Guidelines: for one swine flu case,shut class; for many,shut school

If,for example,one student tests positive,only his or her class will shut for seven days. If more than one class is affected,the school will have to be shut for “specified period”,officials said. The guidelines were prepared at at a meeting in Pune between state health officials also asked the district authorities of Thane,Nashik,Satara and Pune.

State and district officials have asked school authorities to identify students with symptoms like cough and sneezing and get them checked.

The virus had spread in Pune schools after students had attended a programme in Kothrud on the total solar eclipse. “On July 14,students from schools were invited by an NGO at Kothrud for a discussion on the solar eclipse,” said Dr Pradeep Avte,in charge of the state swine flu cell.

This is believed to have spread the virus,Avte said. Another possible factor,he said,is tuitions where students from various schools go.

At Friday’s meeting,state officials also asked the district authorities to prepare a draft action plan for the business continuity if there is an epidemic. “If the flu reaches pandemic proportions and if 30 per cent employees are absent,corporations and councils should keep an action plan for essential services ready,” said Dr Avte.

The government is considering the Yashwantrao Chavan Memorial Hospital,Pimpri,as a possible additional isolation facility for Pune if the isolation units at Naidu Hospital and Aundh General Hospital are packed.

Haffkine lab ready
Haffkine institute in Mumbai is ready with a swine flu laboratory for testing samples from Kasturba Hospital. “We have not yet received samples but are ready to test. We have two technicians with special training at NICD. The lab can test 10 samples at a time,” said Dr Abhay Chowdhary,Haffkine director. Haffkine Institute,one of the country’s 16 labs equipped to test for,expects an upgrade soon from BSL level-2 to level-3,with new safety protocols in handling samples and for technicians.