WEST HAVEN, Utah (ABC 4 News) - School has only been back in session for a couple of weeks, but already five to six cases of what is believed to be H1N1, Swine flu, have been detected at one junior high school. The students at Rocky Mountain Junior High school have flu-like symptoms and have tested positive for influenza-A the precursor test for the H1N1 virus.
Lori Buttars, Public information officer for the Weber-Morgan Health Department says the outbreak was not unexpected. “It didn’t ever go away, and we expect that it will start circulating more because it is hitting young populations, and schools are where young people meet.”
Nate Taggart, spokesperson for the Weber School District, says the district is concerned, but not alarmed, and prevention is now the focus at area schools. “We are doing whatever we can to let parents know that if their kids have a fever to please not send them to school until 24 hours after not having a fever.” He says the district is also cleansing schools according to CDC guidelines developed during the outbreak last spring. “We are working with our custodial staff to make sure surfaces are cleaned down on a regular basis.”
The CDC is not recommending schools with minor outbreaks be shut down. In fact, Buttars says the CDC is allowing more flexibility. “We are isolating sick students and asking parents to keep their kids home if they have the virus or flu-like symptoms.”
Taggart says health officials and educators learned that closing schools was not an effective way of isolating students. “What we saw last spring was schools were closed and kids were still getting together. They were hanging out at the mall or meeting with each other for parties. There was still the social interaction; there just wasn’t the learning that should take place with it.”
Taggart says should they get the word from the health department that it is time to shut down a school, they will. In the meantime he says there’s a big effort to educate students about proper hand washing, and hygiene, and to educate their parents about the importance of keeping sick kids at home. He says any days missed because of illness will be excused and student will have the opportunity to make up any missed work. “We are allowing them to make up their work, not penalizing them for being gone while they are sick. What’s really important if kids are sick and they have a fever is to stay home.”
