Is there much danger of it spreading to the rest of the camp if a counselor at a summer camp got sick and has been diagnosed with swine flu?

Answer 1

That depends upon how much direct contact the campers and other staff had with the counselor and how careful the counselor was being with cough and sneeze etiquette and precautions like basic handwashing.

If the camp is still open, good cleaning with regular cleaning products should be undertaken to clean the surfaces and frequently handled areas, especially in restrooms, community areas and food preparation and dining areas, along with equipment or other things which the counselor used.

All those who were in direct contact should be screened for fever or symptoms frequently and separated from the rest of the group if any signs of the flu are detected.

All should continue good hygiene and especially hand washing and covering coughs and sneezes. If water for frequent hand washing is not readily available in the camp area, then wet wipes or bottles of hand sanitizer should be distributed among the campers and staff.

Any people in the high risk groups should be sent home such as asthmatics, people with underlying chronic diseases, the very young under five, pregnant women, etc. (see related question below for information on high risk groups). If more individuals begin showing signs of the flu, or if it is clear that many had close direct contact with the counselor, then consideration should be given to closing the camp.

See additional information below in related question section regarding prevention and see the related links section for links to the CDC guidelines for summer camps.