do not apply snow to frostbitten areas. Because its temperature is below freezing, snow will aggravate the condition. Children tend to go out with their coats open and with no gloves or hats. I have had parents tell me "they are just running from the house to the car and then right into the school." Many of you travel a distance to get here. What if the car breaks down and you need to wait for help or to walk somewhere? If they do not have the proper gear before school, they are not prepared for afterschool. Many children are outside for quite awhile waiting for parents to pick them up. Children often do not realize they are getting frostbite until it is too late. Please send them with the proper gear to protect them from the cold while they wait. ******************************************************************************************* ATTENTION PARENTS OF STUDENTS WITH ASTHMA: PLEASE make sure your student carries his or her inhaler in their backpack or that the nurse has a rescue inhaler in the school office. The frequent respiratory tract infections of the winter, in addition to the weather itself, often trigger asthma attacks. There have been several recent incidents in which students did not have an inhaler available for emergency use. |
| WINTER HEALTH TIPS |
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