Thaindian News

New Delhi, Aug 9 (IANS) With swine flu infecting more people, schools in Delhi are doing all they can to contain the spread of the virus among students. So much so that even a sneeze in class is enough to send a student back home with advice for an immediate check up by the doctor.
After two of its students tested positive for Influenza A(H1N1) Saturday, the Sanskriti School in south Delhi’s Chanakyapuri Sunday informed parents that the it would remain closed for a week till Aug 17.

Anjali Bali, a teacher of the school told IANS: “Two of our students have tested positive for swine flu and we had a consultation with the doctors and decided that the school should be closed for a week. We informed the parents accordingly Sunday.”

“The decision is obviously keeping in mind that we don’t want the infection to spread in the school. It’s best to nip the problem in the bud,” added Bali, who is a part of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA).

Similarly, the Mother’s International School in south Delhi decided to suspend classes for Section D of Class 5 over the weekend after one of its students tested positive late last week.

Said H. Bhalla, the school’s vice principal: “A Class 5 student tested positive for H1N1 last week. Hence all students of the class were being advised to stay at home until Monday.”

“The school has been disinfected and as the school’s administration is taken care of by the Aurobindo Ashram, they have been looking into the matter. Some guidelines in keeping with whatever the directorate of education suggests will also be issued Monday,” Bhalla told IANS.

“While there is no need to panic, students suffering from fever and cold have been advised to stay at home till they recover,” he added.

Other schools are also playing safe though there has been no such case among their students. They are taking all precautionary measures to avoid a swine flu outbreak in their campuses.

Said Shyama Chona, principal of the Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram: “We have been sending SMSes to parents asking them not to send their child to school if they have a cold, a cough or even slight fever and get them checked by a doctor.”

“We have also ensured that all class teachers keep an eye for any flu symptoms amongst the students and inform the parents accordingly,” Chona told IANS.

Similarly Madhulika Sen, principal of Tagore International school, said: “We have a well-equipped medical room in our school and any child who feels unwell in class with fever or a runny nose is immediately sent there.”

“Even then we don’t keep the child in the medical room for too long and inform the parents straightaway so that they can pick him up and get him checked by a doctor,” she added.

Students with flu symptoms - fever, runny nose, sneezing, cough - that are common to swine flu as well are also tracked by the schools, Sen added. If any child is absent for three days, the school is getting in touch with the family to know why.

Students are also being sensitised about various precautionary measures like staying away from crowds and washing their hands regularly.