Chennai schools receive notice on H1N1

Discourage students from touring affected areas: civic body

Teachers have been asked to actively screen students with flu symptoms and prevent large gatherings — File Photo

The Chennai Corporation has asked all educational institutions in the city to avoid large gatherings of students in the light of the emerging H1N1 viral infection.

The civic body has also advised them to discourage students from touring the affected states and countries.

It has administered the anti-viral drug Tamiflu to 42 persons whose neighbours were found to be infected. Corporation officials said they have screened the neighbours of three infected staff members of a private multispecialty hospital who had been come into contact with infected patients from other states.

With ten cases of H1N1 identified, the civic body has started tracking all patients from other states and countries.

“A number of patients from Andhra Pradesh have started visiting the city, which is expected to receive a lot of outstation patients. But there is no epidemic. We have an adequate stock of Tamiflu. We will distribute it free of cost. People with symptoms can visit our dispensaries or the government hospital,” said an official of the Corporation.

School teachers have been asked to begin classes only after conducting an active screening of students exhibiting symptoms of the flu. “Parents should be advised to keep their wards at home for at least seven days if they are advised by doctors to take Tamiflu treatment. School authorities should not insist on production of medical certificates from such preventive absentees,” said an official.

School authorities have been asked to use their judgement for any temporary closure in the event of the viral infection presenting in a large number of students. All schools have to display ‘dos and don’ts’ on the H1N1 infection at all important spots, the official added.