GINA B. GOOD / PVT At Manse Elementary School, secretary Fran Rust and health aide Denise Rhodes accept boxes of hand sanitizer for all the classrooms from Dep. Chief Kevin Kleinworth and Director Brent Jones of Nye County Emergency Services. RELATED STORY H1N1 vaccinations planned Advertisement

Nye County Emergency Services has launched a comprehensive, proactive plan to reduce the likelihood that the swine flu, now called the H1N1 virus, will spread throughout Nye County.

"We are taking the threat of the H1N1 virus seriously, but people should know that in the southern hemisphere, it is remaining a mild flu right now," said NCES Director Brent Jones.

"There is no need for people to be unduly frightened. However, we are taking steps to educate families as well as businesses so people are familiar with what they can do to hopefully avoid it. No one wants to be sick and these are the same common sense steps that people should take to avoid catching a cold or seasonal flu."

Partnering with Nye County School District and other community and state health organizations, an infection control program is in place in county offices as well as throughout the school district.

"We are working together with school Superintendent Dr. Roberts on assembly and classroom programs and with Transportation Supervisor Cameron McRae on disinfecting school buses," said Jones. "We appreciate the efforts of the bus drivers who are using spray disinfect throughout their buses between runs."

Emergency Services provided posters for each classroom in the county and all schools are scheduled to receive training on the hazards of swine flu, along with the recommended measures to reduce contracting it.

Classroom time and school assemblies will bolster student awareness that they should stay home if they feel sick, wash their hands frequently using soap and water, cover coughs and sneezes and avoid touching the nose, mouth and eyes.

Recently, a team from Emeregency Services, including Jones and Dep. Chief Kevin Kleinworth, visited every school and county office in Pahrump, as well as the Pahrump Senior Center, delivering hand sanitizer and informational materials on the program.

"Infection prevention needs to become part of our culture from now on as the possibility of other pandemic diseases increases," explained Jones. "Before vaccines were developed, people used to develop immunization to a disease by contracting it and living through it. They developed antibodies," he said.

Jones cited whooping cough as an example of a disease that is reappearing in the United States. Today, there is a set schedule for children to receive immunizations from things such as whooping cough, also called pertussis, and other diseases. It has only been within the last couple of years scientists have discovered the vaccine for whooping cough wears off in adolescence and a booster shot has been developed.

"We are doing everything we can to protect people from infectious disease," Jones said. "NCES wants to share their program with private sector partners.

"Businesses may be adversely affected by the pandemic through the temporary loss of staff as well as customers. There could be decreased services and income. However, there are steps that employers can voluntarily take to reduce the risk and impact of H1N1 in their workplace.

The most important step, according to Jones, is making certain employees stay home while they are sick and keep away from work for 24 hours after their fever subsides.

Other than instructing employees to wash their hands frequently, and cover coughs and sneezes, other precautions include placing hand sanitizer throughout the workplace to increase its use. Hands should be washed after coughing, sneezing or blowing the nose. If possible, avoid close contact with co-workers and customers by not shaking hands. If gloves are worn at work, hands should be washed after removing the gloves.

It is also recommended that employers provide customers and employees with tissues and trash receptacles and a place to wash or disinfect their hands, if at all possible.

Keep work surfaces, including desks, telephones, computer equipment and other frequently touched surfaces like copy machines and other office equipment disinfected.

Discourage employees from using other employees' phones, desks or other work tools and equipment.

When meetings are necessary, avoid close contact by keeping a separation of at least six feet, where possible, and assure there is proper ventilation in the meeting room.

Jones emphasises, "Everyone in the community should do their part to prevent the spread of disease."