Abbeville County H1N1 Information for Daycare and Preschools

If you operate a Daycare Center/Pre-school in Abbeville County, or are just a parent of young children, share these videos (on the right) with your children. These "Elmo Flu Public Service Announcements" are from their "Happy & Healthy on Sesame Street" campaign.

Elmo offers his flu prevention tips in these four video PSAs on staying happy and healthy. These videos are designed to help kids practice habits such as washing their hands and sneezing into their elbow.

Some general rules for Daycare Centers and Pre-schools include:

Stay home when sick: Those with flu-like illness should stay home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever, or signs of a fever, without the use of fever-reducing medicines. They should stay home even if they are using antiviral drugs.

Separate ill students and staff: Students and staff who appear to have flu-like illness should be sent to a room separate from others until they can be sent home. CDC recommends that they wear a surgical mask, if possible, and that those who care for ill students and staff wear protective gear such as a mask.

Hand hygiene and respiratory etiquette: The new recommendations emphasize the importance of the basic foundations of influenza prevention: stay home when sick, wash hands frequently with soap and water when possible, and cover noses and mouths with a tissue when coughing or sneezing (or a shirt sleeve or elbow if no tissue is available).

Routine cleaning: School staff should routinely clean areas that students and staff touch often with the cleaners they typically use. Special cleaning with bleach and other non-detergent-based cleaners is not necessary.

Early treatment of high-risk students and staff: People at high risk for influenza complications who become ill with influenza-like illness should speak with their health care provider as soon as possible. Early treatment with antiviral medications is very important for people at high risk because it can prevent hospitalizations and deaths. People at high risk include those who are pregnant, or who have asthma or diabetes, have compromised immune systems, or have neuromuscular diseases.

Consideration of selective school dismissal: Although there are not many schools where all or most students are at high risk (for example, schools for medically fragile children or for pregnant students) a community might decide to dismiss such a school to better protect these high-risk students.

If we all work together, we can all do our part to get through this flu season.

Young Children under the age of 5, people 65 years and older, pregnant women, and people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions are the groups most at risk of getting the H1N1 Flu. This means that special attention needs to be paid by Daycare Centers and Pre-Schools to help mitigate the spread of this virus. While health officials indicate that the symptoms of this flu are generally milder than seasonal flu, the H1N1 strain is far more contagious. Daycares and Pre-schools need to develop an immediate plan of action.

One of the biggest concerns will be the number of children and workers that will not be able to come to class (or work) during the height of an H1N1 outbreak. Simple things like proper hand washing will go a long way in minimizing the spread of this virus. Most important, those affected by this flu need to stay at home and not be permitted to attend class or come to work.

Important Information for Daycare Centers and Pre-Schools