Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.gainesville.com/article/...Dixie-County-football-team-battling-swine-flu
Dixie County football team battling swine flu
By Diane Chun
Staff writer
Published: Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 12:03 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 4:14 p.m.
The Dixie County Bears are looking forward to opening their high school football season tonight, facing the Lafayette County Hornets in Mayo.
Related Links:
But first, the football team has had to beat back an attack of swine flu.
Four team members have been sidelined in the past few days with confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza, authorities report. One returned to school Thursday. Four or five others have been sent home with flu-like symptoms but haven't been tested to see if they have the novel H1N1 strain.
Charlotte Lord, director of safety, facilities and special projects for the Dixie County school district, has spent much of this week fielding calls about the H1N1 virus.
The H1N1 variety has symptoms similar to seasonal flu -- fever, headache, cough, muscle aches -- but appears to spread more rapidly.
Dixie County's school contact nurse has spoken to every faculty member about safety precautions, Lord said. Teachers have been asking any student who is coughing, groggy or drowsy in class to go to the clinic to be checked, she said. If they have a fever, their parents will be called to take them home.
"Normally we don?t encourage kids to stay home from school. Now, I?m aghast to hear myself saying, ?Please keep your child at home until they are completely recovered,?" the former Dixie County High School principal said.
According to Lord, Dixie County?s football coach, Brent Wilkerson, has been taking extra precautions in the locker room to limit the spread to other team members.
In addition to rigorous cleaning in the locker area, Lord said, Bears players have been asked to take home their gear to be washed every night.
?Coach is going the extra mile. At the very least, the locker room smells a whole lot better,? she said.
Dixie County football team battling swine flu
By Diane Chun
Staff writer
Published: Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 12:03 p.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, September 3, 2009 at 4:14 p.m.
The Dixie County Bears are looking forward to opening their high school football season tonight, facing the Lafayette County Hornets in Mayo.
Related Links:
But first, the football team has had to beat back an attack of swine flu.
Four team members have been sidelined in the past few days with confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza, authorities report. One returned to school Thursday. Four or five others have been sent home with flu-like symptoms but haven't been tested to see if they have the novel H1N1 strain.
Charlotte Lord, director of safety, facilities and special projects for the Dixie County school district, has spent much of this week fielding calls about the H1N1 virus.
The H1N1 variety has symptoms similar to seasonal flu -- fever, headache, cough, muscle aches -- but appears to spread more rapidly.
Dixie County's school contact nurse has spoken to every faculty member about safety precautions, Lord said. Teachers have been asking any student who is coughing, groggy or drowsy in class to go to the clinic to be checked, she said. If they have a fever, their parents will be called to take them home.
"Normally we don?t encourage kids to stay home from school. Now, I?m aghast to hear myself saying, ?Please keep your child at home until they are completely recovered,?" the former Dixie County High School principal said.
According to Lord, Dixie County?s football coach, Brent Wilkerson, has been taking extra precautions in the locker room to limit the spread to other team members.
In addition to rigorous cleaning in the locker area, Lord said, Bears players have been asked to take home their gear to be washed every night.
?Coach is going the extra mile. At the very least, the locker room smells a whole lot better,? she said.