BATON ROUGE, La. - As the new school year gets underway and local districts and schools prepare for a potential outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus, better known as swine flu, the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) is working with the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH) to provide Louisiana’s education community with direction and on-going support.

During the spring, the Department worked with DHH, local districts and other agencies to develop the Louisiana Pandemic Influenza Educational Response Plan. The plan outlines statewide protocols and procedures and provides districts with tools they can use to plan for, respond to, and recover from isolated or widespread incidents of the H1N1 virus as well as seasonal flu.

Board of Elementary and Secondary Education (BESE) policy already requires each city, parish and other local public school board to develop a crisis management and response plan for every public school under their jurisdiction—a plan which may include preparation for a pandemic flu outbreak. However, as district and school leaders make decisions around school closures and other considerations, they will be relying on the Louisiana Pandemic Influenza Educational Response Plan as a supplemental resource.

“While we are hopeful that public awareness and information will help us to minimize the spread of this virus, we also recognize the strong possibility that schools and districts across our state will find themselves in unfamiliar circumstances,” State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said. “We are working to guide and support district and school leaders so that if the situation requires considerations around closing schools and other related matters, those entrusted with the well-being of our children will be adequately informed and prepared to take appropriate actions.”

State education officials are encouraging school leaders to report all suspected cases of the H1N1 virus to LDOE. And as district and school leaders determine whether school closures are warranted, they will be collaborating with LDOE and DHH officials on a case by case basis, weighing the severity of the outbreak, the health risk to students and other considerations.

Additionally, LDOE has asked local school leaders to monitor and provide daily reports to the Department on the number of influenza-related absences and illnesses. Despite an increase in the number of cases being reported as students return to school after the summer break, state health officials are optimistic the number of influenza-related absences and illnesses will decrease over time.

“We expect that as children get back to school, communities will see an increase in illness and school absences,” said Dr. Frank Welch, DHH medical director for pandemic preparedness. “However, as more and more people get the virus and recover from it, we expect that these outbreaks will diminish over time.”

LDOE is encouraging staff, students and families to monitor their district and school websites and local news media for the latest updates. As an added resource, the Department has committed to posting school closures and other related information on its website at www.louisianaschools.net. General information related to the H1N1 virus can also be found on LDOE’s website, and accessed by clicking on the H1N1 Information icon located at the bottom of the web page.

“We want to assure the public that we will keep them informed as we receive useful information,” Pastorek continued. “The best thing we can do in these kinds of situations is use our resources to communicate valuable and clear information to each other and the public at large, and that is our intention in this case.”

State education officials are also encouraging schools and local districts to follow the guidelines and prevention measures set by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC has issued these guidelines for the 2009-10 school year:

• 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 that is separate from others until they can be sent home. The CDC recommends 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: Wash hands frequently, and with soap and water when possible. Cover noses and mouths with a tissue when couching or sneezing.
• Routine cleaning: School staff should routinely clean areas that students and staff touch.
• 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.
• 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.

Additionally, the CDC developed “A Communication Toolkit for Schools, (Grades K-12), Preparing for the Flu”, which includes questions, answers and fact sheets for schools, teachers and parents. The toolkit is located at the following links: www.flu.gov/plan/school/schoolflutoolkit.pdf and www.flu.gov/plan/school/index.html.

For more information on the H1N1 virus, please visit the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals’ website at www.dhh.state.la.us or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov.

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