“Custodians have added additional disinfecting in high contact areas like water fountains, restroom sinks and doorknobs throughout the school days,” Clark-Shawnee Local School District Superintendent Brian Kuhn said. “The health and safety of our students and staff is our highest priority and we are taking proactive steps to limit the spread of illnesses.”
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Greenon Local Schools officials are also putting a priority on cleaning.
“Evening custodians have been doing additional sanitizing every night on top of our regular cleaning routines, including student desks and high contact areas,” Greenon Local Schools Superintendent Brad Silvus said. “Providing healthy learning environments is a top priority and we’ve been proactive about adding in additional sanitizing.”
Northeastern Local Schools adds extra cleaning during flu season, Superintendent John Kronour said.
“In addition to regular cleaning and disinfecting routines, custodians do extra disinfecting during cold and flu season to help keep learning environments healthy for all students and staff,” Kronour said.
Centerville City Schools and Wilmington City Schools were among those closed on Friday because of the high number of flu cases among staff and students.
The flu season runs from October through May, but it’s considered widespread in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Health.
As of Jan. 31, there have been 86 Clark County flu-related hospitalizations and 11 Champaign County flu-related hospitalizations.
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Champaign Health District Commissioner Gabe Jones, in a letter to parents dated Jan. 29, provided information on three illnesses commonly seen this time of year and how to prevent them. Graham Local Schools posted the letter on its Facebook page.
The three illnesses include:
—Pink Eye/Conjunctivitis: This easy to spread bacteria or virus may cause redness or swelling of the whites of the eyes or inside the eyelids, discharge from the eyes, itchy or scratchy eyes, or crusting of the eyelids or lashes.
—Norovirus: A very contagious gastrointestinal disease that can be spread from person to person, fecal-oral route or by touching contaminated surfaces. The symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and sometimes fever. The person also may be able to spread the virus for several days after feeling better.
—Influenza: A respiratory virus that includes fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle or body aches, headaches and fatigue/tiredness.
The symptoms of influenza can include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.
In addition to getting a flu shot, the Ohio Department of Health recommends washing your hands often with soap and water or using alcohol-based sanitizer when unable to wash, trying not to touch your eyes, nose or mouth because germs are often spread this way, getting plenty of rest, and when you are sick, staying home until you are fever-free for 24 hours without any fever-reducing medications.
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