Health Dept.: Flu Outbreak at Alamance County School 49 students called in sick today

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ALAMANCE COUNTY, N.C. - A flu outbreak has been reported at North Graham Elementary School this afternoon, according to the Alamance County Health Department.

Eric Nickens, health dept. public information officer, said 49 students called in sick today. In addition, school officials sent an additional 13 students home with flu-like symptoms.

The school, which operates on a year-round schedule, has 420 students enrolled. Thursday's absences equal 15 percent of the school's population.

Nickens said the students symptoms were common with influenza Type A and more than likely the H1N1 strain.

State health officials are no longer testing for the H1N1 flu.

http://www.myfox8.com/wghp-school-flu-outbreak-090806,0,3884848.story

 

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Re: Health Dept.: Flu Outbreak at Alamance County School 49 students called in sick today

Source: http://www.myfox8.com/news/education/wghp-graham-school-closed-090807,0,5179805.story


Flu Outbreak Closes Alamance Co. School Until Wednesday
Weekend cleaning work ordered at N. Graham Elementary and Graham Middle schools

By Roxanna Haynes FOX8 News

August 7, 2009
GRAHAM, N.C. - Alamance/Burlington School officials will temporarily closing North Graham Elementary School Monday and Tuesday, Aug. 10-11.

The move comes after an abnormally high number of children, 15 percent of the 420 enrolled, were absent Thursday. School officials said 49 students were absent and 13 went home sick after making it to school.

The number jumped to 93 absences Friday, according to Alamance County Health Department officials, who added most of the absences were related to the flu or flu-like symptoms.

School officials said this weekend, additional maintenance crews will clean and sanitize the elementary school building and its related buses.

"It's scary because I also have an older daughter that goes to Graham Middle (school), so if it's here and if it's in our household it's going to be somewhere else soon," said parent Tonya Hughbanks.

Maintenance crews also plan to clean nearby Graham Middle School over the weekend. Both schools operate on a year-round schedule.

Parents we talked to felt the school system is taking the right steps, but are still worried their kids have been exposed to the H1N1 flu.

"I think it's terrible. I hope that's not the case because my son he's been going here for four years they haven't had a problem like this. I'm just hoping it's not the case," said parent Reggie Young.

The decision to close the elementary comes the same day the Centers for Disease control released new school guidelines on how to deal with the H1N1 virus.

The CDC recommends students and staff to stay home 24-hours after fever symptoms have ended. The guidelines also encourage schools to have plans for continuing the education of students at home through phone calls and homework packets. They're also pushing vaccination.

"Couldn't be a more appropriate time for that what if situation, what if my school of child is sick, what if I have to stay home with them. The time to start planning is now," said Eric Nickens, Alamance Co. Health Dept.

Make-up days for the year-round school have been temporarily scheduled for Monday September 28 and Tuesday September 29.