Not back to school for some?
4 January 2011, 05:00
Children in the Thames Valley could find themselves being kept OUT of school this week - just classes go back.
Children in the Thames Valley could find themselves being kept OUT of school this week - just as classes go back.
Parents are being warned not to take their sons and daughters back to school to protect OTHER children, if they've been showing signs of winter flu.
Speaking to heart, Dr Kelechi Nnoahum from NHS Berkshire says "Every member of staff in a school, every teacher and head-teacher knows that in this season, because schools are a closed environment, there's a greater risk of person to person transmission (of flu).
Any child that becomes ill should be taken out of school and should only be returned to school when they are full well again."
Dr Nnoahum added "Don't share germs!. Parents, teachers and children should always carry a tissue.
Children should be taught from an early age to cover their mouths and nose with a tissue when they cough and sneeze.
Tissues should be binned as soon as possible.
And hand should be washed or use a sanitiser gel"
NHS Oxfordshire are reminding parents to have a good stock of over-the-counter medicines for their child and not to use the out-of-hours services unless it's genuinely urgent.
If your call is relating to concerns about seasonal flu or cold symptoms; for the overwhelming majority of patients, cold and flu will be a self limiting illness. Whilst it will make you feel unwell and uncomfortable it can be managed by self care and over the counter medicines with advice from your local pharmacist when required.
In order to ensure the most appropriate use of all services we would ask that patients and families try where possible to manage their symptoms with self care before resorting to contacting your GP or the Out of Hours Service. Additional advice regarding managing your symptoms can be found at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
It is important that patients, parents and carers keep a well stocked medicine cabinet including paracetamol and ibuprofen, have a thermometer to hand and understand the nature of cold and flu illnesses including the likely duration and when to seek advice.