H1N1 is transmitted from person to person, and therefore, schools and child care facilities have been advised to carefully monitor children for any signs or symptoms.

At the recommendation of the Center for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Education, any school or child care facility with a confirmed case of H1N1 in a child or employee is instructed to close for at least seven days. In addition, if a school is closed, all activities will be cancelled.

It is recommended that parents develop a plan of action in the case that their child’s school or daycare facility is closed. Also, if your child is experiencing flu like symptoms they are encouraged to stay home.

If your child does come into contact with someone who has H1N1, the parent should contact a doctor to determine if he or she should receive antiviral medicine for treatment of symptoms.

Children should be instructed to wash their hands frequently and to sneeze and cough into the inside of their elbow or into a tissue.

Parents should continue to monitor their children for symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and, occasionally, vomiting and diarrhea.

Warning signs such as trouble breathing, bluish-gray skin color and not drinking enough fluids should result in parents seeking emergency medical care.

For more information, please contact the Ohio Department of Health public inquiry line at 1-866-800-1404.

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