CISD encourages all help prevent flu

Due to several confirmed flu cases at each campus of Clarendon ISD, school officials and teachers are encouraging students and parents to take precautions to help maintain health during this flu season.
No significant number of flu cases have been reported from the Hedley school.

Students who start to exhibit flu-like symptoms, such as fever, headaches, coughing, sore throats, body aches and possible vomiting are encouraged to wash their hands frequently, cough into their shoulders and elbows instead of their hands, stay home when they are sick to keep from spreading it, and go to the doctor or remain home in order to lessen spreading and the severity of the illness.

“Getting out around people when you have the flu symptoms is the best way to spread it,” CISD nurse Debbie Thompson said. “The flu is the most contagious right before you break out with a fever or most of the symptoms, but a lot of people don’t realize that they have the flu until they get out and are exposed to people.”
Student absences at school have increased over the past two weeks because of flu illnesses. According to Thompson, the majority of the cases have been from the elementary.

“We’ve run out of the antibacterial gel that was in classrooms last year, so we’re requiring now that when the kids go to the bathroom, they have to use the soap in the restrooms,” Clarendon Elementary principal Mike Word said. “We may even take a couple of breaks during the day to go have students wash their hands to make sure their hands are clean.”

Thompson says it is currently unknown whether the students are suffering from seasonal flu or H1N1 (otherwise known as the “Swine Flu”) without further testing.

State and local health authorities, however, say that a positive influenza test at this point is probable H1N1 because seasonal flu has not been seen and usually doesn’t arrive until late December.

“We don’t need a scare about the H1N1 flu because the H1N1 flu and the seasonal flu pretty much have the same symptoms, and both viruses are treated with the same medication,” Thompson said. “If you are healthy and take care of yourself just as you would with the seasonal flu, then you have no reason to be afraid of H1N1.”
All cases of the flu in CISD have been mild. Students have recovered from the virus and returned to school within 72 hours.

“I see more people this year that are being responsible enough to not get around people when they have the flu,” Thompson said. “That really helps reduce the risk of catching the flu, and it also causes the severity of the virus to be low.”

It’s still not too late to receive flu vaccinations. The Texas Department of State Health Services will be giving flu shots October 15, and although there is a shortage of children’s vaccine in shot form, the nasal mist vaccine will still be available.

“I strongly encourage parents to take their kids to get vaccinated if possible because that is the number one protection against the flu for kids and adults,” Thompson said.