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| Helplines |
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Dial Toll Free
National Helpline: 1075
NCDC: 011-23921401
Latest Government of India
updates: www.mohfw.nic.in |
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| How do I Protect Myself from H1N1? |
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Stay informed |
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Understand the influenza. It
spreads mainly person to
person through coughing or
sneezing of infected people |
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Take actions to stay
healthy |
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Cover nose and mouth
with a tissue when
coughing/
sneezing |
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Throw tissue in the trash
after using |
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Wash hands often with
soap and water, especially
after coughing/sneezing |
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Avoid touching eyes, nose
or mouth |
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Stay home if sick |
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Follow public health advice |
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| General Information for Day care, Schools and Colleges |
| This section provide advise to educational establishments and day care facilities on how to inform, protect and act in the event of an H1N1 outbreak. A sensitised and vigilant staff is urged to detect symptoms, provide care, take the decision of isolating or sending the child back home. Parents too need to be guided and explained on the need to keep the child home if unwell. |
Information day cares, schools and colleges can use
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 The primary aim of reducing spread of influenza in all areas that have large gatherings (class rooms, play areas, assemblies and congregations) that bring together children, teachers, care givers and attendants should be on stepping up prevention efforts and early identification of those who may be ill |
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Those showing flu symptoms should be advised to stay home |
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Ensure availability of hand washing facilities, running water and soap |
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Clean all areas/items that are likely to have frequent hand contact (doorknobs, faucets, handrails, staircase banisters, computer key boards, desks) |
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Information on prevention (good cough and hand etiquette) should be talked about, shared and disseminated through clear messaging and iteration |
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Appoint monitors to talk to students and identify cases that need attention |
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Develop a working relationship with local health officials (district health officer, municipal health officer etc) and plan jointly for possible contingencies; set up mechanisms and protocols for monitoring ILI and any requirements for reporting ILI cases. Also plans should include: |
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What to do if anyone on campus falls ill |
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How to separate the ill person and limit spread of influenza to staff/students |
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When to seek additional medical evaluation and provide care for ILI |
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Educate parents/guardians and discuss how to handle illness at home. Share with them precautions that the school is taking and if found ill, would the child be sent back home (if so how) or will parents be called and asked to fetch the child |
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Develop a short training programme for day/residential staff on communicable disease prevention, including specific information on recognising ILI and reporting possible cases to administration in-charge/point person |
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Create age appropriate educational materials and information and position them strategically within the campus/ location |
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Boarding schools and residential camps
Click here for GoI Guidelines for schools, colleges and institutions
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The spread of influenza can be reduced drastically in all residential settings where children, teachers, care givers and attendants reside is by focusing on early identification of ill campers and staff |
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Provide residential students/attendant staff/volunteers materials prior to arrival at the facility notifying them that they would not be allowed to attend activities/ classes if they had ILI 7 days prior to their coming to the facility |
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 Consider active screening of all newly arriving attendees, staff and volunteers by asking if they have had any symptoms of ILI in the previous 7 days. Provide education to individual attendees about reporting ILI. Take a careful health history and check for any underlying health conditions |
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Attendees, staff and volunteers should be instructed to immediately inform the management if they currently have or have had ILI in the 7 days prior to arrival and if they have had then they should not attend the facility till they are symptom free for at least 24 hours |
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Staff and volunteers of the residential facility or camp site should be diligent about early recognition of illness and rapid isolation of those that are experiencing ILI symptoms |
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Students who develop ILI should be immediately separated until they can be safely returned home or taken for medical care, if needed, or for at least 7 days after symptoms began or 24 hours after symptoms resolve, whichever is longer (if the child is to remain at a residential camp) |
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Protocols should be in place for medical evaluation of persons ill with ILI and how monitoring will be conducted. Not all patients with suspected H1N1 infection need to be seen by a health care provider. Patients with severe illness and those at high risk for complications from influenza should contact their medical provider or seek medical care |
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Aspirin or aspirin-containing products should not be administered to any person aged 18 years old and younger with a confirmed or suspected case of influenza virus infection, due to the risk of Reye syndrome |
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If individual rooms for persons with ILI are not feasible, a large room for ill persons with beds at least 6 feet apart and, preferably with temporary barriers between beds and nearby bathroom facilities (separate from bathrooms used by healthy campers) to be arranged |
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Linen, eating utensils, and dishes used by the sick do not need to be cleaned separately, but should not be shared without thorough washing. Linen (bed sheets and towels) to be washed in hot water with laundry soap. Hands to be washed with soap and water immediately after handling dirty laundry |
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Designate staff to care for ill persons and limit their interaction with other campers during their shift to decrease risk of spreading influenza in the camp |
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Symptoms of Novel Influenza A(H1N1)
These are not different from seasonal influenza. Look for the following symptoms:
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Usually fever plus at least either cough or sore throat |
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These symptoms are often referred to as an influenza-like illness (ILI) |
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Influenza infection can lead to additional symptoms like headache, tiredness, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, chills, diarrhea, and vomiting. Like seasonal flu, H1N1 infection in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe. When severe, pneumonia, respiratory failure and even death is possible |
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Novel influenza A(H1N1) is thought to spread in the same way that seasonal influenza viruses spread, mainly through coughs and sneezes of people who are sick with the virus. People may also become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose |
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References:
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Also read Questions parents/guardians may want answered |
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| India Situation |
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