Community Health Update -- March 5, 2010

Dear Parents and Guardians,

During the past 24 hours Dana Hall has experienced a higher than average number of absences due to gastrointestinal illness.

Gastrointestinal illness may be caused by a variety of viruses. They are usually quite contagious and can be spread by direct contact with an infected person or by sharing food, drink or eating utensils which are contaminated with the virus.

The main symptoms of viral gastroenteritis are vomiting and/or diarrhea. The affected person may also have headache, fever, and abdominal cramps (“stomach ache”). In general, the symptoms begin one to two days following infection with a virus that causes gastroenteritis and may last for one to 10 days, depending on which virus causes the illness. The illness is not usually serious, however, dehydration may occur if the symptoms continue and the individual is not able to re-hydrate orally.

Our goal as a school is to prevent the spread of the illness on campus. Frequent hand washing with soap and water is the best prevention. Hand sanitizers are not as effective with this type of virus. Restricting the sharing of foods, water bottles, utensils and limiting contact with infected persons is also important in preventing transmission.

Originally this was scheduled to be an on-campus or community weekend for boarding students. Although it is absolutely safe for students to be on campus, we would like the parents of boarding students to have the option to take their child home for the weekend if they wish.

If you child is ill with a gastrointestinal illness, she will need to be home 24 hours after she last vomits or experiences diarrhea. This is extremely effective in preventing others from becoming ill. Boarding students who do not go home will be cared for by the Health Center staff and the house faculty.

Please contact the Dana Hall Health Center (781-235-3010 ext.2630) or the nurse on call via the receptionist over the weekend if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Pia Haigis, R.N.
Director of the Dana Hall Health Center

H1N1 Vaccine Information
Parents' Guide to Seasonal and H1N1 Flu

Parents' Weekend Photos

If you would like to view and purchase pictures from Parents' Weekend (Friday's Convocation and Varsity games), please visit the e-commerce site of our professional photographer John Gillooly.