If you’re like many households, you’re working hard to prevent the flu from infecting your family. At Heaven’s Elect, we do our best to keep our environment clean, so your little ones remain healthy. The following are insights from a nurse to help better understand what to do if our loved ones catch the flu.
Viruses, like the flu, typically run seven to fourteen days and cannot be treated with specific antibiotics. It must run its course. During the duration, you may experience a slight fever, chills, severe headache, sore throat, chest congestion, nasal congestion, coughing, sneezing, severe weakness, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, and body aches. Even if you’ve received the flu vaccine, you are still susceptible to getting the flu. This year’s vaccine is only 10% effective. If you are feeling “fluish,” it’s vital to remain indoors and rest. Do not go out into public and spread the germs.
If you contact your primary care doctor or urgent care at first, understand there is little they can do to help at this time. If you experience fever, headache, and body aches, over-the-counter medication, such as Tylenol, Advil, Motrin or Aleve can help. Remember to read bottles carefully to avoid overdosing, or over-treating as some flu medicines already have Tylenol (Acetaminophen) in them. Home remedies such as vapor rubs, vapor humidifiers, essential oils, and hot showers can help too.
If over-the-counter medication is ineffective, your physician may prescribe medication for severe coughing, vomiting or diarrhea. Antibiotics may be needed if you develop a secondary lung infection. If you have shortness of breath, are not able to keep down fluids for 24 hours, have persistent liquid stools accompanied by dizziness, fast heart rate, or low blood pressure go to the ER immediately.
Fluid intake is critical. Hot liquids and soups are useful, but milk products may thicken mucus and worsen coughs. If the color of your urine is darker than usual, you need to increase your liquid intake.
The following are Heaven’s Elect’s procedures if a child should become ill while under our care during the day:
Parents are notified when a caregiver notices a change in the child’s health, eating habits, temperament, accident, injury, or if a child is too ill to remain in a group. If a parent can’t be reached, the emergency contact person is notified.
We will place children that are too ill to stay in a group in a separate area, and they will be cared for until the parent arrives.
Children are sent home with green discharge out of the eyes, nose, or ears.
Children are sent home with anything over a low-grade fever of 100.5 degrees.
When a communicable disease is evident at the center, parents are notified as to what the condition is and what the symptoms are. A 24-hour symptom-free form is given to the parent and implemented. There are times a doctor’s note is required before the child can come back to the facility.
Items used to care for the ill child are washed, rinsed, and sanitized before any other child uses them.
Classrooms are sanitized twice daily and any item that has been in a child’s mouth is put in a washbasin to be sanitized at a later time.
We are required to send children outside every day, weather permitting. If your child is too sick to go outside, then they are too ill to be at the facility.
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