Rutherford County Schools held a meeting with all principals Thursday to discuss contingency plans in case the swine flu rears its head in the county.
On the heels of the Tennessee Department of Health announcement Wednesday night the first probable case of the swine flu in the state, county schools solidified its plans for possible cases in Rutherford County schools.
The probable swine flu patient is a Williamson County resident, who is a student at Harding Academy in Nashville. The school will be closed for the next week to prevent additional cases.
“If there is a confirmed case in a school, we will shut down that school for at least one week depending on how many students are infected,” RCS spokesman James Evans said, adding ultimately the call is up to RCS Director Harry Gill.
MTSU has also announced it will follow the school’s Emergency Management plan related to public health emergencies as well as health and safety guidelines as provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The administration is taking precautions to address this concern should this health situation worsen,” MTSU Pres. Sidney McPhee said.
The university will continue to operate as normal, but two planned trips to Mexico have been postponed. “The University administration will take additional action to protect our students, faculty, staff and others who have regular access to campus should circumstances dictate such action,” McPhee said.
For now Rutherford County Schools is focusing on preventing the disease through good hygiene practices and sent home a letter to parents earlier this week detailing precautions to prevent the spread of disease.
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The instructions are as follows: - Keep children who are sick at home. DO NOT send them to school especially with a fever.
- Symptoms of the flu to watch for are fever greater than 102°, cough, and sore throat. Flu also produces symptoms of body aches and this flu may produce vomiting and diarrhea.
- Teach your children to wash their hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, before eating, after sneezing, coughing, or blowing their nose, and after using the bathroom, or by using an alcohol-based hand cleaner. Be sure to set a good example by doing this yourself.
- Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues or by coughing into the inside of the elbow. Wash your hands frequently or use alcohol-based hand cleaner after sneezing or coughing. You will set a good example by doing this yourself. - Teach your children to stay at least three feet away from people who are sick.
- People who are sick should stay home from work or school and avoid other people until they are better.
Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com. |
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