To Francis Howell Staff:

The Francis Howell School District has been monitoring the current status of swine flu in the United States. Currently, there are no known cases in Missouri.

However, due to the evolving situation of swine flu spreading in parts of the country, we want to share some information and ask for your help in monitoring any illnesses in our schools.

The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human influenza and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. If your child is ill with these symptoms, please keep him/her at home and let your school’s office know that your child has flu-like symptoms when calling in sick. Our nurses will be closely monitoring the situation to track illnesses. Please remember, if your child has had a fever of 100° F or higher, they must be fever free for 24 hours without the use of medication before returning to school.

The Centers for Disease Control have issued the following suggestions to stay healthy:

*       Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
*       Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol based hands cleaners are also effective.
*       Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, as germs are more easily spread through contact.
*       Try to avoid close contact with sick people. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or through the sneezing of infected people.
*       If you get sick, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

We would encourage you to contact your healthcare provider for additional information or for answers to specific questions. Additional information on swine flu can be found at www.cdc.gov/swineflu <http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu> .

Thank you,

Janet Stiglich
Francis Howell School District Health Office