School safety, security, and violence prevention resource

I am sure that you have heard of the worldwide concern regarding swine flu. Also called influenza A or H1N1 virus, this new strain of flu is raising alarms across nations. Naturally, this is a cause of concern for our children who are in schools.

In Chicago, for example, schools are placing special emphasis on safety measures in order to protect children from possible cases of swine flu. The Chicago Tribune is helping spread awareness:

Oborski, who is employed by Advocate Health Care, also prepared a swine flu insert for the parish bulletin to be given out at Sunday masses. “Education is prevention,” she said. “Right now, this is the best way to minimize transmission.”

At the high school on Thursday afternoon, Oborski advised the girls to sneeze into their sleeves, wash hands often and buy their own bottle of hand sanitizer. The stone-faced students listened intently, nodding in agreement.

“If you feel sick, it’s best to stay home,” Oborski said. “It’s better to err on the side of caution in this case.”

Indeed, while not all the schools in the country will probably ever see a case of swine flu, awareness and prevention is perhaps the best defense that anyone could ever have right now. Even the current flu vaccine that we have available right now is no guarantee that a person will be immune to the Mexican swine flu.

I know that a lot of people are actually thinking that there are some who are overreacting to the situation but I think that those who are “arming” themselves so to speak are right in doing so. It is better to try and take all the precautions that are possible in order to avoid contracting the flu rather than sit back and relax and not think about it.

Some tips that can help you in this regard, courtesy of the CDC:

1.Avoid close contact.
Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
2.Stay home when you are sick.
If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
3.Cover your mouth and nose.
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.
4.Clean your hands.
Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.
5.Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
6.Practice other good health habits.
Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.

That’s about all that you can do. Here’s to keeping children safe from the swine flu!

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