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Schools won't be notified if students test positive for swine flu: Toronto Public Health
Charlene Close and 680News staff Toronto | Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 8:17 am Toronto - As the new school year kicks off, so does a fresh wave of swine flu concerns.
Health units across Ontario, including the GTA, have spent the summer preparing their pandemic plans.
But unlike last spring, when the initial swine flu outbreak occurred, public health units don't have to keep schools in the loop when there are cases within their classrooms.
Dr. Barbara Yaffe, the associate medical officer of health at Toronto Public Health, told 680News provincial guidelines do not require them to notify the schools.
She explained that exposure to swine flu is no longer limited to the classroom, so reporting cases to the schools won't stop the spread.
Dr. Yaffe said the focus, instead, is on battling the spread of the virus.
She also said that swine flu is being treated like the regular flu.
"People do get concerned when they hear about illness that can affect their children ... flu is something that we have every year, and the experience to date has been that the majority of cases of H1N1 are not serious [and] they tend to recover completely within a few days," she said.
Meanwhile, school boards have also put together epidemic response teams and cleaning staff have been told to give door-knobs and staircases extra attention.
Brian Woodland, a spokesperson for the Peel District School Board, told 680News people need to keep the virus in perspective.
"It's pretty clear that there's a level of anxiety in parents and staff ... [but] people aren't at any greater risk in the school than at any other public space," Woodland said.
Letters will also be sent home with students Tuesday reminding them and their parents of how to stop the spread of the virus.
http://www.680news.com/news/headlines/more.jsp?content=20090908_081038_6496
Charlene Close and 680News staff Toronto | Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 8:17 am Toronto - As the new school year kicks off, so does a fresh wave of swine flu concerns.
Health units across Ontario, including the GTA, have spent the summer preparing their pandemic plans.
But unlike last spring, when the initial swine flu outbreak occurred, public health units don't have to keep schools in the loop when there are cases within their classrooms.
Dr. Barbara Yaffe, the associate medical officer of health at Toronto Public Health, told 680News provincial guidelines do not require them to notify the schools.
She explained that exposure to swine flu is no longer limited to the classroom, so reporting cases to the schools won't stop the spread.
Dr. Yaffe said the focus, instead, is on battling the spread of the virus.
She also said that swine flu is being treated like the regular flu.
"People do get concerned when they hear about illness that can affect their children ... flu is something that we have every year, and the experience to date has been that the majority of cases of H1N1 are not serious [and] they tend to recover completely within a few days," she said.
Meanwhile, school boards have also put together epidemic response teams and cleaning staff have been told to give door-knobs and staircases extra attention.
Brian Woodland, a spokesperson for the Peel District School Board, told 680News people need to keep the virus in perspective.
"It's pretty clear that there's a level of anxiety in parents and staff ... [but] people aren't at any greater risk in the school than at any other public space," Woodland said.
Letters will also be sent home with students Tuesday reminding them and their parents of how to stop the spread of the virus.
http://www.680news.com/news/headlines/more.jsp?content=20090908_081038_6496
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