Dear Parents:
It is flu season, and we want to take an opportunity to share some important information.
Our district works closely with the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control to monitor our school absences and to watch for clusters of illnesses. Right now, the number of absences we’re seeing compares to the number we normally see at this time of year. However, that could change quickly. Flu activity typically peaks between December and February.
We are fortunate to have registered nurses in our schools. Each day, those nurses monitor our students and staff for flu-like symptoms (temperature of 100 degrees or more, headache, muscle aches, sweating, sore throat, cough, extreme fatigue). With the help of our teachers, they also regularly emphasize health, hygiene and safety by talking about the importance of not rubbing their eyes or nose, frequent hand washing, good hand-washing habits and good cough technique in order to reduce the spread of any disease.
As parents, you can help, too. Please talk to your children about the importance of frequent hand washing and good hand-washing habits to reduce the spread of any disease. For instance, let them know that you should wash your hands at least 10 times a day. You read that right — 10 times. When the military encouraged their employees to wash their hands at least 10 times a day, they cut their illness rate by 25 percent.
If your child complains about not feeling well, please check your child’s temperature before sending him/her to school. If your child has a fever of 100 degrees or more before you give him/her Tylenol, Advil, Motrin or some other appropriate fever–reducing medication, keep your child at home. Adults can pass the flu virus to others up to one day before and three to seven days after symptoms start. Children can pass the virus for longer than seven days after their symptoms begin.
Please remember, too, that if your child has a fever of 100 degrees or more before taking Tylenol, Advil, Motrin or some other fever reducing medication, that child should stay home until he or she is fever free for 24 hours. This is true even if your child is using an antiviral medicine. It usually takes from three to five days for the fever to break.
We know how important your children are to you. Please make sure that your school has your current emergency telephone numbers, in case we need to contact you about an illness.
Thank you for helping us keep your children healthy.