Dear Parents:
As you may already know, the H1N1 Flu Virus is in the Northwest Georgia area and we have had one confirmed case of H1N1 influenza in our system. I am happy to report the student did not need hospitalization, missed 1½ weeks of school, has been released by the physician and is doing well. Although media reports of this flu are frightening, information presented from health authorities characterize it as just another brand of seasonal flu. I urge you to educate yourself, be calm, and alert to symptoms.
Flu can be easily spread from person to person. Therefore, we are taking steps to reduce the spread of flu in The Chickamauga City School System. We want to keep the school open to students and functioning in a normal manner during this flu season. But we need your help to do this.
We are working closely with the State Department of Education, The CDC in Atlanta, The Governor's Office, and locally with the Walker County Government and Health Department to monitor flu conditions and make decisions about the best steps to take concerning schools. We will keep you updated with new information as it becomes available.
For now we are doing everything we can to keep our schools functioning as usual. Here are a few things you can do to help.
- 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.
- Teach your children not to share personal items like drinks, food or unwashed utensils, and to cover their coughs and sneezes with tissue. Covering up their coughs or sneezes 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.
- 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.
- Do not send children to school if they are sick. Any children who are determined to be sick while at school will be sent home.
For more information, visit www.flu.gov, or call 1-800-CDC-INFO for the most current information about the flu. For more information about the flu in our community, visit the Walker County Public Health website at nwgapublichealth.org. We will notify you of any additional changes to our system’s strategy to prevent the spread of flu.
Sincerely,
Melody Day, Superintendent
Chickamauga City Schools