There has been a very small number of suspected or confirmed cases of Swine Flu (H1N1) in several schools on the Island.
This was expected to occur with the start of the new term. All of them have been treated according to the treatment policy.
Any child with Swine Flu has been excluded for nine days from the onset of symptoms to prevent transmission to others. For adults, the period of exclusion is seven days.
There has been a marked rise in the number of cases of H1N1 in England and the age groups which are predominantly affected are 5 –14 year olds. This is the pattern seen in most countries.
Locally, forty-seven cases have been confirmed since the beginning of the pandemic.
Following a review of the cases and the new information which has emerged in medical literature, a decision was made to move into treatment phase. This means that not all patients with suspected Swine Flu will be tested routinely and no tablets for prevention will be offered to close contacts routinely.
The rest of the advice with regard to treatment remains unchanged.
Advice to Parents:
It is likely that in the coming weeks children or staff members in the school which your child attends will either be investigated or treated for Swine Flu.
- Any individual suspected of having Swine Flu is excluded from school immediately and they no longer pose a risk, in terms of transmission of the infection to others. There is no need to keep healthy children off school since anyone suspected of Swine Flu is excluded.
- If your child has the symptoms of flu (fever, headache, sore throat, aches and pains etc), please contact your GP by telephone for advice. Please do not: send the child to school until you have sought advice, or attend A & E department at Nobles Hospital or the Minor Injuries Unit at Ramsey District Cottage Hospital.
- If your child has been advised to stay off school, please comply fully with the advice given by the Doctor or Nurse.
Norovirus Outbreak in Primary Schools
In further news, several primary schools on the Island have reported a number of cases of Norovirus, also known as the 'winter vomiting virus'.
The virus is highly infectious and can spread rapidly across schools and other institutions. Those affected by the illness continue to shed the virus for 48 Hours after the resolution of all symptoms.
Advice to parents:
- If your child develops an illness with sudden onset of vomiting, abdominal pain with or without diarrhoea, do not send your children to school for 2 days after all the symptoms have resolved. The child may look perfectly normal but they continue to shed the virus and can infect others.
- If you need medical advice, please DO NOT attend A&E at Noble’s or the Minor Injuries Unit at Ramsey Cottage Hospital. Once the virus is introduced into a hospital, it can spread rapidly. Contact your GP by phone.
- Majority of children make a complete recovery in 24-48 hours and there is no specific medical treatment apart from ensuring that the child drinks sufficient fluids to prevent dehydration.
- Please ensure that hygiene precautions are followed at home if anyone gets diarrhoea and vomiting. The measures include scrupulous hand washing and cleaning the bathroom with bleach.
