BankAtlantic Community Bulletin Board: Your child, family and the H1N1 Flu - Virus this Back-To-School Year
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL. – August 28, 2009 – BankAtlantic, Florida’s Most Convenient Bank, announced its Community Bulletin Board: Your child, family and the H1N1 Flu – Virus this Back-To-School Year.
Now that the kids are back at school, they could be bringing home more than just homework. The symptoms of H1N1 flu virus (also known as swine flu) in people include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. A significant number of people who have been infected with this virus also have reported diarrhea and vomiting. Severe illnesses and death has occurred as a result of illness associated with this virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends four main ways you and your family may keep from getting sick with the flu at school and at home:
1. Practice good hand hygiene by washing your hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
2. Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow or shoulder; not into your hands.
3. Stay home if you or your child is sick for at least 24 hours after there is no longer a fever or signs of a fever (without the use of fever-reducing medicine). Keeping sick students at home means that they keep their viruses to themselves rather than sharing them with others.
4. Get your family vaccinated for seasonal flu and the 2009 H1N1 flu when vaccines become available.
If flu conditions become more severe, parents should consider the following steps:
• Extend the time sick children stay home for at least seven days, even if they feel better sooner. People who are still sick after seven days should continue to stay home until at least 24 hours after symptoms have completely gone away.
• If a household member is sick, keep any school-aged siblings home for five days from the time the household member became sick. Parents should monitor their health and the health of other school-aged children for fever and other symptoms of the flu.
“On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization raised the pandemic alert level from Phase 5 to Phase 6 indicating that an influenza pandemic is underway. Although influenza activity remained stable in the United States during the prior 32 weeks, a total of 7,983 hospitalizations and 522 deaths were reported to CDC associated with the H1N1 flu virus in the U.S.,” commented Becky Cohen, BankAtlantic’s Business Continuity Officer. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and being prepared now could save a child’s life this back-to-school season,” Cohen concluded.
Additional steps to prepare for the H1N1virus during the 2009-2010 school year:
• Plan for child care at home if your child gets sick or their school is dismissed.
• Plan to monitor the health of the sick child and any other children in the household by checking for fever and other symptoms of flu.
• Identify if you have children who are at higher risk, such as children under five or those with chronic medical conditions like asthma or diabetes, and talk to your healthcare provider about a plan to protect them during the flu season.
• Identify a separate room in the house for the care of sick family members.
• Update emergency contact lists.
• Collect games, books, DVDs and other items to keep your family entertained if schools are dismissed or your child is sick and must stay home.
• Talk to your school administrators about their pandemic or emergency plan. Be prepared, not scared.
BankAtlantic’s Community Bulletin Board:
Your child, family and the H1N1 Flu this Back-To-School Year is a good start. However, to be fully prepared and for more complete information, please contact the Florida Department of Health or visit http://www.doh.state.fl.us/ . County Health Departments provide most of the public health services in Florida. Services are provided through a partnership between the state, district offices, and the counties. Most services are available at no charge or a small fee based upon income. For a list of local County Health departments, visit http://www.doh.state.fl.us/chdsitelist.htm . For additional information of the H1N1 virus and other timely topics, visit the Centers for Disease Control at http://www.cdc.gov/index.htm
About BankAtlantic:
BankAtlantic, “Florida’s Most Convenient Bank”, is one of the largest financial institutions headquartered in Florida. Via its broad network of community branches, online banking division - BankAtlantic.com , and conveniently located ATMs, BankAtlantic provides a full line of personal, small business and commercial banking products and services. BankAtlantic is open 7 days a week with extended weekday hours, Free Online Banking & Bill Pay, a 7-Day Customer Service Center and Change Exchange coin counters.
BankAtlantic Bancorp (NYSE: BBX) is a bank holding company and the parent company of BankAtlantic.
BankAtlantic, Florida’s Most Convenient Bank, Contact Info:
Media Relations:
Sharon Lyn Telephone: 954-940-6383
Fax: 954-940-5320
Email: CorpComm@BankAtlanticBancorp.com
BankAtlantic Bancorp Contact Info:
Leo Hinkley, Media and Investor Relations Officer
Telephone: (954) 940-5300
Email: InvestorRelations@BankAtlanticBancorp.com
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The matters discussed herein are meant as a public service reminder and a general summary of back-to-school health suggestions, are not exclusive, and should not be considered an all inclusive or complete list of steps, medical advice, procedures, suggestions or ideas related to or needed towards the H1N1 virus, flu, including but not limited to swine flu, general health or health related matters associated with or exclusive of schools or other locales, surroundings or circumstances. Actual conditions, recommendations, suggestions, diagnosis and/or guidelines could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, or implied by the statements contained herein, and the Company cautions that the foregoing factors are not exclusive.
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