School Nurse Letter to Waitsfield Parents: COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Information

Dear Parents and Families, 

We would like to share a few resources and tips for maintaining health and safety during this time of school closure. We understand that you and your children may have additional questions about COVID-19 and would like to provide you with reliable resources to support you and your children during this time. 

Physical Health:

During the time that we are home from school, continue to take precautions to protect your physical health. Information about coronavirus is being updated regularly on the CDC’s COVID-19 webpage. This is a good source of reliable information. 

• Important information on Social Distancing
• Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Follow these five steps—wet, lather (make bubbles), scrub (rub together), rinse and dry. You can sing the “Happy Birthday” song twice.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. If you sneeze or cough into a tissue, throw it in the trash right away.
• Keep your hands out of your mouth, nose, and eyes. This will help keep germs out of your body.
• Avoid the older adults and anyone with a compromised immune system in your life. Set up virtual meetings and phone calls to stay connected with them. They are the most vulnerable.

Coronavirus Information [Vermont Department of Health]

Coronavirus Resource Center- Social Distancing and other FAQs [Harvard Medical School]

Get your Home Ready [Centers for Disease Control]

Mental Health:

If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call Washington County Mental Health at 229-0591. They have screeners available to speak with you 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. 

Managing Stress and Anxiety [Centers for Disease Control]

Very Well Mind Resource

Coping with Stress [World Health Organization]

Talking with your kids about COVID-19:

Questions and Answers [Centers for Disease Control]

A Comic Exploring the Coronavirus for Kids [National Public Radio]

Tips on How to Talk to Kids About the Coronavirus

Children and Stress [World Health Organization]

Feel free to reach out to me if you have any further questions or require support. I will be checking messages (email and phone) during this school closure.

Clayton S. Wetzel III, BSN, RN, NCSN

(802) 583-7900

cwetzel@huusd.org

Caterpillars can cause rashes...

A rash caused by touching a caterpillar can look like welts, small, fluid-filled sacs called vesicles, raised red bumps, or areas of red, scaly skin. Sometimes a child may feel mild to moderate stinging or pain.

If your child actually touches a caterpillar and has an immediate reaction, the first thing you should do is remove as many of the tiny hairs that will have rubbed off on his or her skin as possible.
You can do this with adhesive tape: Rub a strip of tape onto the area where the hairs are and pull them off, like you would to remove lint from a piece of clothing. Repeat with fresh tape until you think you've gotten all the hairs you can. Then wash the area with soap and water and dab on a topical, low-potency steroid cream. If the rash really stings, an ice pack can relieve the pain.

https://www.verywellhealth.com/rashes-from-caterpillars-3969706

EpiPen 0.3mg Auto Injector Expiration Date Extension

On June 5, 2019, the FDA announced a 4 month extension on expiration dates of EpiPen 0.3 mg Auto-Injectors (includes generic version).

NOTE: This extension DOES NOT apply to EpiPenJr. 0.15 mg Auto Injectors.

https://www.fda.gov/…/dr…/extended-use-dates-provided-pfizer

Epinephrine Auto-injectors Retain High Levels of Epinephrine Years After Expiration Date, Study Finds

This is intended for informational purposes only. Hopefully the positive outcomes reported by this article and other related studies will convince epinephrine auto-injector manufacturers to extend expiration dates. C. Wetzel, BSN, RN, NCSN

Quote: The results showed that EAIs up to six months past the expiration date retained 100% of the drug, with auto-injectors one year after the expiration date demonstrating 95% drug content or better. All of the EAIs analyzed up to 30 months beyond the labeled expiration date retained at least 90% of the drug content.

Quote: Despite this research, patients should always discuss their medications with a qualified medical professional. “We are not necessarily advocating for use of an expired medication; however, some patients may need to rely on these while drug shortages and cost of medications continue to make new auto-injectors unattainable,” Dr. Kassel added. “What we do hope is this growing body of evidence will eventually lead to more accurate expiration dates for auto-injectors.”

https://snacksafely.com/2019/05/epinephrine-auto-injectors-retain-high-levels-of-epinephrine-years-after-expiration-date-study-finds/

Voluntary Recall: Infant Ibuprofen Oral Suspension (liquid)

Tris Pharma, Inc has expanded its voluntary nationwide retail recall of Ibuprofen oral suspension drops, USP, 50 mg per 1.25 mL. This is due to health concerns associated with a Higher Concentration of Ibuprofen than what is advertised on the product.

Information in the recall notice indicates this product was sold at WalMart, The Family Dollar and CVS Pharmacy.

Please use the following link for the complete FDA Recall Notice and list of affected lot numbers -- https://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm630112.htm

When to see the doctor: Flu Decision Chart (CVMC: January 15, 2013)

Affordable Care Act: Open Enrollment through December 15, 2018

American Nurses Association - Vermont: Announcement