Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) American Red Cross Employee / Volunteer Updates Update

[Guest guest]

Dear

Colleagues, here is today’s Community Mitigation bulletin from CDC regarding

reference to wearing a face mask.

Bobbi

Bobbi Ryder

President & CEO

National Center for Farmworker Health, Inc.

1770 FM 967

Buda, TX

(512) 312-5453 direct line

(512) 312-5451 Mendoza , Assistant

(512) 312-2600

www.ncfh.org

From: Centers for Disease

Control & Prevention [mailto:cdc@...]

Sent: Thursday, May 07, 2009 8:50 AM

ryder@...

Subject: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) American Red

Cross Employee / Volunteer Updates Update

Reference to wearing a face mask has

been removed. Wearing a face mask is not advised

Community Mitigation

Community

mitigation refers to the possible actions that communities and Federal, State,

and local governments will take to slow the spread of the novel H1N1 flu by

limiting close contact between people. Some of the steps that may be taken to

limit contact and the spread of the flu include:

· dismissing students

from schools and closing day-care centers.

· arranging alternate

work options, such as working from home and staggered work schedules.

· canceling public

gatherings.

· suggesting that

people avoid crowded places such as concerts, sporting events, open markets,

and shopping malls, and public transportation.

You should protect yourself by

· washing

hands frequently with soap and water or alcohol-based hand gel; use soap and

water and wash long enough to sing Happy Birthday twice. If you don’t have soap

and water, use alcohol-based hand cleaner.

· staying

away from people who are sick, if possible.

School closure

CDC no longer advises that schools close if

they have a suspected or actual case of the flu.

Schools that were closed under

previous guidance may reopen at the discretion of state and local

authorities.

Students, faculty or staff who have fever with

either a cough or sore throat should stay home and not attend school or go

for at least 7 days, except to seek medical care.

Students, faculty and staff who are still sick 7

days after they become sick should stay home from school until at least 24

hours after symptoms are gone.

Students

and staff who appear to have an flu-like illness upon arrival at school,

or who become sick during the school day, should be isolated in a room

separate from other students and sent home, as soon as possible. Parents

and guardians should watch their school-aged children for signs of illness

Faculty and staff should self-monitor every

morning for symptoms of influenza-like illness.

Students who are sick should not attend

alternative child care or go into large groups outside of school.

Schools should communicate regularly with local

public health officials to get guidance about reporting of flu-like

illnesses.

Schools can help by promoting ways to reduce the

spread of flu, including hand hygiene and cough etiquette.

Students and staff should follow good sanitary

habits, including covering their nose and mouth with a tissue when

coughing or sneezing (or coughing or sneezing into their sleeve if a

tissue isn’t available), frequently washing hands often with soap and

water, or using hand gel if hand washing with soap and water is not

possible.

If

my state's/district's schools are closed now, should they reopen?

Schools

should consult with their local or State health departments for guidance on

re-opening schools.

Even

if CDC's guidance says that schools should stay open, can my state still close

its schools?

State and local agencies have the authority to close schools. CDC

recognizes schools and individual states and localities may have other

logistical and operational reasons to keep schools closed.

What

you should do if you become sick

Be

prepared to stay home if you develop flu symptoms for seven days after the

start of illness or at least 24 hours after you no longer have symptoms,

whichever is longer. Call your doctor by telephone, or other remote means,

before going to the clinic, doctor’s office, or hospital.

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical

attention include:

·

Fast breathing or trouble breathing

·

Bluish skin color

·

Not drinking enough fluids

·

Not waking up or not interacting

·

Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held

·

Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse

cough

·

Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency

warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

·

Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath

·

Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen

·

Sudden dizziness

·

Confusion

·

Severe or persistent vomiting

Other

steps you can take if you feel sick are to

· stay

home as soon as you feel sick;

· ask

your doctor about antiviral medicines;

· not

attend public events.

Family

members and caregivers should

· isolate

sick people in hospitals, homes, or other facilities;

· be

prepared for schools closings and workplace closings as needed;

· be

aware if you start to feel sick yourself.

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