Influenza-like illness

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · Dec 12, 2017

I'm feeling rather dense at the moment.....but it has never occurred to me to report a run of illnesses to DOH?? It wasn't something I was told I needed to do in my 4 hour orientation

Yup. We have an agreement with our local health jurisdiction but nobody mentioned it to me when I started, either. We generally only report ILI (we can't call it flu because we cannot diagnose). We do not diagnose mono either but those things would be useful to someone....Does your director do this?

Eleven011 · Dec 12, 2017

Yup. We have an agreement with our local health jurisdiction but nobody mentioned it to me when I started, either. We generally only report ILI (we can't call it flu because we cannot diagnose). We do not diagnose mono either but those things would be useful to someone....Does your director do this?

I don't have a director. I'm a department of one and I report to my principals.

amoLucia · Dec 13, 2017

Please, what's the ILI abbreviation for?

I take this back. Figured it out. TY anyway.

Amethya · Dec 13, 2017

I already informed my AP and called my school health manager on this issue, I'm not sure what else to do for this.

ohiobobcat · Dec 13, 2017

We report to DOH when our absenteeism rate is above 10% for any illness.

AdobeRN · Dec 13, 2017

We report to DOH when our absenteeism rate is above 10% for any illness.

Same here - in my 8 years at this school it has only happened twice. Both times it was a few days before we left for Xmas break so nothing really came of it except a "deep clean" of the classrooms.

BeckyESRN · Dec 13, 2017

Same here - in my 8 years at this school it has only happened twice. Both times it was a few days before we left for Xmas break so nothing really came of it except a "deep clean" of the classrooms.

Same here. Last year before Christmas break we had 11% out with a stomach illness.

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2017

Please, what's the ILI abbreviation for?
I take this back. Figured it out. TY anyway.

I'm sorry I jargoned. The health department has us report influenza-like illness as a surrogate marker for real influenza. But we apparently have four lab-reported, doc-diagnosed cases who will not be gracing my building today (I have the best attendance ladies!!!!)

NutmeggeRN, BSN · Dec 13, 2017

I don't have a director. I'm a department of one and I report to my principals.

Me too!

Cattz, ADN · Dec 13, 2017

Because of my kinda unique situation of covering 4 buildings in 3 districts. I do my report to the health dept, but it is for the previous week, when I report it. By then, if there was a trend of something, it would be a bit late to just be letting them know. If I see big trends, I am calling that DAY (but that is just something I do myself! But, other wise, the report that is a week later - seems kind of silly to me. But, whatever makes the world go around, I guess.

ruby_jane, BSN, RN · Dec 13, 2017

I heard on the news that this year's flu vaccine is only 10% effective. Kind of glad I didn't force my needlephobe 9 year old to get it.

It missed one of the A strains....which, sadly, is what is coming back lab-positive for us....

amoLucia · Dec 14, 2017

Ruby - TY for the comeback. I like learning new abbreviations for the new information. So when I can't figure out the initials, I'm not so proud as to NOT ask.

It's just that for some time I'm reading along unknowingly until I figure it out, or else I'lI ask.

Just learned something new from another post - a PI (productivity index) about staffing. Didn't even know such a thing existed.

Never too old to learn!