Flu Information
Influenza is a contagious viral infection, and anyone can get it. Coughing and sneezing can spread the illness from person to person, and also by direct contact with infected people or objects they contaminate. School nurses list washing hands frequently, keeping hands away from the mouth, nose and eyes, and coughing into a tissue or sleeve as top flu prevention measures.
Public schools in Charles County use appropriate measures to limit the spread of infection. Some of the daily cleaning done by building service workers includes disinfecting bathrooms and other areas with hospital-approved cleaners.
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School nurses recommend that if a child has a sore throat, cough, stuffy nose, chills, headache and body aches and/or fatigue that parents keep them home until the symptoms pass. Students should not return to school for at least 24 hours after they no longer have a fever without the use of medicines.
Flu prevention resources are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
An Ounce of Prevention... What are the Returns?
The guidelines below can help prevent the spread of germs:
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Cover your cough
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Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or;
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Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hand
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Put your used tissue in the waste basket
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Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing
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Wash hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds, or;
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Clean with alcohol-based hand cleaner