Swine Flu Advice

What can schools and parents do to slow the spread of swine flu?

By practising good hygiene everyone can play their part and help to reduce transmission of all viruses, including swine flu:

• Wash hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of virus from your hands to face or to other people.
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible.
• Dispose of dirty tissues promptly and carefully.
• Make sure children follow this advice.
• Clean hard surfaces (e.g. door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product.

There is good evidence that in the majority of swine flu patients the disease is generally mild, but it is also proving severe in a small minority of cases. However, children should not be kept off school if they are well and the school is open. People are likely to be repeatedly exposed to the virus in their every day lives, closing a school will not be effective in slowing the spread of the virus as people could still be exposed outside of the school.