Minnesota health officials on Monday set a higher bar for testing samples of what might be the H1N1 flu (swine flu), and also said they were backing away from recommending schools with probable cases be closed.

Health officials said the changes come as they move into a “new phase” of responding to the virus. They said while it’s too early to relax, the virus so far has been behaving like ordinary seasonal flu.

“This illness is out into the community,” state Health Commissioner Dr. Sanne Magnan said. “The world looks very different now than it did a week ago.”

Magnan said Minnesota’s new guidelines are based on officials’ observations of the severity of the virus during the past week. Out of more than 440 cases the Department of Health has tested, officials found only seven to be probable cases of swine flu. Of those, one has been confirmed while the others await tests at the CDC.

None of the confirmed or probable cases led to patients being hospitalized, she said.

When swine flu first broke out, the Minnesota Department of Health asked doctors to send specimens from any patients with flu-like illnesses to the state for testing. While the department will continue to do some limited surveillance at out-patient facilities, doctors are being asked to submit suspected swine flu specimens only for patients who have been hospitalized for flu-like symptoms.

Minnesota’s decision came as officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said they were rethinking their advice that schools consider closing for as long as two weeks because of swine flu.

Magnan said officials used “an abundance of caution” in the past week in recommending that several schools connected to suspected swine flu cases be closed. The Health Department has revised that approach to mostly leave the decision up to schools.

Schools can still choose to close, but Magnan said that would be a local decision based on the specific public health situation. For example, a school might choose to close if a large number of students or staff become ill and school functioning is disrupted, she said.

State epidemiologist Dr. Ruth Lynfield said the focus should be on getting anyone who is sick to stay home for seven days to avoid spreading the illness. Closing schools for many days could become ineffective if students continue congregating in malls and other public places, she said.

“This is an acknowledgement that transmission does not only happen in the schools,” Lynfield said.

Health officials have asked Minnesota schools and parents to watch children for symptoms, and schools will be asked to monitor possible flu cases and absences.

In Mower County, information is available at visit www.co.mower. mn.us or visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Web site at www.cdc.gov or at 1-800-232-4636. Additional state information is also available at www.health.state. mn.us/divs/idepc/diseases/flu/h1n1/schools/index.html, and includes a section on cautionary measures to take both at work and at home regarding H1N1.

Last week, Hormel officials issued the following statement in regard to the H1N1 flu.

“We care about the continued safety and health of our employees and visitors,” said Julie Craven, vice president of corporate communications at Hormel Foods. “Since the announcement about the H1N1 flu, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization have made recommendations about preventive measures companies can follow. We are adopting some of these guidelines by asking visitors to a Hormel Foods facility to schedule an appointment for all visits. We are also reminding our employees of flu precautions, such as covering their nose and mouth when they sneeze and cough and to frequently wash their hands.”