Nashville, TN (PRWEB) May 10, 2006

Based on discussions with experts in the field, Laurie Grace of Bird Flu Beacon has drawn up guidelines for how to prepare in the event of a human outbreak of bird flu, including business continuity planning for pandemic flu.

Pandemic bird flu is a growing concern among the American public. Although H5N1 avian influenza has not yet arrived on American shores, nor has it mutated into a form which can be readily passed from person to person, experts tell us it is only a matter of time before this becomes the case.

Recently, the ABC television network aired the program, Fatal Contact: Bird Flu In America, which brought the issue before the American public. Drawn as a “plausible worst-case scenario,” Fatal Contact leaves many questions unanswered, particularly with regard to what steps must be taken to minimize the impact upon the American way of life.

In her article entitled, “How To Prepare In The Event Of A Human Outbreak Of Bird Flu” Ms. Grace discusses the likelihood of various scenarios as well as the steps necessary to prepare adequately for those contingencies. She alerts people to the need to plan for basics such as food, water, fuel, medications and cash; preparation which would be a good idea in ANY emergency.

http://www.birdflubeacon.com/HowToPrepareInTheEventOfAHumanOutbreakOfBirdFlu.htm

In a companion article entitled, “Business Continuity Plan For Pandemic Flu” Ms. Grace goes even further to warn businesses of the need for business continuity planning and outlines specifics for avoiding liability and developing strategies for high absenteeism and supply-chain disruption.

http://www.birdflubeacon.com/HowToPrepareInTheEventOfAHumanOutbreakOfBirdFlu.htm

Ms Grace points out that even the relatively small SARS outbreak had a large economic impact, and that pandemic flu would likely have much greater consequences. The workforce could be reduced by as much as 30-40% due to illness and commerce would likely experience slowdowns and halts.

For these and other reasons, Ms. Grace points up the need for businesses to proactively address the following issues:

1. Updating a Business Continuity Plan for bird flu.

2. How to remain sustainable with at a 30-40% absenteeism.

3. Planning for interruption of essential services.

4. Develop alternative supply chains.

5. Educating employees regarding bird flu.

6. Maintaining a healthy work environment.

7. Review and update of all sick leave, & medical policies.

8. Legal review of all “force majeure” liabilities.

9. Designing structures for internet-based “telecommuting.”

10. Security plan and personnel in place for panic.

11. Take necessary precautions to protect against liability.

12. Developing a communications plan for how to communicate with your employees, your customers and your shareholders in order that you might provide guidance and leadership to them, as well as your community as a whole.

Ms. Grace commented, “We have only ourselves to blame if we do not each prepare with haste and due diligence. You will want to know that you have done all you can to protect your employees, your customers, your shareholders, and most importantly yourself and your families and the communities you live in.”

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Find More Flu Press Releases

New York, NY (PRWEB) May 4, 2009

News stories about the recent cases of the swine flu in the United States are spreading like wild fire, causing fear in work places across the country. On April 29, 2009, in response to an intensifying outbreak caused by this new strain of influenza virus of swine origin, the World Health Organization (WHO) raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 5. The Unites States Centers for Disease control (CDC) states, A Phase 5 alert is a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.

The United States Government has declared a public health emergency in the United States. In response, New York based Sageview Consulting is offering free advice to employers around the country in order to help reduce transmission and illness severity, and keep productivity and morale high during this time.

Aimee Kaye, President and Founding Partner of Sageview Consulting commented, “While employers should educate themselves and their employees and take measures to prevent the swine flu, the United States Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reminds us not to panic. It is our goal to give employers as much information as possible to keep their employees safe and keep distractions to a minimum. During crisis, the result is often decreased productivity as staff members try to piece together information on their own or remain worried about themselves or loved ones. The key is to keep everyone informed”.

Here are some tips from Sageview Consulting for keeping staff informed and safe.

Distribute factual information on the swine flu. This should include what it is, how it is spread, how it is treated, symptoms, and dispel any myths such as-getting sick from eating pork. You can get all available information by visiting the CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu. Make sure the website is also posted for staff to access and get up-to-date information. Distribute correspondence or hold a brief meeting showing the management’s concern for all staff. Explain the severity of this flu. Tell them, like seasonal flu, swine flu can vary in intensity from mild to severe and that like any flu, swine flu can be serious. Remind them young children, the elderly and the infirm are at higher risk for contracting the virus.Explain and post information on PREVENTION – This is important. Make sure they have all of the following information:

There is no vaccine currently available to protect against swine flu. There are every-day actions that can be taken to help prevent the spread of these germs.

Wash your hands frequently. Wash your hands with soap and water for 15-20 seconds.

Use antibacterial gels to clean your hands frequently. Sneeze or cough into a tissue and throw the tissue away in a waste basket. Wash your hands after you sneeze or cough.

Wash your hands after touching common objects in your environment, such as doorknobs, desks and keypads. Do not touch your face, especially your eyes, nose, and mouth.

Avoid being around people that are sick. Stay home if you feel sick. Contact your doctor if you suspect you have the swine flu. Contact your doctor if you have been in contact with a person that has the swine flu. Keep yourself healthy. Eat a well-balanced diet, exercise regularly, manage stress, drink plenty of fluids, and get enough sleep.

There is a tremendous amount of responsibility that comes with being an employer in these times. Keeping staff informed and working together will pay back dividends when facing increased call-outs and decreased productivity due to the distraction in the office or reduced staff compliment due to illness. Here are some extra things businesses can do to help employees adhere to the precautions and keep them safe and well.

Make sure washrooms have plenty of paper towels and soap. Keep extra paper towels and anti-bacterial soap in the office. Keep extra tissues in the office. Make sure waste baskets are easily accessible for all.    Encourage employees to STAY HOME and call their doctor immediately if they think they or a loved one is sick. Keep water and healthy snacks for staff. Don’t burn the midnight oil. Staying rested helps to stave off this virus so encourage staff to work reasonable hours.    If there is a television in the office, allow employees to watch news updates during breaks.

About Sageview Consulting:

Sageview Consulting is a Certified Woman-Owned Business located in New York, New York that provides workplace solutions tailored to your unique business culture by providing expertise in human resource management, training, benefits, compensation, and staffing. Sageview Consulting works with clients, providing hand on human resource consulting and business consulting in all industries including well-known organizations in sports, entertainment, media, financial services and the non-profit sector. Some of Sageview’s prestigious clients have included the NBA, NHL, Major League Soccer, Arena Football League, Sports Capital Partners, St. Louis Blues, the Washington Nationals, HTN Communications, Abbott Capital Management, Van Wagner Communications, Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, MoMA and Combined Coordinating Council.

The founding partners of Sageview Consulting each have over 25 years of experience in all aspects of human resources including human resource management and human resource consulting, having served in very high-profile HR positions.

Proven business solutions at Sageview Consulting include    human resource management,    cost saving strategies, benefits and retirement plans consulting, training & organizational development, and executive search & recruitment.

Sageview recently launched a dynamic new website with and updated new look and a plethora of information on everything from benefits administration to cost saving strategies. The site has detailed information on the services offered by Sageview, client testimonials and the newly introduced “Human Resources Community”; and Interactive message board.

To learn more about Sageview Consulting’s Human Resources Management Services, contact us at (212) 201-0729 for a complimentary initial consultation or visit our website at http://www.SageViewConsulting.com.

For Press inquiries, contact Mary Hall at Action Online – (800) 403-1502, http://www.ActionOnline.com

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

More Swine Flu Press Releases

Bethesda, MD (PRWEB) October 8, 2005

With the avian flu pandemic looming ahead of us FLAVORx, Inc.(http://www.flavorx.com), the industry standard for the flavoring of prescription and OTC drugs, announced that it is preparing in case this deadly strain of the flu spreads west and causes a pandemic infection. The company is testing formulations in Thailand for the anti retroviral drugs that will be necessary for recovery if a pandemic hits. Children and the elderly are especially susceptible to the virus and the medications that are used to treat this type of disease are extremely bitter and hard to take. Due to this, many young and old patients will fall prey to non-compliance which will jeopardize their recovery and can put their long term health at risk.

Testing in Thailand started over three months ago and has been extremely successful in helping Thai children take their ARV medications with far less rejection (non-compliance) and trauma. Prior to FLAVORx, compliance without the help of flavoring was very low, below 50%. Studies on flavored medicines show that compliance increases to over 90%. FLAVORx (http://www.flavorx.com) has donated all supplies and efforts to this project free of charge, “We feel that it is our social responsibility to help in any kind of situation like this where lives are at stake,” says Woodie Neiss, CFO of FLAVORx, Inc.

“The Flu whether avian or not can be fatal,” says Kenny Kramm, President and CEO of FLAVORx. “Pharmacies are going to be more critical than ever this year in making sure that the supply of medicines can meet the demand. Given an outbreak, these medications must also be made palatable so the patient can swallow them and stick to their medication regimen as the doctor prescribed, that is our priority.” Care for those individuals most at risk, children and the elderly, will also be critical.

Already this new strain of flu has proven to be more virulent than either the 1968 Hong Kong flu which claimed nearly a million lives and the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918 that killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide.

Even though an individual cannot be inoculated against the avian flu, it is still recommended that everyone get the flu shot. If you do get the flu there are several prescription and OTC remedies that can help alleviate the symptoms. Above all water and rest are most necessary. If children are infected it is highly recommended that they have their medicines flavored. Flavoring not only increases a child’s acceptance of a medicine but it ensures accurate dosing and relieves parental stress. Liquid flavored medications are also more quickly absorbed into the patient’s system and thus recovery is more immediate. In an American Academy of Pediatrics study, nearly 90% of pediatricians recommend flavoring prescription medications to boost compliance.

About FLAVORx

FLAVORx (http://www.flavorx.com) is the leading provider of the FLAVORx medical flavoring system to pharmacies worldwide. All FLAVORx flavors are FDA tested and approved. Currently available in more than 30,000 pharmacies, such as Walgreens, Rite Aid, CVS, Target, Alberton’s, Kmart and Safeway, FLAVORx has flavored more than 50 million prescriptions worldwide. The company develops, manufactures and markets its flavoring system that is used to flavor more than 600 medications. FLAVORx does not make medicine taste like candy, but makes it more palatable for children, adults and even animals. Founded in 1995, the company is on a mission to “take the yuck out of medicine.”

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Orangeburg, NY (PRWEB) April 30, 2009

Recent outbreaks of Swine Influenza (Swine flu) in Mexico, the United States, Canada, and now Spain continue to make headline news as the healthcare community and general public seek ways to decrease the risk for transmission of this virus. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) hand hygiene remains the first step in infection prevention.

Professional Disposables International, Inc. (PDI) understands the impact and severity of this public health emergency. “We are closely monitoring the latest updates from both the CDC, as well as the World Health Organization to ensure the public is provided with the most up-to-date information available,” said Zachary T. Julius, PDI CEO.

Swine Flu is highly contagious and can easily be transmitted before the person shows symptoms. PDI offers the following simple advice for reducing the risks of infection:

–Proper hand hygiene is the single most important mean for preventing the spread of infection in schools, offices and healthcare facilities

–Frequently wash hands with soap and water for 15-20 seconds

–When soap and water are not available, use alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers

–Disinfecting hard surfaces are key to the health and welfare of patients and healthcare workers

–Avoid touching community surfaces where the virus can live for up to two hours outside of the body

PDI maintains a complete portfolio of infection prevention solutions, specifically hand hygiene products and environmental surface disinfectants to meet the ever evolving clinical needs of the healthcare industry.

For additional specific guidance on infection prevention strategies specific to Swine Flu, please visit the CDC’s dedicated resource page at http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu.

For more than 30 years, PDI has pioneered the development, testing, manufacturing and marketing of pre-moistened wipes as the optimum delivery system for skin antisepsis, hand hygiene, patient and surface care. With trusted brands including Sani-Cloth®, Sani-Hands® ALC, Sani-Hands® for Kids, Hygea® and Chlorascrub™, PDI serves the healthcare market through hospitals, physician and dental offices, emergency medical services, long-term care, schools and a variety of other healthcare facilities. Professional Disposables International, Inc. is headquartered in Orangeburg, New York. For more information, visit http://www.pdipdi.com.

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©Copyright 1997-

, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.

Related Swine Flu Press Releases

Hong Kong, Hong Kong (PRWEB) April 28, 2009

The Swine Flu pandemic outbreak is here to stay and that’s official. The WHO is just one step short of raising the pandemic status to “significant human to human transmission”. Bird Flu Manual Online (www.birdflu-manual.com) stays one step ahead with its pandemic preparedness advice to businesses.

If businesses have not already started their preparations and planning, then it’s time they did something about it. The question is of course, “What do they need to do”?

Swine flu is an influenza type no different to bird flu or human flu, except that it occurs in pigs instead of humans or birds. Scientists have always said that the global pandemics experienced throughout history (at the rate of about three a century) are the result of the animal virus jumping from one species to another and combining to form a lethal form of influenza which leaps to humans.

As the human body is more similar to a pig’s body than a bird’s, the path of least resistance for the virus to easily mix with humans is mix with pigs first. It is true that Bird Flu has not been very successful so far mutating to a strain easily transmittable between humans.

The reason we see such high death rates but low infection rates from the jump from birds-to-humans is because the environments for the virus are so incompatible. When a bird influenza strain makes the jump to pigs however, it is possible for it to combine with the pig form of the virus to a type which can make the jump to humans, and then subsequently between humans.

This is what appears to have happened. The DNA of the Swine Flu outbreak virus contains bird flu and human flu.

The virus’ ultimate goal is to cause a global pandemic, and in order to do that it needs to mutate to a type which doesn’t kill its host, allowing long periods of contagious incubation. The seasonal flu has lasted so long because it doesn’t kill many relative to how many it infects.

The worst influenza outbreak in history killed about 3% of those it infected. For this reason alone it is not too late to get preparations and education underway. Life will continue once it’s all over.

Regardless of which mammal this pandemic strain has come from, businesses (and individuals) must now start getting prepared.

Fortunately there is a lot of information available on the internet on Bird Flu which can also be used for Swine Flu, to help get planning underway. This includes getting processes and procedures in place as well as stockpiling items such as face masks and hand antiseptics.

With the latter the public needs to be quick as online retailers have already seen skyrocketing sales of all of these items. Some have already run out of stock as many never re-stocked when the Bird Flu hype subsided some years back.

The problem with the information available on the internet is that very few contain truly practical ideas which business managers can implement.

For example, what should a manager do when sickness is discovered in the workplace and staff evacuate their workstations and offices in fear of being the next victim? This will happen, even if the ‘sick’ person doesn’t actually have the disease. How should the manager get the clean up done and get everyone back to their stations quickly and efficiently?

If businesses expect staff to come to work when the pandemic has really taken hold, the company will have to convince the staff that the work place is the safest place to be outside of the home. They have to know managers have plans in place when it comes to protecting their safety.

This means the organization needs to have a sterilized office environment where illness is checked at the door. Compulsory temperature checks for staff and visitors at every entrance, sterilization mats, face masks to hand out and hand sanitization outlets. Delivery staff can drop off outside, and packages disinfected before being brought in.

Keep meetings to an absolute minimum, but if they are unavoidable maintain a distance of at least one meter between attendees, and more if possible. Consider using video-conferencing.

Whether the pandemic came from birds or swines businesses can find the answers they need to get their pandemic preparedness (www.birdflu-manual.com/pandemic-preparedness.htm) completed and stockpiling (www.birdflu-manual.com/bird-flu-manual/pandemic-stockpiling.htm) purchased and delivered at Bird Flu Manual Online.

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Orange County Jail

Santa Ana, CA (PRWEB) August 1, 2009

According to a recent article in the Orange County Register Orange County Jail Superior Court Judge has temporarily suspended constitutional guarantees to speedy trial, preliminary hearings and arraignment for some defendants due to the outbreak of swine flu in the Orange County Jails. Judge Thomas Goethals said the “significant medical public health event” is good cause to lockdown the Orange County jails and suspend Orange County jail inmate rights. Orange County bondsman, Bob Miller, said “we advise the public to make every effort to avoid going into the jail’s general population”.

The Orange County Public Defender’s office objected to the ruling after a 90 minute hearing on the status of the health scare in the main men’s jail, which usually houses 800 to 900 inmates.

On Tuesday a source in Superior Court room C55 said “the court system has been infected (pun intended) with the virus; normally we have dozens of arraignments, but today we had only a handful and then they sent us home for the day.”

According to Dr. Jack Palmer, assistant medical director of the Orange County Health Agency “The swine flu outbreak in the jail began three to four weeks ago with a handful of cases and that there are 25 inmates isolated because of the virus.” The state’s Department of Public Health says “12 people have died in Orange County because of swine flu outbreak; the most in any county in California”.

Palmer also testified that the number of new cases appears to be tapering off and that he is hopeful that the lockdown can be lifted in time to renew transporting inmates to the courthouse in Santa Ana, Fullerton, Westminster and Newport Beach by Thursday morning.

Additionally, Orange County Sheriff’s officials state “we have confirmed one case of swine flu in the Theo Lacy branch jail and one minor in juvenile hall in Orange was infected with the virus. Visitation at the jails has been discontinued until further notice.”

Bob Miller owner of Orange County Bail Bonds tells this reporter, “We are advising the public to get their loved ones out of jail before they are exposed to the deadly virus.” Miller adds, “By posting a bail bond as soon as the arrestee’s booking process is complete, the inmate should never enter into the general population of the Orange County Santa Ana jail.” “This will help to avoid the possibility of contracting the swine flu from already infected Orange County jail inmates.”

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Image of doctor writing H1N1

(PRWeb UK) November 12, 2009

During the current recession the last thing a company needs is to have staff shortages due to an outbreak of swine flu in the workforce. A West Midlands company has developed an on-line screening programme to help all businesses protect themselves and their staff from the effects of swine flu.

With 84000 new cases of H1N1 (swine flu) last week, and numbers increasing rapidly, businesses will shortly start to see significant levels of employee absenteeism due to swine flu over the coming weeks. While larger organisations may be able to absorb loses from absenteeism, medium and smaller businesses are less able to cope and could see significant finacial loss during periods of a flu pandemic.

Many larger organisations have already ensured that their employees are protected with anti-viral medication, to help reduce the levels of absence and reduce lost income potential. This protection is now available to all businesses from less than £50 per employee from Influenza Protection Limited http:www.influenzaprotection.co.uk

Anti-viral protection for businesses

The current UK Department of Health policy is to only prescribe anti-viral medication to people showing symptoms of Pandemic Influenza. But for businesses, by this time, employees are already taking time off and have also probably passed the virus onto other members of the organisation. The result is an on-going wave of absenteeism, during which time the business is losing money. And during a recession, the last thing businesses need is a prolonged period of staff shortages and lost productivity.

Influenza Protection have created an online medical portal at http://www.influenzaprotection.co.uk that has been designed specifically to enable employees, as part of a company scheme, to register for and receive anti-viral medication as a solution to avoid absenteeism during the present Pandemic, with courses available from £45.94 + p&p.

To access the medical screening portal companies need a unique access code – this is because, in line with government guidelines, Influenza Protection are restricting medication to business employees only. Companies can register their businesses on line at www.influenzaprotection.co.uk .

With the flu virus, symptoms normally exhibit around 24 hours after infection, during which time the virus can be spreading to work colleagues. Where workforces are able to access anti-viral medication to take when they suspect that they have been exposed to the virus (such as when a work colleague gets swine flu) the risk of wide spread absenteeism can be reduced, helping companies to continue operating where others may struggle.

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M5 Networks

New York, NY (Vocus) May 5, 2009

M5 Networks, market leader in business phone systems utilizing VoIP technology, announces today remote working capabilities provides staff members the opportunity to take precautions to prevent contraction of the Swine Flu.

Reuters reports today that just two weeks after the flu threat emerged in Mexico, twenty countries worldwide have banned the import of pork and other meat in response to flu infections in humans and swine. In Egypt, officials have gone so far as to enforce mass slaughtering of swine to stave off the spread of new infections. New reported cases keep the fears of a possible pandemic alive.    

The protocol for governments and countries responding to pandemics is to provide vaccines and promote social distancing. Mexico has already banned public gatherings and closed schools in affected areas. If the Swine flu continues to spread as it has been and reaches pandemic level, businesses will be directly impacted.

Dan Hoffman, CEO of M5 Networks commented, “One of the benefits of a VoIP business phone solution is remote working capability, because it’s a cost effective solution for companies that provides staff greater flexibility, and it’s a built in disaster recovery plan for offices. As the Swine Flu epidemic has shown, offering workers the ability to work from anywhere has proven useful for disease outbreaks as well.”

There is a palpable risk to businesses that the outbreak will interrupt normal business activities. The virus has all but brought Mexico City to a halt. Until predictions can be made as to how far the situation will escalate, businesses in New York City in particular are encouraged to disperse workforces as much as possible, and organizations that have the ability to support remote work should utilize it.

About M5 Networks

M5 Networks provides business-strength Voice-over-IP phone systems delivered as a disaster-proof hosted service. M5′s delivery model facilitates the rapid deployment of advanced phone system functionality and drives a consistent voice experience as businesses become increasingly dispersed, malleable and 24/7. M5′s simple pricing model offers companies a low cost-of-entry to a feature set that has traditionally required large capital expenditure and dedicated IT resources. Customers offload phone system support and maintenance hassles to M5′s experts. M5′s voice platform frees all voice-related data and commands to mash with other applications, driving business intelligence, improving customer service, and enhancing enterprise application effectiveness. With over 900 customers, M5 has numerous industry awards and recognitions and is headquartered in New York City. To learn more about M5, please visit http://www.m5net.com.

M5 Networks PR Contact:

Ashley McNeff

(646)576-5523

twitter.com/ashleymcneff

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Education.com logo

Redwood City, CA (Vocus) September 12, 2009

A new survey conducted by Education.com, a leading web destination for parents of school-aged children highlights findings about parents’ thoughts about future school closings for H1N1 outbreaks, their feelings about a possible H1N1 flu vaccine, their opinions about how schools handled last year’s H1N1 Flu outbreak, and their understanding of the H1N1 Flu. In evaluating the survey results Education.com found:

There is a strong indication that if schools do not close in the event of an H1N1 flu outbreak, parents may take it upon themselves to keep their healthy kids home. When asked what they would do if there were three confirmed cases of H1N1 flu at their child’s school and it remained open, 29% of parents said it was “highly likely” that they would keep their kids home from school for one or more days with an additional 23% indicating it was “somewhat likely” that they would keep their kids home.

As schools and school districts consider policies around possible H1N1 flu school closings this year, parents have mixed opinions about when and if schools should close. Twenty-four percent of parents indicated a belief that schools should temporarily close if there is even a single confirmed case of H1N1 flu among the student population. Forty-one percent think schools should close if two to ten cases are reported and 19% advocate closing once more than ten cases have been confirmed. Fifteen percent of parents believe schools should not close because of the H1N1 flu regardless of how many confirmed cases are reported.

Many parents are undecided about whether or not they’ll have their children vaccinated when and if an approved H1N1 vaccine becomes available. While 39% of parents indicated they would “definitely” have their children vaccinated, 53% remain undecided. Seven percent of parents say they “probably” or “definitely” will not give their child the H1N1 vaccine.

Safety seems to be top-of-mind for parents who are not definite about giving their children the vaccine with 61% noting “safety of the immunization” as a concern. Almost half (48%) say they’re concerned about how effective the vaccine will be and a third (32%) are concerned their child could get the flu from the immunization. Seventeen percent listed the cost of the vaccination as a concern.

Parents gave schools a passing grade for their management of last year’s H1N1 flu outbreak: More than half of parents interviewed (57%) indicated overall satisfaction with how their children’s schools managed H1N1 flu / Swine flu during the last school year. Seventy percent of parents gave their schools a “satisfactory” or better rating for communication about the H1N1 flu and the same percentage gave a “satisfactory” or better rating on the measures their schools took to help prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu. While most parents indicated overall satisfaction, only16% said their school did an “excellent” job taking measures to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus and only 17% gave that highest rating for how schools communicated with parents about H1N1.

“Parents are appropriately concerned about their children’s and family’s safety as we hear more and more about the possibility of a widespread H1N1 flu outbreak across the country this year,” says Education.com CEO Ronald Fortune. “Most schools are closely following CDC recommendations to be sure they are doing everything they can to minimize the risks of the H1N1 flu to students and staff. The key is for principals and superintendents to make sure that they are keeping parents tightly in the loop about these efforts. Parents need to know through clear and frequent communication exactly what the schools are doing to help prevent the spread of the virus and what parents can do at home to help. There’s no reason every school in our country shouldn’t get an A+ from parents for their management of H1N1 this year.”

Parents are doing the right things to manage H1N1 risks, but need more information: Education.com’s survey showed that parents lack confidence in terms of their understanding of the H1N1 flu. Less than half reported knowing the recommended ways to avoid Swine flu, knowing the signs and symptoms of Swine flu, or knowing the best ways to respond if someone in their family gets Swine flu (45%, 39% and 44% respectively) – an indication that more parent education is in order.    

However, when it comes to families’ behavior around H1N1 flu safety, the news is encouraging. The majority of parents reported engaging in many behaviors the Centers for Disease Control says are most effective in helping prevent the spread of the H1N1 flu. Sixty-nine percent of parents indicated that during last year’s H1N1 flu outbreak their families engaged in frequent hand washing and the use of hand sanitizer. Fifty-six reported covering their noses or mouths when sneezing or coughing and 51% say they avoided contact with sick people. Most parents (67%) said they’ll do the same things this year to try to avoid the flu while almost a third (31%) indicated that they will take more preventive measures this year than last.

The Education.com H1N1 flu (Swine flu) survey was conducted August 14-18, 2009, with online surveys of 411 parents with one or more school-aged children living in the home.

Parents, teachers, and school administrators can visit Education.com’s H1N1 Information Center for the most accurate and up to date information available about Swine flu prevention and treatment, recommended action plans, and state-specific planning and response news.

About Education.com: From kindergarten readiness to college prep, Education.com is the leading destination for involved parents. More than a million parents a month come to Education.com to get the information they need to support their children’s unique educational and developmental needs, and to find ideas for how to make learning more fun. The company has teamed up with leading universities, nonprofits and research organizations to offer highly credible parenting, developmental, and educational information. The site also offers worksheets and activities, community resources, access to best-of-breed educational services and SchoolFinder – a tool that gives parents comprehensive data on the nation’s 125,000 public, private and charter schools. Education.com was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Redwood City, CA. The company is backed by leading venture capital firms: Azure Capital Partners, TeleSoft Partners and California Technology Ventures. For more information, please visit www.education.com.

Media Contact:

Kat Eden            

Education.com                

650.366.3380 X2218                

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The Lowdown on The 2009 Swine Flu Outbreak

The 2009 outbreak of swine flu or H1N1 virus is recently hugging the limelight due to the potential harm or effects it can have on a patient or on a community. Unfortunately, the source of the virus still cannot be traced.

Before the first case in the United States was discovered, the illness was believed to have started in Mexico which eventually spread to other countries. Recently, the first case of swine flu was reported in

Costa Rica. Alarmed that it could grow into a worldwide flu epidemic, the World Health Organization of the United Nations and the Center for Disease Control Prevention (CDC) in the United States raised its pandemic alert level to Phase 5, which signifies that a pandemic is imminent.

While experts believed that the recent outbreak is not as fatal as previous epidemics, such as the SARS virus, health officials believe that the number of cases could go up as the new flu is expected to make its way throughout the United States.

The new swine influenza strain is apparently a new variant of four strains of influenza A virus subtype H1N1. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, one of the strain is endemic in humans and birds and a couple are endemic in pigs.

However, according to scientists the 2009 H1N1 outbreak is of swine origin which is associated with the virus isolated in North America in 1998. To hasten understanding of the current outbreak as well as in coming up with a vaccine, scientists from Canada have completed the full genetic sequencing of the H1N1 virus.

The new strain of H1N1 has become widespread in Mexico and the United States with confirmed cases in 18 countries and suspected cases in 42 others. Travelers have been warned not to travel to affected countries such as Iceland, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, to name a few.

In addition, warnings have also been issued warnings to visitors of countries affected by the outbreak. It is advisable for visitors to see the doctor right away if they experience flu-like symptoms.

In Mexico, schools, universities, and all public events were suspended from April 24 to May 6, 2009. In the United States, over 400 schools were closed as of May 3, 2009, which included schools in Texas and about 250,000 confirmed or probable cases.

Dr. Keiji Fukuda, who is the Assistant Director-General for Health Securiy and Environment of the World Health Organization confirmed that efforts to control the outbreak is already too late and should now focus on lessening the effects of the virus. He also clarified that closing borders or limiting travel to infected areas will do little in stopping the spread of the H1N1 virus.

On April 28, 2009, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention suggested that as much as possible, people should avoid non-important travel to Mexico.

According to Dr. Ira Longini, who is an expert in the mathematics and statistics of epidemics, staying at home, seeking medical care, closing public venues, and making anti-flu medicines accessible can help reduce the sickness by almost two-thirds.

Finally, according to Dr. Longini, the focus of efforts is to slow transmission until there is a vaccine that can be developed and made available for controlling swine flu outbreaks.

BRIAN LITTRELL DIAGNOSED WITH SWINE FLU

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