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<p class="elementToProof" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; background-color: white;">Hello-</span></p>
<p class="elementToProof" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; background-color: white;">Please see the attached
Maine Health Alert Network (HAN) received today regarding increased prevalence of respiratory illness in our communities. Masking and immunizations continue to be effective preventative health measures at keeping respiratory illness rates manageable. We
wanted to make sure all school nurses are receiving this HAN from the Maine CDC regarding the expected peak.
</span><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>
<p style="line-height: normal; background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
<p style="line-height: normal; background-color: white; margin: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black;">If you are not already subscribed, you may want to
consider signing up for the HAN where important health related messages will be received via your email inbox.
</span><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black; background-color: white;">Please use this link to register:
<a href="https://www.mainehan.org/" id="OWA2031874c-7031-ce9d-97e3-b80ce0a86018" class="OWAAutoLink" data-linkindex="0" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; text-align: left;">
https://www.mainehan.org/</a></span><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: black;"> </span></p>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);">_____________________________________ <br>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;"><b>Sarah DeCato, MSN, RN, NCSN (She/Her)</b><br>
School Nurse Specialist-Coordinated School Health<br>
Office of School and Student Supports<br>
Maine Department of Education<br>
23 State House Station<br>
Augusta, Maine 04333-0023<br>
<b>Email</b>: </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 112, 192);"><u><a href="mailto:sarah.decato@maine.gov" id="OWA8135e6bc-c95c-33e1-155d-57ef3857ca00" class="OWAAutoLink" data-linkindex="0" style="color: rgb(0, 112, 192); margin: 0px;">sarah.decato@maine.gov</a></u></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;"><br>
<b>Phone</b>: 207-441-3812<br>
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 112, 192);"><u><a href="http://www.maine.gov/doe" id="OWA4547a05f-2a10-0816-d8b4-7b95b236ca59" class="OWAAutoLink" title="Original URL: http://www.maine.gov/doe. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-linkindex="1" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(0, 112, 192); margin: 0px;">Maine
DOE</a></u></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);"> | </span>
<span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 112, 192);"><u><a href="https://www.facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1/" id="OWAdeacbdab-2c5e-0546-ab22-8a3bc4586a4c" class="OWAAutoLink" title="Original URL: https://www.facebook.com/MaineDepartmentofEducation1/. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-linkindex="2" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(0, 112, 192); margin: 0px;">Facebook</a></u></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);"> |
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 112, 192);"><u><a href="https://twitter.com/mdoenews" id="OWA5e717399-6b5e-d6bc-99be-a1c2397e776a" class="OWAAutoLink" title="Original URL: https://twitter.com/mdoenews. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-linkindex="3" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(0, 112, 192); margin: 0px;">Twitter</a></u></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);"> |
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 112, 192);"><u><a href="https://www.instagram.com/mainedepted/?hl=en" id="OWAe174c7fd-b416-9f54-5558-f76904f3252b" class="OWAAutoLink" title="Original URL: https://www.instagram.com/mainedepted/?hl=en. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-linkindex="4" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(0, 112, 192); margin: 0px;">Instagram</a></u></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);"> |
</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 112, 192);"><u><a href="https://mainedoenews.net/" id="OWA58da0d40-6899-d4df-f258-c0deaaabf663" class="OWAAutoLink" title="Original URL: https://mainedoenews.net/. Click or tap if you trust this link." data-linkindex="5" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(0, 112, 192); margin: 0px;">Maine
DOE Newsroom</a></u></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;">|</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(12, 100, 192);"><a href="https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines" id="OWA186e2843-9268-a87d-eb99-cd5e21e5c770" class="OWAAutoLink" title="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.maine.gov%2Fdoe%2Fschools%2Fsafeschools%2Fhealthed%2Fnurseresources%2Fguidelines&data=05%7C01%7CSarah.DeCato%40maine.gov%7C6df0abec861a49701d8c08db8c62512a%7C413fa8ab207d4b629bcdea1a8f2f864e%7C0%7C0%7C638258126131264023%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oV7bFE14WxaGJtXERPTVfNnlpk4dq9blWg8WACLdh%2B0%3D&reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(12, 100, 192); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Maine
Guidelines for School</a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: black;"><a href="https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines" id="OWAd115eb0d-125f-d143-1304-deac64ffdfe4" class="OWAAutoLink" title="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.maine.gov%2Fdoe%2Fschools%2Fsafeschools%2Fhealthed%2Fnurseresources%2Fguidelines&data=05%7C01%7CSarah.DeCato%40maine.gov%7C6df0abec861a49701d8c08db8c62512a%7C413fa8ab207d4b629bcdea1a8f2f864e%7C0%7C0%7C638258126131264023%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oV7bFE14WxaGJtXERPTVfNnlpk4dq9blWg8WACLdh%2B0%3D&reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">
</a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(12, 100, 192);"><a href="https://www.maine.gov/doe/schools/safeschools/healthed/nurseresources/guidelines" id="OWA24402e40-c414-b9ea-ea77-b3f62f2293d3" class="OWAAutoLink" title="https://gcc02.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.maine.gov%2Fdoe%2Fschools%2Fsafeschools%2Fhealthed%2Fnurseresources%2Fguidelines&data=05%7C01%7CSarah.DeCato%40maine.gov%7C6df0abec861a49701d8c08db8c62512a%7C413fa8ab207d4b629bcdea1a8f2f864e%7C0%7C0%7C638258126131264023%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=oV7bFE14WxaGJtXERPTVfNnlpk4dq9blWg8WACLdh%2B0%3D&reserved=0" data-auth="NotApplicable" style="color: rgb(12, 100, 192); margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;">Health</a></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(36, 36, 36);"><br>
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<div dir="ltr" id="divRplyFwdMsg"><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><b>From:</b> Maine Health Alert Network <7aeec8c5-0005-3002-80c0-fceb55463ffe@notify2.mir3.com><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, January 18, 2024 2:46 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> DeCato, Sarah <Sarah.DeCato@maine.gov><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Masking and Vaccination in Health Care Facilities During Increased Respiratory Virus Activity</span>
<div> </div>
</div>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; color: crimson;"><b>EXTERNAL: This email originated from outside of the State of Maine
Mail System. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe.</b></span><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><br>
<br>
</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Respiratory virus transmission in the United States has increased
in recent weeks and is expected to peak in coming weeks, leading to more infections, serious illness, hospitalizations, and deaths as well as more health care workers out of work due to illness. When there is higher respiratory virus transmission, health care
facilities should implement policies requiring staff to wear appropriate masks or respirators for source control and infection control either during patient interactions or at all times inside facilities. Health care facilities should also consider requiring
COVID-19 vaccine for patient-facing staff alongside the existing state requirements for influenza vaccine.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Comprehensive infection prevention and control policies, including
masking and vaccination, protect staff, patients, residents, and visitors. Health care facilities should consider these demonstrated risk-reduction measures as they adapt to the shifting community situation. Masking protects the wearer and others around them
against respiratory virus infections. Vaccines provide the best protection against severe illness. The Maine CDC remains dedicated to preventing severe disease and death from respiratory viral illnesses, particularly for populations at higher risk, and continues
to work to reduce their impacts.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">A FULL VERSION OF THIS ADVISORY IS ATTACHED IN .PDF FORMAT.</span></p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_EmbeddedFont, Aptos_MSFontService, Calibri, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Thank you,<br>
Maine Health Alert Network</span></p>
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