Good site for information at CIDRAP

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/swineflu/biofacts/swinefluoverview.html


See especially this great section on Community Mitigation:

Community Mitigation Measures

According to the CDC, "It is prudent for communities to act in the absence of sufficient data to protect their citizens and take advantage of a narrow window of opportunity for intervention." Therefore, the CDC recommends that affected states with at least one laboratory-confirmed case of swine influenza A H1N1 virus infection consider activating community mitigation interventions for affected communities, at least until more information is known. Key recommendations from the CDC as of April 27, 2009, for affected communities include the following (see References: CDC 2009: Interim CDC guidance for nonpharmaceutical community mitigation in response to human infections with swine influenza [H1N1] virus; CDC 2009: Interim guidance for swine influenza A [H1N1]: taking care of a sick person in your home):
Home Isolation of Cases

* Persons who develop influenza-like-illness (ILI) (fever with either cough or sore throat) should be strongly encouraged to self-isolate in their home for 7 days after the onset of illness or at least 24 hours after symptoms have resolved, whichever is longer.
* Persons who experience ILI and wish to seek medical care should contact their healthcare providers to report illness (by telephone or other remote means) before seeking care at a clinic, physician's office, or hospital. Persons who have difficulty breathing or shortness of breath or are believed to be severely ill should seek immediate medical attention.
* If ill persons must go into the community (eg, to seek medical care), they should wear a face mask to reduce the risk of spreading the virus when they cough, sneeze, talk, or breathe. If a face mask is unavailable, ill persons needing to go into the community should use a handkerchief or tissues to cover any coughing.
* Household contacts of home-isolated patients who are well should remain home at the earliest sign of illness and minimize contact in the community to the extent possible.

Care of a Person with Swine Influenza in the Home

* The ill person should be kept away from others in the home as much as possible (for example, in a separate bedroom with a separate bathroom). In addition, if possible, only one adult in the home should take care of the ill person (pregnant women should not care for ill persons).
* Caregivers who must have close contact with a person who has swine influenza should spend the least amount of time possible in close contact and try to wear a face mask (for example, surgical mask) or N-95 disposable respirator during close contact.
* If possible, consideration should be given to maintaining good ventilation in shared household areas.

* Persons in home isolation and their household members should be given infection control instructions, including practicing frequent hand washing with soap and water (or use alcohol-based hand gels containing at least 60% alcohol when soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty).
* When the ill person is within 6 feet of others at home, the ill person should wear a face mask if one is available and the ill person is able to tolerate wearing it.
* Consideration should be given to providing antiviral medications (ie, oseltemivir [Tamiflu] or zanamivir [Relenza]) to prevent infection household contacts, particularly those contacts who may have chronic health conditions.
* The ill person should not have visitors other than caregivers.

School Dismissal and Childcare Facility Closure

* Dismissal of students should be strongly considered in schools with a confirmed or a suspected case epidemiologically linked to a confirmed case.
* Decisions regarding broader school dismissal within these communities should be left to local authorities, taking into account the extent of ILI in the community.
* If the school dismisses students or if a childcare facility closes, they should also cancel all school- or childcare-related gatherings and encourage parents and students to avoid congregating outside of the school. (Note: The CDC defines "childcare facilities" as centers and facilities that provide care to children in a nonresidential setting or family childcare homes that provide care for children in the home of the provider.)
* Schools and childcare facilities should dismiss students for a time to be evaluated on an ongoing basis, depending upon epidemiological findings.
* Schools and childcare facilities should consult with their local or state health departments for guidance on reopening. If no additional confirmed or suspected cases are identified among students (or school-based personnel) for 7 days, schools may consider reopening.
* Schools and childcare facilities in unaffected areas should begin to prepare for the possibility of school dismissal or childcare facility closure. This includes asking teachers, parents, and officials in charge of critical school-associated programs (such as meal services) to make contingency plans.

Other Social Distancing Interventions

* Large gatherings linked to settings or institutions with laboratory-confirmed cases should be cancelled, for example, a school event linked to a school with cases; other large gatherings in the community may not need to be cancelled at this time.
* Additional social distancing measures currently are not recommended.
* Persons with underlying medical conditions who are at high risk for complications of influenza may wish to consider avoiding large gatherings.

Use of Face Masks and Respirators

Use of face masks and respirators may help reduce the risk of acquiring influenza in crowded settings where there is potential for exposure to infectious persons. The CDC currently recommends that, whenever possible, rather than relying on the use of face masks or respirators, people should avoid close contact with people who might be ill and avoid being in crowded settings. However, the CDC also recommends that the use of face masks or respirators in areas where transmission of swine influenza A H1N1 virus has been confirmed should be considered as follows:

* Face masks should be considered for use by individuals who enter crowded settings, both to protect their nose and mouth from other people's coughs and to reduce the wearers' likelihood of coughing on others; the time spent in crowded settings should be as short as possible.
* Respirators should be considered for use by individuals for whom close contact with an infectious person is unavoidable. This can include selected individuals who must care for a sick person (eg, family member with a respiratory infection) at home.