Swine Flu Cases Confirmed at Hampton School

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Three further pupils have been diagnosed with the disease

Two of these pupils were performers at the Joint Choral Society of Lady Eleanor Holles School and Hampton School production on Saturday 9th May at the LEH Assembly Hall.

The schools took advice from the Health Protection Agency which recommended preventative oral antiviral treatment (Oseltamivir (‘Tamiflu’)) be given as a precaution to all performers at this production. This includes staff, students and professional musicians involved in the production during this event on Saturday 9th May.

Members of the audience are unlikely to have come into close contact with the symptomatic students and therefore have been reassured that they need take no further action.

A clinic session was provided yesterday at Hampton School to those involved in the production. 

The schools’ community was advised that whilst current cases of swine influenza in the UK have been mild, any pupils, staff or musicians who develop flu-like symptoms such as temperature, headache, cough and sore throat should telephone their GP or ring NHS Direct.

Whilst the Health Protection Agency has advised that Hampton School remain closed until the 18th May, they have advised that, following a detailed risk assessment, Lady Eleanor Holles School can remain open as normal. A spokesman for Richmond Health Authority said that it was
"a dynamic situation at the moment".

Advice to parents

You may be receiving queries from parents who are worried about children who have had contact with one of the cases. The current advice given by the Health Protection Agency is as follows:

• The only people who need to refrain from their normal activities (such as going to school or work) are:
• those who have been confirmed as having swine flu;
• those who are being investigated as a possible* or probable** case of swine flu (also see second main bullet point below); or
• those who have been attending a school where a case is found to have been present and have symptoms of the illness (a possible case).
• Anyone who is being investigated as a possible case of swine flu (which means they meet the epidemiological criteria and have symptoms) will be given antiviral medicine and will be asked to stay at home and limit their contact with other people until the test results are available.
• Close contacts of probable or confirmed cases (family, friends or otherwise) will be started on antiviral medicine as a precautionary measure but can continue their normal lives so long as they do not have any clinical symptoms.
• Children and adults who have no symptoms but have had contact with probable or confirmed cases in social community settings do not need to be excluded from either school or the workplace. They should continue their normal daily routines.

* Possible case: patient meets the epidemiological criteria and has symptoms
** Probable case: patient meets the epidemiological criteria, has symptoms, and results of initial testing suggest swine flu

 

For further advice and guidance, including a Frequently Asked Questions sheet, please visit the Health Protection Agency’s website: www.hpa.org.uk or contact the Swine Flu Number: 0800 1513 513.

 

May 14, 2009