Swine flu preparation extends into rural New Hampshire

I have been watching the news and checking the CDC website for the latest information, but it's comforting to know the school is on top of things and planning contingencies. The letter from the school headmaster said he had been in touch with the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services about the swine flu strain.

The New Hampshire DHHS told the school that students who show no signs of illness can safely attend school, even if they have recently traveled to an area known to have swine flu infections. At the time the letter was written, that included only Mexico and a few states. The list of affected areas has since expanded.

On the other hand, the school letter also reflected how little we know about the new outbreak of swine flu. It says that if the new strain spreads to an area and "if it causes severe illness," then schools may be closed to reduce the spread of the disease. The letter also provided the CDC's standard advice on steps to take to avoid catching or spreading the flu: Wash your hands properly and frequently, cover your cough, keep your hands away from your nose and mouth and other common-sense approaches.

My son told me that in the school's daily public address, officials asked students who recently had traveled to any affected area to check in with the school nurse. Because this was just a couple days after a week-long April vacation, there are probably more than a few who fall into that group.

For now, though, I am not overly concerned. With the exception of one young boy in Texas, who is reported to have had underlying health conditions, every confirmed case of the new swine flu in the United States has had a positive outcome, according to the CDC.

At this point, none of us knows whether the current outbreak of H1N1 swine flu is any more severe than the average seasonal flu. About 150 suspected flu-related deaths from a country as populous as Mexico is not particularly alarming. Without accurate information on the number of infected people, it is impossible to know if this flu strain is any more or less deadly than the average flu that sweeps across the continent every year.

We're taking ordinary precautions. There's no reason to panic.