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Uploaded: Monday, September 14, 2009, 11:58 AM

Palo Alto schools prepare for H1N1 virus
District officials educate school staff, families on preventative measures

by Lauren Jow
Palo Alto Weekly Staff

Posted by Baldy in tha Caddy, a resident of the Fairmeadow neighborhood, on Sep 14, 2009 at 2:16 pm

[Post removed by Palo Alto Online staff.]

Posted by Parent, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Sep 14, 2009 at 11:44 pm

From my reading up on this subject, we must get the kids to wash with hot water and soap, and many of our school bathrooms do not have hot water. We must start using our feet to flush the toilet. We must not put backpacks or purses on the floor of the bathrooms but hang them as backpacks and purses are usually taken home and put on kitchen counters where they can pass on germs. We must use the paper towels used to dry hands to open bathroom doors, so the trashcan must be beside the door, and use a foot to keep the door open while discarding the towel into the trash.

We must wash hands before eating and preferably use clean utensils rather than fingers and wash again after eating. We must remember that anything in the classroom that is touched by many people must be cleansed properly regularly, door handles, light switches, keyboards, etc. Chlorox wipes in the classrooms would also be useful.

Posted by Midtownparent, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2009 at 10:23 am

I do not know abut your schools but at the elementary school my children go to, there is no paper towels to dry hands. There is cold water and soap. Many kids do not know how to wash hands well, specially kinders and first graders. It will really help if we go back to paper towels to remove whatever dirth the children left behind.

Posted by MScanlon, a resident of the Palo Verde neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2009 at 11:03 am

Dear Parent AMEN TO THAT

so many people forget little techniques to keep germ free. Thank you for putting so many into one spot. Kudos to you.

Posted by sarah, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2009 at 11:11 am

How about mounting Purel dispensers outside the bathrooms and inside the cafeteria, like they have on cruise ships?

Posted by observer, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2009 at 11:15 am

I hope teachers are encouraged to stay home when they are sick regardless of the fact that a sub will be required. I hope the policy does not allow sick days to be accumulated and used as vacation instead, discouraging their original intended purpose. I hope also that teachers will be encouraged to make concrete procedures for students to acquire notes, handouts and assignments when students have stayed home sick. Furthermore, a clear, fair policy on making up tests and extending deadlines should be in place. Finally, students, just for this season, should be presumed innocent until proven guilty when they stay home sick.

Posted by Get the shotz, a member of the Duveneck School community, on Sep 15, 2009 at 11:18 am

How about PAUSD offering one day of H1N1 vaccines for all students, even for a fee? Our secondary education students miss to much if they are out ill, thus, they will be in class, sick.

New etiquette: people need to also cough and sneeze into their shirt sleeve, not into the hands.

Posted by observer, a resident of the Barron Park neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2009 at 11:48 am

Let's ask ourselves, with the new wave of construction underway, how many of us eat outside every single day of the whole year with not much more than a sweatshirt on. That is what our high school students do - no lockers to hold coats in cold weather.

Posted by Stanford Blood Center, a resident of the Palo Alto Hills neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2009 at 1:16 pm

Stanford Blood Center invites all to join us at our next Cafe Scientifique discussion on Tuesday, September 22 from 7-9 p.m. This month the topic is "Novel H1N1(swine) Influenza: An Update on the Current Pandemic". Arthur Reingold, MD, professor and head of the Division of Epidemiology at UC Berkeley, will discuss the topic as an expert on the prevention of infectious diseases. For the location and more information, visit Web Link

Posted by Erin, a resident of the Leland Manor/Garland Drive neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2009 at 5:07 pm

Observer - the Young 5s class ate inside a total of probably 5 or 6 days last year and those were 4 and 5 year olds. This is California. It's not that cold out at lunchtime. High schoolers can definitely brave the weather. I bet they wouldn't be caught dead in a cafeteria even if we built one.

Posted by Parent, a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2009 at 5:24 pm

From my sources, high school students have many places to eat lunches inside and very few eat outside all through the year. Many eat in the student center even if they do not buy lunch there. Many eat in the math resource room, the library, various classrooms, choir room, band room, etc. Clubs that take place inside various locations are also eating places. Many of the teachers have microwaves and many take food that can be microwaved for lunchtime.

Middle Schoolers may have less choice. Not only do they have to eat outside when it is cold, but often have to eat in the sun as there is not enough shade!

Elementary kids eat outside at tables unless it is raining. Generally speaking there is shade, but during the construction portables there was often not enough shade. Shade is often more of a problem than cold.

Posted by Michele, a resident of the Greenmeadow neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2009 at 5:46 pm

I think the high school kids have to go to school, sick or not, because they miss too much if they stay home. Also it is a big ordeal to try to make it up if they miss a test. So they go to school sick and pass it around to the other kids.

Posted by Roan, a resident of another community, on Sep 15, 2009 at 8:21 pm

I disagree with Michele. Showing up at school with a contagious illness is irresponsible and even potentially dangerous if this H1N1 virus mutates into a stronger virus. Health and safety should ALWAYs be the number 1 concern. The schools should know this and make it easier for students to do make up tests.

Posted by Mom, a resident of the Duveneck/St. Francis neighborhood, on Sep 15, 2009 at 8:50 pm

My daughter at Duveneck is getting a lot of lessons about washing hands (she came home today and showed me what they had taught her). They wipe the kids hands as they are coming into the classroom as well. The teachers are trying there best.

Posted by moi, a resident of the Midtown neighborhood, on Sep 16, 2009 at 1:46 pm

Great to see that others besides schools are trying to inform people about H1N1. I will definitely go listen to the expert talking at the Stanford Blood Center...and hope others go to. Perhaps we can encourage those who are skeptical of the pandemic to join us!

Posted by A Noun Ea Mus, a resident of the Professorville neighborhood, on Sep 16, 2009 at 4:43 pm

Parts of the world have already had their flu season with H1N1---places like Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, etc.

Their experience as regards the very sick:

There is an increased incidence of very severe lung disease. Real hard to ventilate and oxygenate these patients. Hits younger ones more---15-40 range. More so for pregnant and obese. Still not likely a ton of people will be this sick. But intensive care units will be overloaded-- with these patients combined with the usual winter load. Many need somewhat exotic measures taken, and the survivors still stay about 2 weeks or more in the ICU.

That is just if the virus doesn't mutate into something more virulent by this winter.

Washing hands and wiping down surfaces may help...but one sick kid or teacher at school would make a mockery of all that effort.