H1N1 Prevention Efforts at St. Pat’s
September 21, 2009

The administration at Saint Patrick High School would like to inform the school community of actions taken to prevent the emergence and spread of the H1N1 flu virus at St. Pat’s. At the top of the list is reminding students that if they are sick and have a fever, they should inform the school and stay home until at least 24 hours after the fever is gone. Other ongoing efforts include routine disinfecting of common areas and surfaces including desks, cafeteria tables, computers and athletic equipment, installation of hand-sanitizer dispensers in the cafeteria, close monitoring of attendance and maintaining contact with regional and state agencies to receive the latest H1N1 updates. The Athletic Department has also purchased individual bottles of hand sanitizer for all classrooms and offices.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one of the best methods to control viruses such as H1N1 is for people to practice good personal hygiene by washing hands frequently with soap and water, and covering both nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. The CDC updates its Web site regularly and is a good source of current information regarding the H1N1 flu. See below for more helpful H1N1 resources.

H1N1 Links
American Academy of Pediatrics— http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/may09swineflu.htm
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention— www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu
En espanol: http://www.cdc.gov/H1N1flu/espanol/
Illinois State Board of Education— http://isbe.net/htmls/h1n1.htm
World Health Organization— http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/index.html