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1、Questions and Answers about CDC Guidance for State and Local Public Health Responses to Influenza during the 2009-2010 School YearQ. How does CDCs new flu guidance for schools differ from the previous school guidance documents?The new guidance applies to any flu virus circulating during the 2009-201
2、0 school year, not only 2009 H1N1 flu. The new guidance recognizes the need to balance the risks of illness among students and staff with the benefits of keeping students in school. It offers specific steps for school staff, parents, and students to take given the current flu conditions as well as f
3、or more severe flu conditions. The new guidance also provides information for making decisions at the community level about when to use these strategies aimed at schools.In addition, this guidance recommends that, based on current flu conditions, students and staff with flu-like illness stay home un
4、til at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever or signs of a fever. This should be determined without the use of fever-reducing medications (any medicine that contains ibuprofen or acetaminophen). This is a shorter time period from the previous guidance which recommended that sick students
5、and staff stay home 7 days after symptoms begin. The 7 day period away from school for sick students and staff would still be recommended under more severe flu conditions. In addition, this longer period should be used in healthcare settings and in any place where a high number of high-risk people m
6、ay be exposed, such as childcare facilities for children younger than 5 years of age.Q. Why should we be concerned about the spread of flu in schools?Students can get sick with flu and schools may act as a point of spread, where students can easily spread flu to other students and their families. So
7、 far, with 2009 H1N1 flu, the largest number of cases has been in people between the ages of 5 and 24-years-old.Q. Which students and staff are at higher risk for complications from flu? Anyone can get the flu (even healthy people), and serious problems from the flu can happen at any age. However, c
8、hildren under the age of 5 years, pregnant women, people of any age with chronic medical conditions (such as pulmonary disease, including asthma, diabetes, neuromuscular disorders or heart disease), and people age 65 years and older are more likely to get complications from the flu.Q. How will schoo
9、ls and communities decide what steps to take?CDC and other public health agencies will be monitoring national data on the number of people who seek care for flu-like illness, as well as the number of hospitalizations and deaths. CDC will also look at the geographic spread of flu- like illness and wi
10、ll look for changes in the characteristics of the virus. By comparing data on a weekly basis with seasonal flu trends and trends from the 2009 H1N1 flu during the spring, CDC will be able to provide advice to state and local agencies on appropriate steps to take. States and local communities can exp
11、ect the impact of flu in their communities to be different from that seen in other parts of the countryQ. What can families, students, and school personnel do to keep from getting sick and spreading flu?Families, students, and school staff can keep from getting sick with flu in three ways: Practicin
12、g good hand hygiene. Students and staff members should wash their hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol- based hand cleaners are also effective. Practicing respiratory etiquette. The main way that the flu spreads is from person to person in the droplets prod
13、uced by coughs and sneezes, so its important to cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you dont have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder, not into your hands. Staying home if youre sick. Keeping sick students at home means that they keep their viruses
14、to themselves rather than sharing them with others.Students, staff, and their families must take personal responsibility for helping to slow the spread of the virus by practicing these steps to keep from getting sick with flu and protecting others from getting the flu.Q. What is the best way to prac
15、tice good hand hygiene?Washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (the time it takes to sing “Happy Birthday” twice) is the best way to keep your hands from spreading the virus. Alcohol-based hand cleaners containing at least 60% alcohol are also effective. If soap and water are
16、not available and alcohol-based products are not allowed in the school, other hand sanitizers that do not contain alcohol may be useful for cleaning hands. However, they may not be as effective as alcohol-based sanitizers.Q. What steps can schools take to keep students and staff from getting sick?Schools should take the following steps to help keep students and staff from getting sick with flu. These steps should be followed ALL th
