Rwilmer
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Possible Swine Flu in Area Schools
Calhoun County, SC (WLTX) - School officials in at least three counties are reporting possible swine flu cases.
Sumter School District 17 says they may have as many as 19 cases. Other reports of illness came from Wilson Hall School in Sumter and Robert E. Lee in Bishopville.
Dozens of students in Calhoun County were sent home on Friday after complaining of possible flu like symptoms. Some parents are uneasy believing that it could be an outbreak of swine flu.
Adam Buckman spent the evening watching his son practice. He wasn't too concerned about 12-year-old Quindon's safety on the football field. But he is troubled about his son's well-being in school.
"He came home today and he said daddy, swine flu is around here,"says Buckman.
While no cases of swine flu have been confirmed yet, nearly forty students at St. Matthews Middle School and Calhoun County High School were sent home Friday.
School officials say all the students had either a high fever, stomach pain or other flu-like symptoms. And district officials say nearly fifty possible cases of flu have been reported at the two schools since the first day of classes.
"I told him (Quindon) to wash his hands and he also has a bottle of hand sanitizer with him at all times,"says Buckman.
Buckman is not the only one taking precautions to keep his son and other kids safe. District personnel are on heightened alert as well. On Friday afternoon, both school buildings were disinfected.
Also, state health officials are monitoring the flu cases. "So far it appears at least in South Carolina and in the nation it's tracking pretty much along the route that we had kind of expected,"says Thom Berry, spokesperson for the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Meanwhile district officials say all Calhoun County schools will be open next week. "My concern will still be for when they (students) return on Monday,"says Buckman.
Earlier this week, a scientific group told the White House they expected the swine flu to affect up to half of all Americans this year, with up to 90,000 deaths.
http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=77813&catid=2
Calhoun County, SC (WLTX) - School officials in at least three counties are reporting possible swine flu cases.
Sumter School District 17 says they may have as many as 19 cases. Other reports of illness came from Wilson Hall School in Sumter and Robert E. Lee in Bishopville.
Dozens of students in Calhoun County were sent home on Friday after complaining of possible flu like symptoms. Some parents are uneasy believing that it could be an outbreak of swine flu.
Adam Buckman spent the evening watching his son practice. He wasn't too concerned about 12-year-old Quindon's safety on the football field. But he is troubled about his son's well-being in school.
"He came home today and he said daddy, swine flu is around here,"says Buckman.
While no cases of swine flu have been confirmed yet, nearly forty students at St. Matthews Middle School and Calhoun County High School were sent home Friday.
School officials say all the students had either a high fever, stomach pain or other flu-like symptoms. And district officials say nearly fifty possible cases of flu have been reported at the two schools since the first day of classes.
"I told him (Quindon) to wash his hands and he also has a bottle of hand sanitizer with him at all times,"says Buckman.
Buckman is not the only one taking precautions to keep his son and other kids safe. District personnel are on heightened alert as well. On Friday afternoon, both school buildings were disinfected.
Also, state health officials are monitoring the flu cases. "So far it appears at least in South Carolina and in the nation it's tracking pretty much along the route that we had kind of expected,"says Thom Berry, spokesperson for the Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Meanwhile district officials say all Calhoun County schools will be open next week. "My concern will still be for when they (students) return on Monday,"says Buckman.
Earlier this week, a scientific group told the White House they expected the swine flu to affect up to half of all Americans this year, with up to 90,000 deaths.
http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=77813&catid=2