Jun. 8--As day camps, overnight camps and other summer programs for children get under way this week, health officials are hoping the outdoor fun will help curb the spread of H1N1 swine flu.
While the programs raise the same concern as schools -- children in close proximity -- the virus will not spread as easily outside, said Salt Lake Valley Health Department Director Gary Edwards.
Still, he urges the same measures that schools have been taking: Campers should sneeze into their elbows or tissues, and wash and sanitize their hands often.
In Utah County, Boy Scout Camp Maple Dell is closed for the week, following confirmation that a staff member had the H1N1 virus, said Steve Royster, executive director for Utah National Parks Council.
Common areas, such as "tables, bathrooms, telephones, and doorknobs" have been disinfected at the camp, Royster said. Staffers were isolated for three days at home.
"We're really following the lead of the health department, advising us what to do," Royster said. He expects the camp to reopen on Monday.
Troops that had been scheduled to attend Maple Dell this week were sent to other camps or moved to future weeks, he said.
As of Monday, there were 713 cases of the new flu reported statewide, a jump from the 489 cases reported as of Thursday. Fifty-two Utahns have been hospitalized; two young people have died. Both had underlying health conditions that put them at greater risk for complications.
Unlike
other areas of the country, the number of cases in Utah does not appear to have peaked.
The health department is offering tips to camps, where children tend to share meals in greater numbers, Edwards said. He is especially wary of campers who share eating utensils and drinks.
"We want to avoid as much of that as we possibly can," he said.
About 70 children gathered Monday on the campus of the University of Utah for this week's day sessions of Club U. Staff are reminding children to frequently wash their hands, said Claire Turner, director of Youth Education.
"I think we practically bought out Purell [hand sanitizer,]" she joked.
Both children and staff members will be watched for signs of illness, she said, and parents will be urged to keep children home if they are sick.
"We want to do everything we can to avoid problems," Turner said. "It just seems like it's something that spreads so easily."
Several camps said they have always encouraged hand washing to protect campers' health, but a few additional steps are being taken in light of the flu. At the camp at The Canyons in Park City, that means extra scrubbing of the toys, door knobs and tables.
"We're Chloroxing and wiping things down more than normal," said Tiffany Riding, the day care manager. "Everything is just being made extremely clean."
A few miles away, bottles of hand sanitizer will be available at Park City's summer day camp, and staff will be emphasizing the importance of hand washing to the 250 kids who attend.
And at The Winner School in Holladay, parents and staff will be on the lookout for flu symptoms. Hand washing will remain as critical: "They wash their hands even upon arriving in the morning at school," said Connie Saccomanno, the school owner.
H1N1 swine flu in Utah
Statewide, 713 cases have been confirmed as of Monday. The top five counties:
Salt Lake County: 491
Utah: 69
Summit: 49
Weber-Morgan: 28
Davis: 26
Source: Utah Department of Health
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