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SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
MEDIA ADVISORY: Tuesday, May 05, 2009
CONTACT: Barb Buhler, (605) 773-3361
RE: Change in CDC guidance for school closures related to swine flu (H1N1)
Based on just updated guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the South Dakota Department of Health is no longer recommending school dismissal or closure of child care facilities in response to probable or confirmed cases of swine flu (H1N1). The two Sioux Falls child care facilities that closed earlier due to probable cases have been notified they may reopen.
Instead of closure of facilities, the new guidance calls for facilities to treat H1N1 as seasonal influenza by excluding students, faculty and staff that have symptoms of influenza during their period of illness and recuperation, when they are potentially infectious to others. As with seasonal flu, the primary way to reduce spread of H1N1 is to exclude those who are ill and emphasize good hygiene – covering coughs and sneezes and washing hands frequently.
“CDC has indicated from the beginning that their guidance was interim and would change based on the evolving science of this virus. Since H1N1 was an unknown virus and its transmission and severity was unclear, it was prudent to be cautious,” said Doneen Hollingsworth, Secretary of Health. “It now appears that the disease caused by this new virus is similar to what we see with seasonal influenza and is not causing unusually severe illness. The department has followed CDC guidance from the start and will continue to do so.”
The updated guidance can be found on the CDC web site, http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/.