Schools, health department working hard to keep H1N1 contained
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By PHOEBE KING and BARBARA LYON, editor@dunnconnect.com
Monday, October 26, 2009 3:11 PM CDT
Although H1N1-related hospitalizations in Wisconsin have doubled in the past week and 19 Wisconsin schools have announced closures since Oct. 6, school and health officials in Dunn County want to assure parents they are working hard to keep schools open and kids healthy.
“I talk to the school districts every week, and some of them more often,” said Dunn County Health Department Director/Health Officer Wendy MacDougall, “and there’s no conversation about closure based on the illness rates in Dunn County.”
In fact, MacDougall said, “school health folks and parents are doing a really good job in terms of monitoring kids...and reducing exposure.”
The H1N1 flu virus formerly known as swine flu has been circulating throughout the state since spring 2009, according to public health records. MacDougall said that the good news is that the virus has remained largely unchanged since then. She credited public health outreach, information sharing and community and interagency cooperation as having a positive effect on controlling the spread of the virus.
Part of that effort comes in the form of the Safe Schools program, initiated in Dunn County three or four years ago from a grant made available after the Columbine High School tragedy.
“We have protocols set up for most any situation that might occur,” said Dennis Geissler, Colfax Area School District superintendent. “Documents and protocols are uniform throughout the county. ...We try to be consistent with the Safe Schools plan.”
As for monitoring the H1N1 virus, Geissler said, the county health department calls every Wednesday to get each school’s “sick count.”
“When we come to our Safe Schools meetings,” Geissler continued, “we review that data. ...You can actually see certain times of the year when you have unusual [increased levels of] illness.”
The Safe Schools program includes a quarterly meeting with school, health and law enforcement officials. The most recent meeting was held Oct. 15, MacDougall said.
“There were a lot of good resources there,” she added.
Ramie McMahon, student health services coordinator for the School District of the Menomonie Area, said she is in almost daily contact with MacDougall and that the district is following whatever recommendations that come from the Dunn County Health Department.
School districts not ringing any alarms
Elk Mound Area School District Administrator Ron Walsh said he hasn’t seen any extreme instances of H1N1 outbreaks.
“We’ve certainly had kids out sick and staff members,” Walsh said, “but I think a lot of that has to do with that we’ve been pretty proactive and have let people know, ‘if you have a fever, if you’re sick — stay home until your fever has subsided for at least 24 hours.’ I think what we’re finding is a lot more people are staying home, where maybe in the past would have just toughed it out.”
MacDougall said preventing its spread is an important component of controlling an H1N1 outbreak. “What we always watch for in influenza is called ‘shift and drift’ of the virus where it would change. And so far, [H1N1] hasn’t changed, which is really good,” MacDougall said. “We don’t want it to become more virulent. The way to prevent that is to stop it in the community. So, that’s why if you stay home when you’re sick and stay home for that 24 hours after your fever’s gone,...then you can interrupt the spread of the virus. And that’s the best thing to do.”
State seeing elevated flu activity
As of Oct. 20, the Wisconsin Division of Public Health is reporting elevated H1N1 activity in 59 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. Dunn County has 17 reported cases of H1N1 virus as of Oct. 20, which translates to 40 per 100,000 population. In comparison, St. Croix County is listed on the H1N1 map as having 89 per 100,000. To the north, Barron County has only 7 cases per 100,000. (For more information or to see a variety of statewide statistics on the H1N1 virus, go to http://pandemic. wisconsin.gov.)
According to an Oct. 21 report from the state Department of Health Services, there have been 53 hospitalizations due to H1N1 virus infection statewide since Sept. 1, more than double the 26 reported on Oct. 14 — just one week ago. Monroe County reported an H1N1-related death Oct. 15, which brings the statewide total to 10 since the spring.
At the beginning of October, Wisconsin Dells was the only district in Wisconsin reporting school closures due to influenza-like illness, per a volunteer reporting system initiated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As of Oct. 23, a total of 19 schools have announced closures — ranging from a day to a week. The Eau Claire Lutheran school closure from Oct. 22 to 26 in Eau Claire County is the closest in proximity to Dunn County. Except for a school closure reported in Bayfield County, most of the rest of the school closures reported are in southern and eastern Wisconsin counties.
Communication and education are key
What is clear from every Dunn County school district interviewed for this report is that communication among school and health officials is regular and ongoing.
Elk Mound school administrator Walsh said, “The county is looking at the stats. We call them every week with our statistics.... If they think somebody needs to close, they’re going to tell us. If we think we need to close, we’re still going to call them.
“[The county health department] has done a great job. Just about daily I get an email from the county on health issues.”
Jody Graese, nurse for the Boyceville Community School District, said her district is working directly with the health department. “I go to meetings with Dunn County and keep in contact with them,” Graese said, adding that they are not seeing overly high numbers of H1N1 infections at either the elementary or the high school.
“But there is H1N1 in the community,” Graese said. “What public health told me is in Wisconsin, if you’re ill with a sudden onset of fever and respiratory symptoms, you probably have H1N1.”
Walsh said they’re also working with the students to promote good hygiene and helping them to learn how to reduce the spread of disease.
“We’re really encouraging educating kids on washing their hands,” Walsh said. “The coughing into the elbow thing has become kind of a fad. They’re getting the relationship between hygiene and disease.”
Walsh said everyone has been pitching in to keep classrooms germ-free. “Our custodians are being extra careful with cleaning all surfaces and disinfecting,” Walsh said. “All of the teachers have been given disinfectant spray bottles, and we’re asking them...to wipe down the tables and desks and chairs at least once a day if they can.
“By doing this, we can hopefully maintain better health throughout the year. We’re encouraging people to get their immunizations.”
MacDougall agreed on the importance of getting immunized — even if you think you’ve already had the H1N1 virus.
“Even if you’ve already had H1N1, [the state health department] is recommending you get the vaccine,” MacDougall said, adding that it’s important to get immunized against the seasonal flu, as well. And, no, she said, it’s not too late.
“Seasonal influenza doesn’t usually start until late November,” MacDougall said. “We give seasonal flu shots through March so it’s not too late.”
If your healthcare provider or pharmacy is currently out of the flu vaccine, there is more on the way.
MacDougall said that because of the demand on manufacturers for the H1N1 vaccine, the supply for the seasonal flu vaccine has diminished. “But...they expect that it’s a delay, not that there won’t be enough,” MacDougall said. “It looks like there’ll be more coming in November.”
Although no definite plans have been made, most school districts have expressed interest in holding a flu shot clinic.
“Wendy [MacDougall] would like to set up a community flu shot clinic,” Graese said. “We’re thinking the first week of November. That’s in the planning stages.”
The bottom line for surviving the H1N1 pandemic, MacDougall said: “Wash your hands, cover your cough [and] stay home if you’re sick.”
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