Everett, Wash.
Published: Sunday, May 17, 2009

New strategy in battling influenza

Recent outbreaks of swine flu have prompted the Snohomish Health District to concentrate on identifying those at risk of becoming seriously ill from flu outbreaks.

By Sharon Salyer
Herald Writer

 The Snohomish Health District will no longer notify schools when individual cases of swine flu are confirmed.

Instead, it will concentrate on identifying patients who could develop serious illness from the infection, such as pregnant women, young children and the elderly, said health district spokeswoman Suzanne Pate.

The announcement of the change in how it investigates swine flu cases was sent to school nurses and superintendents last week by Dr. Gary Goldbaum, who heads the public health agency.

Cases of swine flu are now treated the same as cases of seasonal flu, Pate said.

"It's a common-sense move; it makes sense for the schools and makes sense for us," she said.

Although the public health agency will no longer report to schools when there's an individual case of swine flu, schools are being asked to step up their vigilance of sick children and staff. Anyone with a fever will be sent home, she said.

Representatives of the Monroe, Everett and Mukilteo school districts said they weren't surprised by the change.

"It actually is moving us back to what has been Snohomish Health District practice, that we work closely together and monitor illness in our classrooms," said Rosemary O'Neil, a spokeswoman for the Monroe school district.

"If there's a concern, we will notify pubic health," she said.

The new policy won't make any difference in the communication between the school district and the health district "if we're seeing something that looks concerning," said Mary Myers, who oversees health services for the school district.

The Snohomish Health District "worked around the clock … to keep us in the loop" during the early days of the swine flu outbreak when health officials worried it could turn far more deadly, said Mary Waggoner, a spokeswoman for the Everett school district.

If the virus were to suddenly cause more serious illness, Waggoner said she's confident that the health district would provide advice on how to respond.

The Mukilteo School District has been in constant contact with the health district since the beginning of the outbreak, said Nancy Zaneski, lead school nurse.

The health district's new policy restates its previous advice to keep children home if they have a fever of more than 100 degree and a sore throat or cough. Parents should keep children with these symptoms home for seven days or until children have gone 24 hours without symptoms.

Zaneski said she thinks that parents have gotten the message. It has been sent to parents through letters and is posted on the school district Web site.

And when parents call schools to report sick children, staff repeat the advice, Zaneski said.

The health district's decision to discontinue notifying schools of individual cases of swine flu follows a recent change in advice on school closings.

Initially, the public health agency suggested that a school should be closed when a single case of swine flu was reported.

Earlier this month, as the illness caused by swine flu was found to be similar to seasonal flu, the health district said that one confirmed case would no longer warrant closing a school.

School closings were advised only if there were numerous students and staff who were ill.

Reporter Sharon Salyer: 425-339-3486 or salyer@heraldnet.com.
© 2009The Daily Herald Co., Everett, WA