About Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI)

& your child

1.    School will likely remain open.

Unlike last spring, school closings are no longer recommended by the CDC and MN Department of Health.  Students and staff who have flu-like symptoms are expected to remain home.

2.    Testing for H1N1 is not reliable and typically won’t be conducted.

Unless a person is hospitalized, medical professionals are not expected to test for H1N1.  This means most people with flu-like symptoms will likely never know if they have the H1N1 strain.  For this reason Influenza-Like-Illness symptoms are now the basis for care and school exclusion guidelines.

3.    Parents should keep their child home if their child is showing symptoms.

As always, extended student absences may require medical verification.  Symptom-free students are expected to attend school.

4.    Students and staff with flu-like illnesses should stay home for at least 24 hours after their 100 degree fever is gone (without the use of fever-reducing medicine).

This is a change from the CDC’s previous recommendation that ill persons stay home for seven days after illness onset or until 24 hours after the resolution of symptoms, whichever is longer.  Persons with fever are more likely to spread the virus.

5.    Parents should report absences to the health office.

As always, parents should call their school’s attendance line to report their student’s absence for any reason, including those related to illnesses.  However, the attendance line message will ask parents to also call their school’s health office to report illnesses that include a fever of 100 degrees or higher, a cough or sore throat or other symptoms.  The school health office can work with families to help them make the best decision on returning students to school.  Confidentiality will be kept for all families reporting illnesses.

6.    We don’t expect to prevent the spread of Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI).

Experts agree that ILI transmission in schools is inevitable.  However, with the help of prevention strategies, we hope to slow any surges of the illness that would contribute to large populations of students and staff ill and absent at the same time. 

7.    Hygiene strategies will be shared repeatedly with students.

These include covering coughs and sneezes, and washing hands frequently with soap and water or an approved hand cleaner.  We have increased our cleaning and hygiene efforts and are working toward appropriate placement of hand sanitizing stations and reminder signage.  Students, parents and staff should not bring cleaning products from home to disinfect classroom spaces.

If you have questions please call Aimee Green (St. Odilia Health Assistant) @ 651-415-3304, Nancy Haugen (MV School Nurse) @ 651-248-1519, or Bob Grose (Principal) @ 651-484-3364

For more information and ongoing updates go to the MDH website at:

www.health.state.mn.us or www.flu.gov

or call MDH at 651-201-5414.

Influenza-Like-Illness Symptom Screening Tool for Parents and Caregivers

Parents and caregivers should use the following questionnaire to assess the health status of their child on a daily basis.

Does your child have:

1.    Fever (100° or greater)?
(take temperature before giving fever-reducing medicine)

2.    Sore Throat?

3.    Cough?

SHOULD I KEEP MY CHILD HOME?

     If you checked yes to fever AND one of the other symptoms, keep your child home for at least 24 hours after his or her fever is gone without fever-reducing medicine.  For many children this will be 5 to 7 days.  Your child should feel well enough to participate in school before returning.  If you have questions about your child’s health or symptoms, call your child’s healthcare provider.

If your child has been diagnosed by a healthcare provider with a different disease, such as strep, follow your healthcare provider’s recommendation and school policy for when to return to school.

WHAT SHOULD I TELL MY CHILD’S SCHOOL?

      If you checked “yes” for fever AND one of the other symptoms, tell your child’s attendance office that your child is home with influenza-like illness.

      If your child has been diagnosed by a healthcare provider with a different disease, such as strep, tell your child’s attendance office.

      No personal information about your child, including your child’s name, will be shared outside of the school.

For more information and ongoing updates go to the MDH website at:

www.health.state.mn.us   or    www.flu.gov

or call MDH at 651-201-5414.