Outbreak 'probably' swine flu at Thurston County high school

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Outbreak 'probably' swine flu at Thurston County high school

02:37 PM PDT on Thursday, October 8, 2009

By DREW MIKKELSEN, KING 5 News

TENINO, Wash. - Thurston County appears to have its first swine flu outbreak of the fall.

More than 35 percent of students from Tenino High School either stayed home, or were sent home with flu-like symptoms this week.

The director of the county?s public health department told KING 5 News, officials believe the students are sick with the influenza virus known as H1N1 or "swine flu."

?We assume it?s probably H1N1 because we know it?s in our community,? said Susan McDonald.

The county said students will not be tested to confirm if they have "swine flu" unless they are hospitalized. The county said that has not happened with any recent H1N1 virus patients.

?The vast majority of the people who are getting influenza right now are recovering pretty quickly, over the course of a few days or a week,? said McDonald.

The nurse for Tenino schools said she noticed a bug was going around school a week ago.

?Last Friday I sent seven kids home within about 15-20 minutes, with high fevers, coughing, very sick kids,? said Charla Dunham.


The absentee numbers at the high school were highest on Monday and Tuesday, according to Tenino?s Superintendent.

More than 150 out of the 400 students were not at school those days, said Superintendent Russ Pickett.

On Thursday, about 100 students were out sick, said Pickett.

?My sixth period class had only nine people in it yesterday,? said Kristina Johnson, a Tenino freshman who said she stayed home sick Monday.

Johnson and a friend said several students on campus are wearing medical masks this week.

?Because they don?t want to get sick,? said Brianna Johnston.


http://www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NW_100809WAB-thurston-co-flu-outbreak-SW.1f92c5105.html?rss

 

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Re: Outbreak 'probably' swine flu at Thurston County high school

Source: http://www.komonews.com/news/local/63812757.html

Thurston County school hammered by illness



Story Published: Oct 8, 2009 at 5:48 PM PDT

Story Updated: Oct 8, 2009 at 6:40 PM PDT
By Denise Whitaker
Watch the story
TENINO, Wash. - The high school in this small Thurston County town is facing a big problem - the flu - and officials hope it's not the swine flu.

More than one-third of the students at Tenino High have been sick for three days in a row.

"We've had our share of flus over the 30 years, but this is the hardest we've ever been hit," says nurse Charla Dunham.

Some 140 students have been out sick in the high school each day this week - until Thursday, when the number dropped to 68. And Tenino High only has 400 students.

Dunham says some kids have missed as many as nine days.

"Yeah, my friend, like three of my friends and my sister's friend," says student Janelle Meridieth.

Dawn Sprague, a parent, says, "Well, yeah, I'm concerned."

A lot of the concern comes from the unknown - is it seasonal flu or H1N1, what many call swine flu?

Health Department Director Sherri McDonald says, "It's not absolutely imperative that we know which virus is causing the illness, just that people are ill."

The community's high school has been hardest hit by the flu - but experts say it's probably just a matter of time before it spreads to all schools in the district because students in all grades - K through 12 - ride school buses together.

"Mostly for parents I think the message is if your child's not feeling well - if they're running a temperature - don't let them come back to school until they're at least 24 hours without a temperature," says Superintendent Russ Pickett.

"It's a little hard thing for families - I mean I understand that parents need to work because of the economy situation - so it's a real tough call for them sometimes," says Dunham.

The district installed hand sanitizers everywhere and brought in extra cleaning help this week to disinfect every surface.

One thing is working in the district's favor right now - it's a three-day weekend. The hope is that everyone who's not feeling well will gets plenty of rest and they come back healthy on Monday.