Neb. School Open Despite Suspected Flu Outbreak

[Treyfish]

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Published: Thursday, September 24, 2009 12:04 AM CDT
COLUMBUS, Neb. (AP) ? Although 220 students were home sick ? mostly with swine flu symptoms ? Columbus High School is staying open.:surrender:

District officials say the school will remain in session if most of the teachers are at work, instead of also being home sick.

District Superintendent Paul Hillyer said Wednesday that 220 students and five teachers were absent Wednesday, down from 285 students and six teachers on Tuesday.

Earlier this month, more than 20 percent of students at Pius X High School in Lincoln stayed home, although tests for the H1N1 virus were not done in most of the cases.

The school also remained open through the outbreak.

Symptoms of swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills, diarrhea and vomiting.:tiphat:http://yankton.net/articles/2009/09/24/news/doc4abafd46a031a320406142.txt

 

[Pathfinder]

Re: Neb. School Open Despite Suspected Flu Outbreak

ironorehopper posted:

WHO. Measures in school settings (Pandemic Briefing Note 10, edited)

Excerpt:

"The timing of school closure is critically important. Modelling studies suggest that school closure has its greatest benefits when schools are closed very early in an outbreak, ideally before 1% of the population falls ill. Under ideal conditions, school closure can reduce the demand for health care by an estimated 30?50% at the peak of the pandemic. However, if schools close too late in the course of a community-wide outbreak, the resulting reduction in transmission is likely to be very limited."

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=124855