Tweet
Oct 9, 2009 1:51 pm US/Central
23 New Cases Of H1N1 Virus Confirmed In Illinois
New Concerns That 2 Local Schools May Be Dealing With H1N1 Virus
There are new concerns about two Chicago-area schools that may be dealing with the H1N1 virus. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but new information released Friday morning gives us a better idea of the impact of the virus in our area so far.
CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports that the Illinois Department of Public Health has just released new figures showing how many people have come down with H1N1 in Illinois. Their website updates the number of cases every Friday.
It shows there are 23 new cases, just confirmed this week, in the state. So far, there have been 471 people hospitalized with H1N1 in Illinois and 19 deaths. The number of cases may continue to climb as two schools are dealing with a potential threat.
The DuPage County Health Department confirmed Friday that 14-year-old Michelle Fahle, who died Thursday after suffering flu-like symptoms, had the H1N1 virus. Fahle attended Naperville North High School.
There are no classes Friday because of parent-teacher conferences, but the student service office is open and staffed with guidance counselors to address any concerns.
"We always try to make available to students and parents if necessary, and certainly to our staff, social workers and counseling services if they need assistance in dealing with the death of a student," said Principal Kevin Pobst, Naperville North High School.
Meanwhile, there are also no classes Friday at Francis W. Parker School on the North Side. The school has been shut down and the annual county fair canceled because of a flu outbreak.
One hundred students in the upper grades are suffering from the flu right now. So far, they have not determined whether any of those cases are H1N1, but school officials didn't want to take any chances. School will resume Tuesday after the Columbus Day holiday.
Doctors are quick to point out that the H1N1 virus is not any deadlier than the regular flu. If you're a healthy person and you catch it, you will likely recover without any problems. The bigger concern is how widespread it will become. Doctors say what's unusual about this strain is that no groups of people seem to be immune to the H1N1 virus.
23 New Cases Of H1N1 Virus Confirmed In Illinois
New Concerns That 2 Local Schools May Be Dealing With H1N1 Virus
There are new concerns about two Chicago-area schools that may be dealing with the H1N1 virus. Nothing has been confirmed yet, but new information released Friday morning gives us a better idea of the impact of the virus in our area so far.
CBS 2's Susan Carlson reports that the Illinois Department of Public Health has just released new figures showing how many people have come down with H1N1 in Illinois. Their website updates the number of cases every Friday.
It shows there are 23 new cases, just confirmed this week, in the state. So far, there have been 471 people hospitalized with H1N1 in Illinois and 19 deaths. The number of cases may continue to climb as two schools are dealing with a potential threat.
The DuPage County Health Department confirmed Friday that 14-year-old Michelle Fahle, who died Thursday after suffering flu-like symptoms, had the H1N1 virus. Fahle attended Naperville North High School.
There are no classes Friday because of parent-teacher conferences, but the student service office is open and staffed with guidance counselors to address any concerns.
"We always try to make available to students and parents if necessary, and certainly to our staff, social workers and counseling services if they need assistance in dealing with the death of a student," said Principal Kevin Pobst, Naperville North High School.
Meanwhile, there are also no classes Friday at Francis W. Parker School on the North Side. The school has been shut down and the annual county fair canceled because of a flu outbreak.
One hundred students in the upper grades are suffering from the flu right now. So far, they have not determined whether any of those cases are H1N1, but school officials didn't want to take any chances. School will resume Tuesday after the Columbus Day holiday.
Doctors are quick to point out that the H1N1 virus is not any deadlier than the regular flu. If you're a healthy person and you catch it, you will likely recover without any problems. The bigger concern is how widespread it will become. Doctors say what's unusual about this strain is that no groups of people seem to be immune to the H1N1 virus.
