Schools to Give Masks to Sick Students

Los Angeles - Students throughout the Southland who become sick at school will get protective masks and gloves to help prevent the spread of the H1N1 influenza virus and other flu outbreaks, a state agency announced today.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said the multi- agency effort is designed to keep students, teachers and staff healthy and in school.

The masks and gloves will be given out only when a student become sick and is sent to the school nurse, officials said.

"In order to prevent the spread of disease, the federal H1N1 guidance for schools calls for the use of personal protective equipment in situations in which a student becomes ill while on campus," O'Connell said.

"Thanks to federal grant funding, we can provide masks and gloves called for in the guidance to schools free of charge," he said. "Procuring and distributing this personal protective equipment for use in California public schools is truly a statewide effort that required the help and generosity of our county offices of education, several state agencies and private shipping companies."

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Department of Education jointly issued guidance for schools regarding the H1N1 influenza pandemic. The guidelines stress that the best way to prevent the spread of viruses is by staying home if you are sick, covering your coughs and sneezes, washing or sanitizing your hands frequently and getting the flu vaccines if possible.

The guidance also recommends the use of personal protective equipment in situations when a student becomes ill while at school.

Los Angeles County Superintendent of Schools Darline P. Robles said she believes the free supplies of protective equipment can help provide an important measure of safety for school communities.

"The H1N1 flu pandemic continues to be a serious health issue this academic year for Los Angeles County -- the state's most populous area with 80 public school districts and two million preschool and school-age children," she said.

"As we did last spring during the first H1N1 outbreaks, the L.A. County Office of Education, along with other county offices of education up and down the state, will continue to make every effort to assist school districts by helping get the right information and supplies to the right people at the right time."