Southern California is in high alert due to the recent swine flu threat.
Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has called a state of emergency in the state of California, and schools across the nation are being closed at the slightest sign of a potential case of the new influenza.
How does this affect homeschoolers? Homeschooled children do not attend full-time school, and often times, their parents do not work in offices or other closed environments where viruses are most likely to spread. Homeschoolers are also more likely to frequent malls or grocery stores during low traffic hours, again reducing the chance of exposure to the new flu.
However, homeschoolers are not totally in the clear. Park day, classes, church, boy and girl scout meetings, and other group activities can potentially lead to exposure. Although much lower risk, it doesn't hurt to be careful.
Although many scientists assure us that there is no need to panic, and to continue our normal activities, and although homeschoolers are at lower risk than the general population due to lower likelihood of being in infected areas for prolonged periods of time, there are still precautions we can take to stay healthy:
- Wash hands regularly
- Get plenty of sleep
- Eat healthy and take your normal multi-vitamin
- Drink plenty of water
- Avoid contact with people who are sick
- Avoid touching dirty surfaces and putting fingers and hands near your mouth or nose
- Go shopping and to the mall during non-peak hours
- And to avoid infecting others, stay home if you show any signs of the flu
There have been several cases of pandemic flus in the past 100 years, and they have been deadly. We have the technology to detect new flu strains, and we also have the technology to treat it. However, if the flu spreads quickly, it can take a while for our health care system to catch up with the demand for treatment.
Some feel that the threat of the flu is being over-hyped by the media. Our children may be scared by the reports of deadly swine flu. This is the perfect time for us to take a few days and do a "influenze unit study." We may not know if this is the "real thing," or whether this is a false alarm, but it's always good to know how to stay healthy and to know how to be prepared for large-scale emergencies.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: information about the swine flu
- World Health Organization: Minute by minute updates on the spread of the swine flu
- New York mayor Bloomberg assures us not to panic about the swine flu
- NY Daily News: Schools closed in New York because of the swine flu
- Reuters UK: Potential swine flu scenarios
- Ron Paul urges us not to blow the swine flu out of proportion
- Mental Floss: Explanation of the last 4 pandemic flus
- Wikipedia entry for the swine influenza
- The BBC reports on the swine flu threat
- Kids Health explains what the flu is to kids
Comments
We are being extra-cautious when we have mild cold/flu symptoms, just to be safe. *I* have looked up all sorts of information so that when questions pop up I can answer with some authority. We have talked about personal hygiene and our responsibility to the community to help prevent the spread of disease to protect others. I did explain that children in our country have so far had mild symptoms and that if they were to catch the swine flu they have every reason to expect a full recovery. I also mentioned that their
father had a previous version of the swine flu when he was a child.
The Mythbuster's recent episode about double-dipping chips into salsa might be interesting to include in any "unit study" of disease. For teens, it would be a good opportunity to discuss and debate the use of forced quarantine. For example: Should a sick person be allowed onto an airplane? What if they are going home? What if they are wearing a surgical face mask? What if they are going to a more or less developed country? Would your
answer change if it was a child or an elderly person? What has the WHO recommended on this topic, and why?
If you're in an area that has affected families, it might also be a service opportunity to assist the families in
some way (a meal, grocery shopping, give a book or DVD to the kids in the family, help with their yard maintenance, etc.) I think it is empowering to kids to show them that they can DO something about any situation.
I read another good tip recently - go to public places like grocery stores in the early morning before other people do. Any flu virus that people might have coughed into the air the day before will have settled to the floor (and some will have died overnight).
I'm finding that "laying low at home" is forcing us to find new ways to spend our time, which is nice. It's like a vacation!
I love the idea of doing a unit study on flu. Didn't even dawn on me.
We're staying in and just watching what unfolds. We have three cases just two miles down the road from us of the swine flu although the kids seem to be getting better with no hospitalization.
Erring on the cautious side doesn't seem like such a bad plan to me.
Got something to say?
Examiner.com is looking for writers, photographers, and videographers to join the fastest growing group of local insiders. If you are interested in growing your online rep apply to be an Examiner today!