Проблемы здравоохранения

Dear School Principal:

We applaud you for accepting displaced students from hurricane-affected states into your school. We are aware that some parents have expressed concerns about potential health risks with the entry of displaced residents into the community. Outbreaks of disease, especially gastrointestinal illness, can occur when water and sewage systems are not working and personal hygiene is hard to maintain as the result of a disaster. However, we do not anticipate an increase in communicable diseases among students as a result of exposure to children from affected areas.

There are several very important and simple ways to prevent infectious diseases. We recommend that all students and staff be up-to-date on their immunizations. Good hand washing is absolutely critical and should be encouraged in the school setting. We recommend that soap; paper towels or hand dryers are available in each restroom for hand washing.

Teaching and encouraging proper respiratory etiquette is another way that we can keep infectious disease from spreading. Students should cover coughs and sneezes with their hands whenever possible and should wash their hands after coughing, sneezing or blowing their noses. They should also properly dispose of used tissues.

Please report any clusters of illness within your school system to public health immediately. We welcome your phone calls and appreciate working with you.

Sincerely, The Georgia Division of Public Health