Social distancing scarce in Edmond — so far

CDC recommends disease prevention methods

Mark Schlachtenhaufen

EDMOND — An Edmond church has temporarily suspended hospital visits by deacons and is encouraging less hand-to-hand contact in some group settings.

Edmond Medical Center has temporarily changed its visitation policy, preventing visits by children under the age of 18 unless the child is a patient, and only two visitors per patient are permitted at a time.

Some schools elsewhere are having students sit at least an arm’s length apart from each other, and some schools have temporarily shut their doors due to high absenteeism.

These are examples of “social distancing,” a term used to describe practices that reduce contact between people to help prevent the spread of disease.

Flu activity is now widespread in 48 states, and nationally visits to doctors for flu-like illness continue to increase steeply, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Hospitalization rates continue to be highest in younger populations with the highest in children up to age 4.

Apparently, Edmond continues — for now — to be spared widespread illness occurring elsewhere.

Edmond Associate Superintendent Brenda Lyons said she has not heard of any district school taking any social distancing measures, but the district has emphasized good hygiene and encouraged ill students to remain home.

Pat Murphy, preschool ministry director for the First Baptist Church of Edmond, said teachers in the program have being doing normal activities, but the absenteeism rate has been rising.

Murphy said if a child has symptoms parents are asked to take them home. Other preventative steps taken by the program include providing hand sanitizer at every classroom entrance and supplying parents with appropriate flu information.

“We’ve taken a proactive approach,” Murphy said.

Due to the extensive spread of the flu, the First Presbyterian Church of Edmond has temporarily suspended visits by ordained church officers to hospitals, care facilities and rehabilitation centers for several weeks. However, pastor on-call visits for serious situations are continuing uninterrupted.

Thus far, city workers also have been spared. City spokeswoman Claudia Deakins said so far no workers have reported being ill with the flu. The city has not needed to cancel events where employees would be gathering, such as its recent awards dinner, Deakins said.

“We are aware that some organizations have considered that but we have not at the present time,” Deakins said. “Of course, that would be re-evaluated should we see a spike in the number of employees out with the flu.”

However, the city has implemented a new policy that allows employees to take advance sick leave if they become ill with the flu and have no vacation or sick leave available, Deakins said.

“What we are encouraging is that employees stay home if they are sick,” Deakins said.

Additionally, the city has provided information via e-mail and payroll stuffers on the basics of how to avoid spreading germs, Deakins said. City management is closely monitoring this issue and is prepared to take appropriate steps as needed, she said.

Lydia Miller, communications director for the Edmond Area Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber has not yet had to cancel any events due to flu activity.

CDC recommendations

Laurence Burnsed, director of the Communicable Disease Division of the Oklahoma State Department of Health, said flu-like activity continues to be widespread in Oklahoma. Burnsed said the first line of defense against the flu is practicing proper hygiene, which includes washing with alcohol-based hand gel and coughing into your sleeve.

Social distancing includes staying at home when you are ill, and if you are ill limiting contact with others to keep from infecting them, Burnsed said. Another good idea is trying to avoid being around people who are ill.

Burnsed said he likes the CDC’s social distancing guidelines.

The CDC recommends that people with flu-like symptoms stay at home at least 24 hours after they are free of fever (100 degrees) or signs of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications. This recommendation applies to camps, schools, businesses, mass gatherings and other community settings where the majority of people are not at increased risk for influenza complications.

The CDC also recommends that members of high-risk groups (persons with certain chronic medical conditions, children less than 5 years, persons 65 or older and pregnant women) should consider their risk of exposure to novel influenza if they attend public gatherings in communities where H1N1 flu is circulating.

Other measures can be used by event organizers to help reduce the risk for 2009 H1N1 flu infection. They include: Making widely available at the event hand washing facilities with soap and running water, hand sanitizer and tissues, providing on-site medical assessment and care and providing alternative options and venues (remote Web-based viewing sites) and simultaneously reduce crowding.

marks@edmondsun.com | 341-2121, ext. 108