America's North Shore Journal

Rates and numbers of cases of pandemic influenza in the United States are lower than they were when schools were open in the spring. Public Health officials expect that to change as schools reopen for the fall.

The average incubation period from exposure to symptoms for this swine flu is 2-3 days, though it may be as long as 10 days. If the infection rates remain the same, schools will begin seeing clusters of pandemic flu nine to sixteen days after they open.

Through today, most of the schools in six states have reopened for a new school year. You can locate your state at this link. The various states are assessing the CDC’s recommendations about handling the H1N1 or Swine Flu pandemic in schools and some have begun to take action. The state websites are linked to the state names. News media reports on the subject follow.

1. Arizona: KVOA reports that schools are prepared in the Pima County area. Schools are setting up areas where sick children or adults who come to school can be isolated from the general population. Coughing or sneezing into the crook of your arm is going to be taught in the schools.
2. Hawaii: KHNL 8 reports on a school that suffered a cluster of pandemic flu cases last spring. KHON 2 talks about Hawaii’s Stop Flu in School Program.
3. Alabama: The Gadsden Times reports that school officials will be “fighting flu with common sense”. The Times Daily in northern Alabama says that local health officials and schools will base their initial pandemic fight on educating the public.
4. Georgia: Fox 5 Atlanta reports that health officials and school administrators are concentrating on convincing parents to keep their children home if they are ill. Good hygiene habits, such as handwashing, are going to be stressed in schools.
5. Tennessee: The Tennessean reveals that officials plan on keeping schools open, per the CDC recommendations. Last spring there were some school closings related to the pandemic flu.
6. Louisiana: The Daily Comet quotes health officials in Louisiana as stressing the importance of good hygiene habits.