Schools take protective measures as flu spreads
WEST MICHIGAN (NEWSCHANNEL 3) – New numbers show that the H1N1 flu is continuing to spread.
The USDA now says it may have found the first confirmed cases of H1N1 in pigs. Meanwhile, eleven more children have died from the virus in the course of a week.
The new numbers from the Centers for Disease Control are alarming. So far, 86 children have died from H1N1, usually 40 to 50 children die in an entire flu season.
In Schoolcraft, officials decided to close down the middle school on Friday, thanks to flu-like symptoms. On Thursday, a third of students there missed class.
On Friday, Newschannel 3 looked into what the cut-off would be for other schools to shut down because of illness. We found there are no hard numbers, officials take each case by itself, but when 20 to 30 percent of the student body is absent because of illness, it becomes likely a school will close.
In Otsego, the classrooms are full, the flu hasn't hit there, but every building tracks absences, even separating them into categories.
"We're trying to identify only those absences with flu-like symptoms, that's a break-out of total absences," said Denny Patzer, Otsego Superintendent.
While the flu is still at bay in Otsego, the discussion about it, started a long time ago.
The same is true in many other districts. The Allegan County Health Department, like Kalamazoo County and others, drafted letters to go home with parents in every school district. On district websites all over West Michigan, information about the flu, links to Q&A sections, and reminders of good have been posted.
County health departments are staying in constant contact with the schools about certain illnesses or absentee numbers.
"Anytime that number starts to get higher than normal, then we start to look at it a bit," said Linda Vail-Buzas of the Kalamazoo Co. Health Dept.
Schools are also putting out health reminders. Some have put up posters, Otsego and Grand Rapids are just two of many that have hand sanitizers everywhere. In Battle Creek, they've switched to hospital-grade cleaning agents.
With the flu, people can be contagious 24 hours before the symptoms start, so it's important to keep kids away from each other and safe at home if they're sick.
"I know it can be a hardship," said Vail-Buzas, "but it's very important for kids to stay home when they're sick and when we don't have that happen is when we see things like a school building have lots and lots of kids out sick."
Many people are wondering whether the latest outbreaks are H1N1 or just the seasonal flu, but the truth is that officials don't know. They don't test every flu case and whichever strain of flu it is, the symptoms and the treatment, is the same.
