Illness Policy

Greater Philadelphia Aquatics Illness Policy

This policy applies to swim team members, coaches, swim lesson participants, and swim lesson instructors.  The spirit behind this policy is to educate you about steps to stay healthy as well as preventing the spread of illness from sick patrons to healthy ones.

This information comes from the Centers for Disease Control dedicated flu website: www.flu.gov.

Symptoms of Flu

Taking Care of Yourself If You Are Sick

If you have been diagnosed with H1N1 flu or other respiratory illness (like the seasonal flu), you should stay home, follow your doctor’s orders, and watch for signs that you need immediate medical attention.

• CDC recommends that you stay home for at least 24 hoursafter your fever (100°F or 37.8°C) is gone except to get medical care or for other things you have to do and no one else can do for you. (Your fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine, such as Tylenol®.) You should stay home from work, school, sports, travel, shopping, social events, and public gatherings.
• Avoid close contact with others, especially those who might easily get the flu, such as people age 65 years and older, people of any age with chronic medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, or heart disease), pregnant women, young children, and infants.
• Clean hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub often, especially after using tissues or coughing/sneezing into your hands.
• Cover coughs and sneezes.
• Wear a facemaskwhen sharing common spaces with other household members to help prevent spreading the virus to others. This is especially important if other household members are at high risk for complications from influenza. See Interim Recommendations for Facemask and Respirator Use to Reduce Novel Influenza A (H1N1) Virus Transmission.
• Drink clear fluids such as water, broth, sports drinks, or electrolyte beverages made for infants to prevent becoming dehydrated.
• Get plenty of rest.
• Get medical attention right away if you:
  • Have difficulty breathing or chest pain
  • Have purple or blue discoloration of your lips
  • Are vomiting and unable to keep liquids down, or
  • Show signs of dehydration, such as feeling dizzy when standing or being unable to urinate

In order to prevent the spread of germs/virus’ while at practice, please follow these further precautions:

1)  No sharing of water bottles

2)  No sharing of towels or other clothing items

3)  Some swimmers are prone to “coughing fits”.  If this happens to you GET OUT OF THE POOL IMMEDIATELY and get away from others.  Completely cover your mouth when you cough.  When you are finished let your coach know you are going to the bathroom and wash your hands with soap.

4)  If you are sick please stay away from GCIT until you are healthy.  Often times swimmers will return before they illness has completely run its course and relapse.  It’s never good to miss practice however when you are sick there is nothing you can do about it except get healthy.  Stay away from practice so you don’t spread the illness to your teammates or coaches.  A relapse could mean more missed practice time and make you susceptible to more serious illnesses.

5)  No one should be leaving items at the pool or in the locker rooms.  Not only is it a GCIT rule (they can cut off locks left on lockers overnight at any time) but damp items left in dark areas become breeding ground for bacteria. 

6)  Wash out your water bottle with soap and water every night!

Following these precautions IN NO WAY guarantee you will not get sick.  But following these precautions can help limit the number of Greater Philadelphia Aquatic Club patrons and employees who miss time due to illness.

For more information please go to the following websites:

www.cdc.gov

www.flu.gov