School swine flu scare

WINSTED — Batcheller Elementary School and Pearson Middle School were closed Tuesday, May 5, after a parent, with children in both schools, reported to the Winchester Board of Education that her two children were experiencing flu-like symptoms. Hinsdale Elementary School and The Gilbert School remained open as scheduled since there was no exposure risk at those schools.

The children had been kept home from school on Monday after coming down with flu-like symptoms. After learning of the two students’ illness Monday evening, Superintendent Blaise Salerno decided to close the two schools for the day as a preventive measure while he awaited an update from the parent on her children’s health.

Salerno said Tuesday afternoon that he has been in touch with the parent of the ill children and preliminary testing by their pediatrician indicated that they did not have swine flu. Additional test results are pending from the Department of Public Health to confirm that the children do not have any form of the flu.

In addition to closing the schools, Salerno said he had both schools sanitized, as well as the two school buses that the children ride daily. Salerno said he wanted to cover all the bases.

“My first priority is the health and safety of the children and more likely than not I will err on the side of caution,� said Salerno. “Everybody is concerned about where we are with this thing happening in the nation, but at this point I would urge everybody to be cautious but aware.�

Salerno said that according to the Department of Public Health, the level at which Winsted is operating is at stage one of four alert modes.

The first stage is the initial alert, where administrators watch and gather information when someone thinks they have flu-like symptoms. The second is when someone is experiencing flu-like symptoms. Third is probable, where someone has flu-like symptoms and a known exposure or likelihood of exposure has occurred and fourth, there are confirmed cases as a result of medical tests.

Salerno stressed that the students involved in the town’s health scare had very little interaction with other students in recent days and that even if they are ill with the flu, a mass exposure is unlikely.

“These two [students] ride on small buses and they have limited exposure and amount of time that they are in the buildings,� said Salerno. He added that neither of the students had traveled recently to an area with a known exposure risk.

In a statement to the press late Tuesday, Salerno said that he did not feel the need to keep the schools closed any additional days following new recommendations from the CDC and that school would be in session as scheduled on Wednesday.

“I have consulted with the Torrington Area Health Alert Network and have received a new advisory from the National Center for Disease Control. Both have indicated that they are no longer advising school closings for a suspected or confirmed case of novel influenza A (H1N1) unless there is a magnitude of faculty or student absence that interferes with the school’s ability to function. Schools that were closed based upon previous interim CDC guidance may re-open,� said Salerno in the statement.

Prior to the incident this week, Salerno and the Board of Education had sent home information with all students about swine flu. Additional information was planned to be sent home with students before the end of the week and discussions took place at a special meeting Wednesday night about the board’s protocol for responding to schoolwide health issues.

For more information on the school’s protocol, contact the Board of Education office at 860-379-0706.

Swine flu facts

The following facts about swine flu have been released by the Connecticut Department of Public Health:

Symptoms: Similar to the human flu, symptoms of the swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, lethargy, headache, chills and fatigue. Diarrhea and vomiting may also be present.

Method of transmission: While usually transmitted from pig to pig, pig-to-human and human-to-human transmission can also take place. As is true with human flu and the common cold, humans spread the virus mainly through coughing and sneezing, as well as touching a contaminated surface and then touching their mouth or nose.

How to protect yourself: The best way to protect yourself from swine influenza is by practicing proper hygiene. The following are preventative guidelines issued from the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

• Encourage people to cover their mouth and nose when they cough or sneeze.

• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.

• Avoid close contact with sick people.

• If you are sick, limit contact with others.