Cases of Type A influenza - the type that includes H1N1 influenza among other varieties - have been confirmed throughout Cuyahoga County.  Local media outlets have reported confirmed cases of H1N1 in surrounding school districts. Residents and staff members should assume that the H1N1 virus is present in the community, and not confined to any one school, neighborhood, or age group. 

The Olmsted Falls School District is monitoring our student population district-wide and following the guidance of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Ohio Department of Health. 

The following District communicatons to parents regarding influenza and H1N1 are available for download:

Letter to Intermediate School Parents from Principal Svec (10-19-09)

Automated Phone Message to All District Parents (10-22-09)

The Olmsted Falls School District has developed a Influenza Preparedness Plan based upon recommendations from the Center for Disease Control, to help prevent students from contracting and spreading the flu. 

THE BEST WAY FOR PARENTS TO HELP US ENSURE AGAINST MASS FLU OUTBREAK IS TO PLEASE KEEP SICK CHILDREN HOME AND ALLOW THEM TO FULLY RECOVER BEFORE RETURNING TO SCHOOL.

The CDC and the Ohio Department fo Health reccommend these precautions for families to limit the spread of flu:
 

• Teach your children to wash their hands often with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub. You can set a good example by doing this yourself. Studies show that washing hands at least 5 times a day for at least 20 seconds significantly decreases the spread of influenza and upper respiratory infections. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are provided at school, and recommended cleaning procedures and products are being used in the buildings.
   

• Teach your children not to share personal items like food, drinks, cups or utensils.
   

• Teach your children to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissues and to dispose of the tissues properly after use. Coughs or sneezes can be covered using the elbow, arm or sleeve instead of the hand when a tissue is unavailable.
   

• Know the signs and symptoms of the flu. Symptoms of the flu include fever (100 degrees Fahrenheit, 37.8 degrees Celsius or greater), cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, and feeling very tired. Some people may also vomit or have diarrhea. These are the same symptoms present with seasonal influenza, colds, and many other upper respiratory infections. While the symptoms may or may not be caused by H1N1, your child should be kept home regardless.
   

• Do not send children to school if they are sick.  At the onset of the illness, children may be contagious even when a fever is not present. Therefore, if your child feels ill, keep him or her home. Any children who are determined to be sick while at school will be sent home. If pickup of an ill child is delayed, the nurse may put a surgical mask on the child for the protection of other students and staff, in accordance with CDC guidelines.
   

• Keep sick children at home for at least 24 hours after they no longer have fever or do not have signs of fever, without using fever-reducing drugs.  Keeping children with a fever at home will reduce the number of people who may get infected.

Again, we strongly advise parents to keep children home if any flu-like symptoms become apparent. Students should not return to school until they have been completely free of fever for at least 24 hours.

For additional information on influenza and prevention, please visit these other resource sites:

www.flu.gov

Centers for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

Ohio Department of Health
http://www.odh.ohio.gov/