Attendance Down at Cabell Midland High School, Parents Want it Closed

[Pathfinder]

H1N1 Virus
Attendance Down at Cabell Midland High School, Parents Want it Closed

Reported by: Steve Borecky
Oct. 5, 2009 11:32 AM EST

Students were back in class at Cabell Midland High School for the first time since a classmate died from the H1N1 virus. 14-year-old Patrick Wheeler died Saturday night.

Jedd Flowers with Cabell County Schools says attendance at CMHS is down 25-30% Monday, a trend also being seen at other county schools. Many of the students are home sick, while others were kept home by their parents who fear their children may get sick at school.

Flowers tells Eyewitness News that cleaning crews spent the weekend cleaning all county schools, and were even in early Monday morning disinfecting. Some parents we spoke with say that isn't enough and they want the school closed until the virus is contained.

Robert Meadows pulled his freshman son out of class after the teen showed flu-like symptoms. "I think they should shutdown the whole county. If you shut it down without any kids inside it, they can clean it and know the virus won't get in the school."

"We understand parents concern, but they need to understand the facts about Swine Flu. At this point, the spread has not been severe, and most cases have been mild. Death is rare, and it's unfortunate we've had one here, but for the most part Swine Flu deaths are very rare," said Flowers.

The school district has relaxed its attendance policy and is allowing students to stay home sick for five days without a doctor's note. School officials are also urging parents to keep their children home if they show any sign of the flu, including the chills, a fever and a cough.

Flowers says the school district is in constant contact with the Cabell Huntington Health Department. Every day the Health Department looks attendance numbers and compares those numbers to flu stats for the county. Flowers says if the Health Department thinks schools should close because of flu outbreak they will.

State health officials say Cabell and Wayne Counties are showing some of the higher number of H1N1 cases in West Virginia.

http://www.wchstv.com/newsroom/eyewitness/091005_34.shtml

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Attendance Down at Cabell Midland High School, Parents Want it Closed

Source: http://www.wsaz.com/news/headlines/63622112.html
(Click above to access video)

Updated: 10:56 PM Oct 6, 2009
Parents Blast Cabell School Board to Take Action Regarding Swine Flu Threat
Several parents made their voices heard Tuesday evening at a Cabell County Board of Education meeting, blasting board members to take action regarding the H1N1/swine flu threat.
Posted: 7:26 PM Oct 6, 2009
Reporter: Dave Benton; Carrie Cline
Email Address: carrie.cline@wsaz.com

UPDATE @ 11pm
By DAVE BENTON
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Several parents made their voices heard Tuesday evening at a Cabell County Board of Education meeting, blasting board members to take action regarding the H1N1/swine flu threat.

Just last week, Patrick Wheeler, a 14-year-old student at Cabell Midland High School died from swine flu. On Tuesday, 23 percent of the student body throughout Cabell County was absent.

Still, board members stand by health department recommendations for healthy kids to go to school and sick kids to stay home.

Many parents want schools closed down, but Superintendent Bill Smith says that is not going to happen.

Gladys Webb is among parents on a mission. She wants the Cabell County Schools to shut down until kids get over the flu.

"What I want and hope to hear tonight is that they're going to shut down the school or do something to protect the children," she said.

Smith said the flu -- not school -- is the culprit.

"School closings are something you don't do without reason," he said

Smith has sent a phone message to all students explaining why schools won't be closed. He said any public place, including shopping malls and grocery stores, would remain threats.

Smith says schools will be sanitized Wednesday morning since kids will be out for in-service. Still, he says it just takes one cough or sneeze to spread germs again.

For many parents, Smith's response was not enough. He said if the health department requests he close down schools, then he will.

Again, though, Smith emphasized that closing down schools won't stop the spread of the flu because you can get it just about anywhere. Health officials say the key is to wash your hands, and cough and sneeze in your arm.

Late Tuesday night, a group of parents who want the schools shut down called us to say there's a demonstration planned at 11 a.m. Wednesday outside the board office.

From 5:30pm Edition
By CARRIE CLINE
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- Huntington Middle School is one of many schools in the Cabell County School district that are dealing with high absenteeism.

If you look in the 7th grade reading class, you'll notice that half of the students are missing.

TerRacheal is a student who says it's tough to learn when teachers are juggling their classes to compensate for so many students being out.

"In many of my classes, the teachers are skipping around on units because they don't want to start something when so many students will miss the information," TerRacheal said.

The teachers back that up. Beverly Holley teaches the 7th grade reading class and she's having to hold off on starting a new unit because she doesn't want so many students to be left behind.

"I'm just going to wait and let the students who are here take their time and do a little review," Holley said. "When the other students return, we'll catch everyone up together."

In her class, that's eight students gone -- or half the class. Some students are sick, others are healthy, but their parents are keeping them home because they don't want them to get sick.

 

[Niko]

Re: Attendance Down at Cabell Midland High School, Parents Want it Closed

Oct. 7, 2009

Demonstration Planned at Cabell County Board Office by Parents

By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter

Huntington, WV (HNN) ? Despite all the explanations, reasoning and education, some parents of Cabell County students continue to demand that schools be shut down.

Reiterating that flu, not school, is the problem, Cabell Superintendent Bill Smith sent a phone message explaining that schools will be sanitized Wednesday morning, Oct. 7, which is an in-service day. Students do not attend.

He repeated the earlier statement by Cabell Huntington Health Department Director Dr. Harry Tweel that the flu spreads at ANY public place --- shopping malls, grocery stores, restaurants --- so shutting down schools until not stop the spread. In essence, an internet forum posting puts it best, ?The children will still go to Wal-Mart; the parents will still go to work; the virus will still spread.?

Smith will shut schools if Dr. Tweel advises him to do so.

Jedd Flowers, director of communications for Cabell County Schools, has previously stated that if sick children are kept home, there will be no one sick at the school.

Still, enraged parents jammed the Tuesday school board meeting passionately imploring officials to shut down schools until the H1N1 threat eases. Some threatened to pull their kids out and resort to home-schooling.

WSAZ-TV reports that a group of parents will demonstrate Wednesday at 11 a.m. outside the Cabell County Board of Education offices. Their concerns are reflected by the close contact implications of spreading the virus at school or riding the bus.

In the Spring, the CDC recommended preemptive school closures, but during the summer reassessed it standard to one of prevention of spread and selective local closure based on data from the individual community.

http://www.huntingtonnews.net/local/091007-rutherford-localdemonstration.html

 

[Niko]

Re: Attendance Down at Cabell Midland High School, Parents Want it Closed

Oct. 7, 2009

Cabell School Attendance Plunges Again
Ripley High Also Hard Hit

By Tony Rutherford
Huntingtonnews.net Reporter

Huntington, WV (HNN) - Calling the vaccine the best weapon against influenza, Thomas Frieden , director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stated at a news conference Tuesday, Oct. 6 that ?influenza is widespread in the United States? and ?remains [an] overwhelming, unpredictable tough enemy.?

Stressing ?it will be awhile before vaccine is widely available,? Frieden asked for everyone to do ?three simple things? to protect against the flu. These include: Stay home if you are sick; cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze; and wash your hands often.

Though West Virginia has been listed as a ?regional? outbreak, the flu has expanded its grip on the state. Its neighbors --- Ohio, Kentucky, Virginia and Maryland --- all report widespread flu.

Cabell County Schools continue in session despite high absenteeism. Following the death of 14-year-old Cabell Midland freshman Patrick Wheeler on Saturday, Oct. 3, attendance at Midland has continued to decrease with 400 absent Monday, Oct. 5, and about 753 absent, Tuesday, Oct 6. Midland has an enrollment of about 1,800.

At the same time, an anonymous source told HNN that a grade school student from the Huntington area has been hospitalized due to flu.

Jackson County has also reported large numbers of students absent. Ripley High School has 238 children at home; Ripley Middle School reported 200 absent and the elementary had more than one hundred students not in class Tuesday.

Unknown are the actual number of students suffering from illness and the number kept home by fearful parents. Some at Cabell Midland not only want the school closed, but want a weekend dance postponed. However, the Cabell County School Board continues working in conjunction with the Cabell County Health Department in keeping school doors open to well students and teachers.

Reacting to parental discontent about the policy, Cabell County Health Department director, Dr. Harry Tweel, said flu cases this year are no higher than last year. Further, keeping children home will not stop the virus? spread.

?It?s there, it?s around. They certainly can get it at the mall, the movies, the ballgame, a friend?s house,? Tweel said.

Dr. Rahul Gupta, director of the Kanawha ? Charleston Health Department, stressed the importance of vaccination of children during a news conference. He explained that children are involved in more hand-to-mouth activities and interact in closer quarters than adults.

Actually, some after school activities in Cabell County on Monday night, Oct. 5, had diminished attendance. For instance, YMCA youth soccer teams had significant absenteeism due to the flu.

Dr. Cathy Slemp, a spokesperson for the West Virginia Department of Health, told reporters that her children ?will be vaccinated? when its available to the state. She also cautioned that in spite of the heightened awareness since the death of Patrick Wheeler, the H1N1 virus becoming more severe.

The state health officer told reporters she sent her kids to Cabell County schools today.

"I can share with you that my kids are in school in Cabell County today, and I'd expect they will be tomorrow, as well, because I know that the local health department and the school is working closely together to monitor situations to take the right measure to prevent disease and follow through with what needs to happen to keep our kids safe," she said.

H1N1 VACCINE ARRIVES FOR HEALTHCARE WORKERS

The state has received about 11,000 doses of vaccine for healthcare workers. Slemp indicated the order was placed last week. These first vaccines (of the spray variety) have arrived and are being given to healthcare workers. A shipment will arrive in November for the public.

WE DO NOT WANT SICK CHILDREN AT SCHOOL

Jedd Flowers, director of communications for Cabell County Schools also emphasized, ?We do not want sick children in school.?

However, the school system has issued guidelines that children with legitimate flu or flu-like symptoms will be excused. ?If students are kept home without evidence of symptoms of illness, their absences cannot be excused,? the Cabell School website stated.

Flowers speculated that some of those not in attendance at Cabell school Monday were from parental concerns rather than flu symptoms.

RIPLEY HIGH HARD HIT

With five of Ripley High School?s cheerleader?s in his office, pediatrician Dr. Joe Matusic told a Charleston television station that sick people should not run to the emergency room. They will infect more people. He recommended that they call their personal physician for instructions.

Dr. Matusic also cautioned that there is a limited supply of flu medicine available. One website reported that a course of Tami flu costs nearly $200 per person.

Cabell Count Schools has posted questions and answers for parents on the virus at the school website. And, the answer to closing schools remains no:

?One case or even a handful of cases of Swine Flu should not cause alarm because anyone who has been identified as having, or possibly having, swine flu will not be in the building. We?re insisting that parents keep any student home who has flu-like symptoms, including a temperature above 100 degrees,? the website states.

However, the Cabell County Health Department along with the school system will be monitoring absences on a daily basis. Under one CDC approved scenario, local leaders may elect to shut schools with a high concentration of the virus.

Meanwhile, if you live in Mason County and want the season vaccine, you are too late. The county has reported running out of the vaccine. More will be available later, however.

Updates on the Cabell County School flu situation are obtained at: http://www.cabellcountyschools.com.

http://www.huntingtonnews.net/local/091007-rutherford-localschoolattendance.html
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[Niko]

Re: Attendance Down at Cabell Midland High School, Parents Want it Closed

http://www.cabellcountyschools.com/

Cabell Superintendent Explains Why Schools Have Not Been Closed in Response to Flu(October 07, 2009 3:56 pm) Dear Cabell County Parents,

Many are asking the question:

Why don’t we simply close the schools in response to the H1N1 virus?

The question when asked in this manner is difficult to answer in a clear, understandable way, but if we re-frame the question in this format:

Would it help if we closed schools? – it is easier to communicate a clear answer.

The simple answer is no, it will not stop the flu or the spread of flu even if the schools were closed throughout the entire flu season of 5 to 7 months. There is a whole body of information about the nature of the flu virus and how it mutates and transmits from person to person that help us understand that:

1.There will always be a flu season,

2.Flu viruses are highly contagious and are passed from person to person,

3.People will catch and transmit the flu during this season; and

4.There will unfortunately be deaths associated with the flu and related complications.

What we know is this: It is unrealistic to close off all situations and environments where flu viruses may be transmitted. One would have to avoid going to the store, eating at restaurants, going to the mall, attending social events, accepting mail and packages, going next door to visit, taking the newspaper, answering the door, going to church…… you get the idea.

We also know: That closing schools for an extended period of time will not stop the spread of the virus and will result in several undesirable consequences. A few examples are:

1.Parents who are health care providers, emergency workers, first responder, and essential public servants will need to find child care or miss work to provide care and supervision for children;

2.Many children will be left alone and unsupervised because their parents do not have an option to miss work; and

3.Many children depend on the breakfast and lunch program for daily sustenance.

We also know: That closing school for a few days will not stop the spread of the virus. Even after cleaning desk surfaces, door knobs, faucets, and other surfaces touched by students and staff, the first sneeze or cough will begin the process of viral transmission all over again.

And we also know this: The best defense is YOU. By using the universal precautions such as frequent hand washing, using your sleeve to cover coughs and sneezes, staying home and away from others while sick, and promptly picking up your children from school when they are ill, you will have a positive impact on the spread of the flu virus.


What are we doing at school to help?

• We are collaborating closely with the Cabell County Health Department about absences and illnesses in the schools and follow all directions to address public health issues.

•We are providing soap and warm water for frequent hand washing

•We are providing hand-sanitizer as available (this is in very short supply)

•We are isolating ill students and sending them home

•We are using anti-viral agents to frequently clean surfaces (our custodial staff will be thoroughly cleaning buildings tomorrow), and

•We are teaching universal precautions to students
The bottom line is this: Our schools need to remain open for the good of our children and community unless the Health Department determines that there is a public health reason to close them. We are working closely with Dr. Tweel and his staff to monitor attendance and illness conditions in all school communities.

The flu, both seasonal and H1N1 is a serious concern and we all play an important role in dealing with the disease. Please practice universal precautions in your home and where ever go.