SCG Swine Flu Policy
Swine Flu Information to Students, Staff and Visitors
Swine flu is the common name given to a new strain of influenza (flu). It is called swine flu because it is thought to have originated in pigs, but this is not certain. The symptoms are very similar to seasonal (regular) flu. Most people recover within a week, even without special treatment.
Anyone who may have flu should be advised to stay at home and call the National Pandemic flu service on 0800 1 513 100 or 0800 1 516 200 (textphone) or check your condition using the online National Pandemic Flu Service.
The typical symptoms are:
• a sudden fever (a high body temperature of 38°C/100.4°F or above), and
• a sudden cough.
Other symptoms may include:
• headache,
• tiredness,
• chills,
• aching muscles,
• limb or joint pain,
• diarrhoea or stomach upset,
• sore throat,
• runny nose,
• sneezing, or
• loss of appetite.
Call your GP directly if:
• you have a serious existing illness that weakens your immune system, such as cancer,
• you are pregnant,
• you have a sick child under one,
• your condition suddenly gets much worse, or
• your condition is still getting worse after seven days (five for a child).
How to reduce the risk of infection
The risk of infection can be reduced significantly by ensuring good standards of personal hygiene, so remind staff, students and visitors of good hygiene practice advice at every opportunity, including:
• Washing hands frequently with soap and water to reduce the spread of virus from your hands to your face or to other people
• Covering your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing, using a tissue when possible
• Disposing of dirty tissues promptly and carefully (click here to view NHS Poster)
• Cleaning hard surfaces (such as door handles) frequently using a normal cleaning product
Frequently asked questions
What is the incubation period (time between contact with the virus and the onset of symptoms)?
The range is from one to four days, for most people it will be two to three days.
How long is the infectious period (how long you are infectious to others)?
People are most infectious soon after they develop symptoms though they can continue to shed the virus, for example in coughs and sneezes, typically for up to five days (seven days in children). People become less infectious as their symptoms subside and once symptoms are gone, they are considered no longer infectious to others.
How is swine flu caught and spread to others?
Flu, including swine flu and pandemic flu, is spread from person-to-person by close contact. Some examples of how it can be spread include:
• Coughing and/or sneezing by an infected person within a short distance (usually one metre or less) of someone
• Touching or shaking the hand of an infected person and then touching your mouth, eyes or nose without first washing your hands
• Touching surfaces or objects (eg door handles) that have become contaminated with the flu virus and then touching your mouth, eyes or nose without first washing your hands
• In some circumstances, it is thought that the virus may be passed on in fine droplets – aerosols. This is not considered a major route of transmission and is only likely to occur during some medical procedures.
What can I do to protect myself and others from swine flu?
• Use a tissue to cover your nose and mouth when coughing and/or sneezing. Dispose of the tissue promptly and then wash your hands
• Clean hands frequently with soap and water, especially after coughing, sneezing, and using tissues. An alcohol handrub could be used as an alternative for washing hands
• Avoid touching your mouth, eyes and/or nose, unless you have recently cleaned your hands
• Normal household detergent and water can be used to clean surfaces frequently touched by hands
• Before you leave for home you should wash your hands, and then wash them again soon after you arrive
• Tissues should be disposed of in domestic waste and do not require any special treatment. Used tissues should be put in a waste bin immediately after use or as soon as is feasible. You should wash your hands after the tissues have been disposed of
Specific issues
Evidence suggests that the flu virus does not survive for long periods of time on soft items although it can survive up to 24 hours on hard surfaces.
Virus survival:
• Hard, non-porous surfaces (eg stainless steel counter or plastic bowls): flu virus is able to survive for up to 72 hours but only for 24 hours in large enough quantities to pose a risk of infection
• Soft surfaces/furnishings (eg clothes, handkerchiefs, tissues, magazines): flu virus is able to survive for up to 12 hours but only for about 15 minutes in large enough quantities to pose an infection risk
• Once the virus is transferred to hands, it survives for less than five minutes
• Cleaning your hands with soap and water (followed by drying)
is an effective way to kill flu virus on your hands
• The flu virus is killed within 30 seconds by an alcohol handrub
Please contact Louise Marks on 01444 484467 if you have any further questions/concerns.
