Don’t help spread the H1N1 virus

Maybe it’s time to invest in Johnson & Johnson stock. After all, they’re the ones who make Purell hand sanitizer, and it looks like we’re going to be going through a lot of it in the coming months. The H1N1 epidemic, commonly known as swine flu, seems to be gathering momentum.

Health professionals are especially concerned about this strain of influenza. Unlike most flu viruses, this one has continued to infect people throughout the summer months, rather than lie dormant. That bodes ill for the fall and winter, when flu bugs are generally strongest, and when gathering children in schools gives them ample opportunity to thrive.

Fortunately or unfortunately, the best defense against this virus so far seems to be to contain the germs. While medical researchers race the clock to produce an effective vaccine, the public needs to resort to old-fashioned cleanliness to avoid contagion. Our local school district has sent out notices requesting parents’ help in reinforcing their efforts. They’re trying to ensure that all children wash their hands before lunch, they’re making waterless hand sanitizer available in every classroom, and they’re all but begging parents to keep sick children at home.

This is probably the biggest assistance parents can provide. Too often, we let our own work obligations and busy commitments take priority, trying to convince ourselves that our children aren’t really all that sick, and sending them off to school with just a little trepidation. But those classrooms, many of them without effective air conditioning (if there’s any at all), seem to sit just ready to incubate whatever germs enter the door. It really is best to err on the side of caution, and to keep any feverish or coughing child home from school.

During a season like this one, with such a widespread flu bug going around, it’s a good idea to have contingency plans already in place in case your child does get ill. Whether parents need to tag-team, taking turns with taking days off, or whether you need to rely on favors from relatives, you need to be prepared to keep your child at home. After all, if too many sick children infect their classmates, the whole school may need to shut down, putting everyone in a bind for a lot longer period.

So the motto for making it through this flu season is this: be prepared. Be prepared with the hand sanitizer, and be prepared to stay home with your child if necessary.