Public health officials have reported that although this year’s flu numbers are double that of the same time last year, with an average of 120 cases weekly, they have remained static for the last month.
“However, there has been a notable increase in flu activity this past week with 176 cases reported,” Medical Officer of Health Dr. Kiran Kumar said,
As for the schools, flu surveillance data compiled by school health nurses shows that flu case numbers rose after the September school opening, peaking in the third and forth weeks of that month.
“On a weekly average there have been about 45-50 children and 5-9 staff in schools and pre-schools that have reported flu-like symptoms, with a slight increase in the last week,” Dr. Kumar explained.
“We ask teachers and students to be diligent with hand washing and cover their coughs and sneezes. Most importantly, parents must keep sick children at home,” Dr. Kumar urged.
There is no need for healthy children to stay away from school, he added.
Common symptoms to look for include fever, sore throat, coughing and a runny nose.
Dr. Kumar noted that if children experience mild illness, then parents can treat them with over-the-counter fever medication.
“You only have to seek medical attention when needed. We know that we are in the midst of a global pandemic, and as such we can assume that most flu cases are from the H1N1 virus. And so, there is no longer any need to test every case,” he explained.
Education Chief Officer Mary Rodrigues said that schools continue to monitor the situation closely, and she also asked parents pay attention to public health advice: “We are in the beginning of flu season, and we should all play our part in minimizing the spread of the virus.”
For more information on H1N1 visit www.CaymanPrepared.ky or www.hsa.ky. The Health Services Authority has established a Flu Clinic and has a flu email and message system – flu [at] hsa [dot] ky – where residents can get more information.
