The town’s board of health said a statement from Supt. Madeline P. Meyer that ‘confirmed’ H1N1 cases have appeared in Seekonk schools is false
SEEKONK - There have been no confirmed cases of H1N1 in Seekonk so far, but that doesn’t mean the influenza strain hasn’t made its way into town.
These were the words of the Seekonk Board of Health in a statement issued late last week. On Friday, the board sent out a press release in response to a letter sent from Seekonk School Superintendent Madeline P. Meyer last Thursday, which stated there have been a few “confirmed cases” of H1N1 in local schools.
“A recent memo from the school district superintendent inaccurately stated that there are ‘confirmed’ cases of H1N1 influenza among some absent students. This is not true,” reads the board’s release. “As of October 23, 2009, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has confirmed to us that there are no confirmed cases of H1N1 illness in the Town of Seekonk.”
But while there may not be any “confirmed” H1N1 cases, that doesn’t mean the town has staved off the strain altogether.
“While there are no confirmed cases, there are many presumed cases,” the release states.
“Confirmation requires a laboratory test; a presumed case is a determination made by the treating physician and takes into account the symptoms of the child, the time of year and what similar illnesses are present within the community. With this distinction in mind, there are several presumed cases of H1N1 infection among the students who are absent from school. There is, therefore, every reason to believe that the H1N1 infection has arrived in Seekonk.”
Some tips
In both Ms. Meyer’s and the board’s statements, a list of tips on how to stave off H1N1 this flu season were provided. Here’s a few of them:
n Get vaccinated when the vaccine becomes available, especially if you have a medical condition which makes health complications from the flu more likely.
- Wash your hands with soap and water or use alcohol based hand gel.
- Cough or sneeze into a tissue or the inside of your elbow if you don’t have a tissue. Throw the tissue into the trash and wash you hands. Always wash your hands before you touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
- Stay at home if your child is sick for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine).
For more information, visit the Massachusetts Department of Health at www.mass.gov/dph/
