Schools React to Swine Flu Pandemic

There are two main reasons why health care officials are concerned about the spread of the H1N1 Swine Flu virus being communicated at schools: one because it is public or enclosed areas with a high concentration of humanity that is a target for the virus to spread and secondly because young people are anyway more at risk from this strain of the flu virus.

In some schools in the US, as reported here,  skin-on-skin contact will be discouraged and this includes things like shaking hands, hugs and even high fives!

In general schools in the UK as well as the US are not in favour of shutting down schools because according to officials, this is not going to stop the spread of swine flu only delays it. Closing schools is also disruptive and costly as working parents must juggle their schedules to take care of their children.

Simon Cauchemez, a flu expert at London’s Imperial College has been reported as having said, “With a mild virus like swine flu, I think it is not necessary to close schools. The only reason you would do it in the current outbreak is you’re afraid the health care system will be completely overwhelmed.”

France however has announced that it will allow a school to close if three students show flu symptoms in less than a week.

Meanwhile in India, several educational institutions are shutting down for limited periods to contain the spread of the virus. According to the Economic times, the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) here has shut down for 10 days to prevent the spread of the influenza A H1N1 virus that has killed 20 people in Karnataka.  All over the country, there are schools that are taking the precaution of shutting to contain the spread of the virus, although there is no advisory to this effect.

Related Posts:

1. 177 Test Positive for Swine Flu; National Death Toll climbs to 600
2. What Colleges Are Doing To Fight Swine Flu
3. Record 220 New H1N1 Cases In India
4. Round Table Conference on Swine Flu in National Capital
5. Alarmist Media, How Worried Do We Really Need To Be?
6. What India Should Do To Fight Against Swine Flu?