Influenza and pandemic influenza
February 18, 2007 After the recent deaths of two grade-school children from flu-related complications, Public Health of Seattle and King County is urging families to take preventative steps to stop the spread of germs by frequently washing your hands, staying home from school and work when you are sick, covering coughs and sneezes with your sleeve, and avoiding close contact with ill people.
The District's Pandemic Flu Committee – led by Executive Director of Operations Craig Christensen and District Nurse Jean Boldan – meets regularly to review local, state, and federal agency reports and guidelines and to create a district wide plan to activate in case a pandemic flu hits our area.
General information
The District may need to communicate with you in
the event of extended school closures due to
pandemic flu. Please make sure your correct
e-mail address is in your Family Access account.
The influenza virus is primarily spread by airborne droplets that reach the eyes, nose or mouth but can also spread by touching contaminated surfaces and then touching one's face. This highlights the importance of
learning and practicing good personal hygiene, including:
the event of extended school closures due to
pandemic flu. Please make sure your correct
e-mail address is in your Family Access account.
- Stay home when you are sick
- Avoid close contact with ill persons.
- Cover your mouth and nose with tissue when coughing and sneezing or cover sneeze with your elbow.
- Wash your hands often. The key is to wash thoroughly for 20 seconds with warm water, and to wash frequently.
- When hand washing is not possible, use an alcohol-based hand cleaner with an alcohol concentration of at least 60%.
- Avoid touching your mouth, nose, and eyes.
- Have a good home disaster preparedness plan.
- Stay informed. Visit Public Health's Stop Germs web site.
A worldwide outbreak of influenza, called a pandemic, can occur when a new influenza virus emerges. People would have little or no immunity, and a vaccine would not be available for some time.
Currently, avian influenza - or bird flu - is a big concern. Although avian influenza primarily infects birds, it can be passed to humans through direct and extended contact, such as handling an infected bird. The virus does not spread easily between people, although that could change. If that happens, it could lead to a pandemic.
A Viewer's Guide to "Fatal Contact - Bird Flu in America"
On May 9 the ABC television network aired made-for-TV movie titled "Fatal Contact: Bird Flu in America." The movie followed an outbreak of the H5N1 avian flu virus from its origins in a Hong Kong market through its mutation into a pandemic virus that became easily transmittable from human to human and spread rapidly around the world.
The Department of Health and Human Services prepared the Viewer's Guide and some anticipated Questions and Answers to provide factual information for viewers of the movie.
Resources This list is updated as additional information becomes available.
- Public Health Seattle King County Return to work criteria
- King County Health Department Influenza and pandemic information site
- Public Health Seattle King County 2006-07 parent letter
- Public Health Seattle King County 2006-07 parent letter (Spanish)
- Public Health Seattle King County 2006-07 staff letter
- Washington State Department of Health Brochure: Preparing for Pandemic flu
- Washington State Department of Health Pandemic influenza site
- Washington State Department of Health Stay healthy; Be prepared
- World Health Organization Ten things you need to know about pandemic influenza