When school is in full swing, it typically means common classroom sicknesses are rearing their ugly heads.

Some illnesses include the common cold, influenza and stomach flu.

Elayne Perkins, lead school nurse for Limestone County Schools, said the district has seen the “stomach bug” and a few “flu” diagnoses in some of the schools, but not a tremendous number.

“Our attendance at this time does not see a great percentage of absences,” she said. For example, she said West Limestone High School had 5.96% of students absent Wednesday.

“This is right at the daily average throughout the school year, with the exception of those months we were hit so hard with flu-like illnesses last year.”

Perkins said each nurse in the county reports if there is an increase in certain illnesses during each school day.

Prevention is one way to reduce the spread of illnesses such as influenza, according to the Alabama Department of Public Health. Perkins said more than 1,700 influenza vaccinations were given to students in Limestone County schools in mid-October by a company that specializes in school immunization clinics. School employees and their families are also offered vaccinations.

“The Health Department teams up with PEEHIP (Public Education Employees’ Health Insurance Plan) and provides flu vaccinations for employees and their families if they have PEEHIP insurance,” Perkins said. She said the clinics for PEEHIP start today and continue for the next several days.

Too sick for school?

Both Athens and Limestone County school systems offer advice for parents when it comes to prevention and determining whether a child should be in school. Consider these guidelines:

• A child who has a temperature of 100 degrees or above should not attend school. The child should remain home until his or her temperature is normal (98.6 degrees) for a full 24 hours;

• A child who has cold symptoms such as constant runny nose with abnormal color (green, yellow or white) or thick nasal discharge, constant coughing, sneezing or lung congestion should not be at school. This is especially true for younger children who do not remember to cover their mouths and wash their hands;

• A child who has been diagnosed with an infection and prescribed an antibiotic should not return to school until he or she has taken medication for a full 24 hours after the first dose;

• A child who has had vomiting or diarrhea within the past 24 hours should not attend school until there has been no vomiting or diarrhea for 24 hours;

• A child who has an undiagnosed skin rash or an open skin lesion should not be in school. A rash can be difficult to evaluate. If it is all over the body, blistery, oozing or painful, it could be a sign of a contagious infection. Check with your doctor before sending the child to school; and

• A child who has red, inflamed eyes with a thick discharge should not be in school. Redness in the whites of the eyes, yellow eye discharge and matted lashes are symptoms of conjunctivitis, or pinkeye. A doctor should be consulted for treatment as this is highly contagious.

Ways to prevent spreading sickness

There are several ways to prevent spreading sicknesses like respiratory illness and influenza. The Health Department offers the following guidelines:

• Always cover your mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve or elbow if you do not have a tissue available;

• Practice proper hand-washing hygiene;

• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth;

• Stay home until fever free for 24 hours;

• Remember to see your healthcare provider about vaccinations for yourself and your family for certain respiratory diseases like influenza; and

• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces or common areas with 1:10 parts bleach and water solution. Allow the solution to sit for 10 minutes before wiping away.

Always follow the cleaning product’s manufacturer label.

Visit http://bit.ly/thefluguide for more information about the flu.