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The following letter (in English) was sent home with all Sun Prairie Area School District elementary and middle school students on Thursday, May 7. It was mailed to Sun Prairie High School students.
Spanish Version of Letter
Hmong Version of Letter
May 7, 2009
Dear Sun Prairie Area School District Parents and Families,
We were informed after school was released on May 6th that there has been a confirmed case of H1N1 Influenza (swine flu) at Westside Elementary School. We initially informed the community of this confirmed case via a district e-News email Wednesday evening.
Westside will remain open, as usual. After-school activities will go on as scheduled. It is important for all of us to continue with business as usual so our children have the comfort of routine and continue learning. We have been informed by staff at Public Health – Madison & Dane County that it now appears that this influenza is not as dangerous as was once feared. It is not a cause for undo alarm.
Still, people with H1N1 are often uncomfortably sick. Also, people with other health problems may get sicker with this influenza, just as they would with the annual, seasonal influenza. Initially in this outbreak, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended that when H1N1 influenza was diagnosed in a child or school staff, that the school be closed. They now know that closing schools does not prevent spread of the disease.
This child has not attended school this week and has been instructed to stay home for 7 days or until 24 hours after their symptoms have disappeared, whichever is longest. This is being done to help prevent the spread of disease to others. However, this influenza might spread before anyone knows that they are ill, so more cases might occur.
Here’s what you can do to help prevent further spread of this disease:
- Wash your hands and make sure your children are washing their hands even more frequently than usual.
- If you are coughing, cover your mouth – preferably by coughing into your sleeve.
- If anyone in your family develops symptoms of influenza, they should stay home and not have visitors. Call your doctor. If you do not have health insurance, call Public Health – Madison and Dane County at 266-4821.
- A sick person should stay home for 7 days or until 24 hours after their symptoms have disappeared, whichever is longest.
Symptoms of H1N1 Influenza are fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. The best sources of information about H1N1 influenza are these websites: www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu and www.publichealthmdc.com. If you have further questions about H1N1 influenza, call 211 or Public Health – Madison and Dane County at 266-4821.
We send news updates via email to those who have subscribed to our free e-News service. If you have not yet subscribed, we encourage you to do so as that was our means of communicating this information Wednesday evening. The link is on our on the top right of our website “Subscribe to District e-News” (http://www.sunprairie.k12.wi.us/e_news_steps.cfm.)
The safety and well being of our students and staff is our greatest priority. We know this is an anxious time and appreciate your cooperation as we all work to protect our community. We are working closely with health officials and will keep parents updated with any important information.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.
Dr. Tim Culver
District Administrator
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