Dear Parents/Guardians:
We have received information indicating that a student at Orchard Farm Elementary School has a confirmed case of type A influenza. This student is not currently in school, and is already being treated for this illness. Our school nurses are screening at risk students throughout the day, so as to monitor any further spread of the virus.
Due to the large number of type A influenza cases, the State Health Department is not testing samples for H1N1 (swine flu), because the course of treatment is the same. For all flu cases, the recommended treatment is rest, fluids, fever reducers, and Tamiflu within the first 48 hours.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) does not recommend closing schools due to confirmed or suspected cases of influenza A or H1N1. Instead, this flu is treated like any other seasonal flu that impacts schools every year. Therefore, we have no plans to close any schools at this time.
The Orchard Farm School District is working closely with the CDC and the St. Charles County Department of Community Health to monitor the situation and to protect our students and our community. We encourage you to get your family members vaccinated as soon as possible against seasonal flu. This will offer protection against at least three flu viruses expected to circulate in our community this year. In addition, vaccine for H1N1 flu, also called swine flu, is expected to be available later this year. Plans to offer this vaccine are still being finalized, and our community will be notified when and where the shots will be available in St. Charles County.
We emphasize the healthy practices of hand washing and covering coughs, and we continue to clean our classrooms and buildings as per County Health Department recommendations. We will do whatever we can to minimize the impact of this illness in our schools and keep our students and staff healthy. As a reminder, sick students should stay home for 3-5 days if they have flu-like symptoms, and not return to school until they have been fever-free for 24 hours (without the aid of fever reducing medication). Flu-like symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Please contact your child’s doctor and notify the school office if your child exhibits any of these symptoms. If you have any questions, please contact the school office. For more information on the H1N1 flu, please visit the CDC Web site at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ or call the St. Charles County Department of Community Health at 636-949-7400.
Sincerely,
Jerry Oetting, Ed.D.
Elementary Principal