The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, specifically acting director Richard Besser, may change their minds about recommending school closings wth regard to the virus formerly known as swine flu, now known as H1N1 influenza. (Anyone else look at "H1N1" and think it should be pronounced "heinie"? Anyone? Bueller?)
Anyway, here's an awkwardly worded sentence from the Wall Street Journal: "Federal health officials are considering new revising guidelines on school closures as evidence mounts that the current H1N1 influenza outbreak is acting like the seasonal flu."
The current recommendation is that any school where a student was found to have the H1N1 virus should close for 14 days. That recommendation may change, perhaps to the method used in Seattle, "where parents are being urged to keep sick children home for seven days and having teachers and school administrators be on the look out for sick children to be sent home." (Shouldn't teachers and school administrators be on the lookout for sick kids anyway? Like, if someone is vomiting in the halls, that means they should go home. Right? Hello? Anybody there?)
To me, closing school for 14 days seems like overkill. On the other hand, if we think the CDC had a good reason to make that recommendation, why are they suddenly backing down? Perhaps because closing a school for 2 weeks would be unbelievably annoying?
As much as I admit to being concerned about this virus (or any public health scare, for that matter), I also agree that closing school for that long would be totally irritating. Still, I have to wonder how the CDC can go back and forth like this. If closing school is necessary, go for it. If not, let's not. Is it that hard to decide? Or does our 24 hour newscycle, "I need to know NOW" culture causing them to make decisions too quickly?
Bottom line: the recommendation may or may not change. Thanks. Good to know.
Check out Babble's Swine Flu Guide here.
Image: Obsessable
Source: Wall Street Journal
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