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1,000 reported sick in one school district
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By ALEC O'MEARA
Union Leader Correspondent
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009
LONDONDERRY – Nearly one in five students enrolled in the Londonderry School District was listed as out sick yesterday, Superintendent Nathan Greenberg said, with many of the parents reporting their children are home with flu-like symptoms.
"It's impossible to say how much of it is H1N1, as there isn't the widespread testing for that right now," Greenberg said. "What we know is how many of the parents are telling us their child is currently showing ILI (influenza-like-illness) symptoms."
Approximately 1,000 students were out sick yesterday, with a majority of the absences reported at the elementary level, Greenberg said. District-wide averages for November are traditionally below 300 students a day.
The absences have been increasing steadily since the start of last week, when approximately 380 students were reported district-wide, Greenberg said. By Monday, 931 students were reported absent. The absences were up again yesterday, Greenberg said.
No plans to close
Last spring, Londonderry schools began requesting parents report by phone if their children were out with flu-like symptoms as a means of monitoring any outbreak, Greenberg said. Of the 931 absences reported Monday, approximately 380 of the parents reported flu symptoms to the district, Greenberg said, but the total number is likely higher.
"Some of those kids may not have the flu, but a number of them probably just didn't call to tell us," Greenberg said.
Londonderry Middle School teacher Mary Wing Soares said her son, Thomas, was one of the new absences at the start of this week. Thomas is experiencing flu-like symptoms, including a fever, sore throat and headache, Soares said.
"He wasn't well last week, but he got really bad on Sunday and has been out since," Soares said. "He's certainly got flu-like symptoms, but nowhere near as bad as some of the other kids I've seen in class. Some have been out for a week or so."
Soares said her son would likely be out today as well, with the hope of a return to class tomorrow.
There are no plans to close any Londonderry schools, Greenberg said. A letter was sent home Monday urging parents to keep a child with flu symptoms home until the virus has run its course. Officials recommended parents wait until a child has been fever-free without the need for medication for at least 24 hours.
"We want you, as parents, to be able to focus on your child's recovery, and not to add additional stress that can only prolong the illness," Greenberg's letter said. "We will assist in every way with schoolwork after they have recovered."
Southern part of state
Londonderry, Manchester, Bow and Nashua were the only four towns in southern New Hampshire last week reporting between 5-9 percent absenteeism, according to the most recent report released by the state Department of Health and Human Services. All other districts south of Concord along the Interstate 93 corridor reported absences of less than 4 percent.
While there is no hard data yet available for this week, the increase seen by Londonderry matches a state-wide trend in a sharp increase in both absences and reported flu cases, said Marcella Bobinsky, immunization program manager for Health and Human Services.
"It appears to be coming up from the south, with towns in that part of the state seeing a larger number of cases," Bobinsky said. "We have seen the increase, and we are continuing to monitor all SAUs for absences."
Health and Human Services is drawing no distinction between swine flu and other flu-like symptoms, Bobinsky said. The state is no longer testing for swine flu, partially because the treatment for flu symptoms is the same for all strains, including swine flu.
"Honestly, it doesn't matter," Bobinsky said. "Regardless of what kind of flu you have, the recommendation from us for prevention and treatment is the same -- rest and staying home."
The Londonderry School District is referring all questions on swine flu to the Department of Health and Human Services and has continued with precautionary measures, including putting sanitizing dispensers in school lunchrooms, Greenberg said.
"We are doing everything we are supposed to be doing to keep this in check. It is what it is," Greenberg said. "It (the flu) certainly seems to be working its way through the southern part of the state right now."
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YOUR COMMENTS
The Fall Mountain School District is trying it's best to keep outbreaks to a minimum. There is soap in all the bathrooms, they have installed sanitzer in every classroom, the janitor comes around and wipes down the door handles and phones daily and there is even a sink and soap dispenser in a hallway where a water fountain once was. They have sent notices home that if your child has a fever they cannot return to school until they have been fever free without medication for 24 hours. There are still outbreaks, but not from lack of trying.
I also wonder if all the illnesses are really the flu.....but if they symptoms are the same and you generally feel miserable for days does it honestly matter what the lable is???? It still is something you don't want passed on. My doctor has told me that unless the fever becomes very high or simply won't go away and stomach or sever throat pain occurs to keep my child home. A hospital is a wonderful place for someone with a compromised immune system to become even more ill. Makes sense to me.
- a mom, charlestown
You know what also causes similar "flu like symptoms."? Food Born Illness.. Look it up.. Sounds like School district food poisoning than Flu for that many kids to be out.. And the school district is looking for an excuse!
Also those complaining about "Gitmo" people getting shots 1st.. well those H1N1 Vaccines are tainted and have caused deaths and sickness at Gitmo (Look up Baxter and Swine Flu Vacines)
Also Look up how more children have died or have had severe side effects due to the h1N1 Vaccine!
- T, Manchester,NH
I agree with you Mom from Bow...I call PCP/Pediatrician for H1N1 vaccine for my children..."nope....call back last week of November". Well I hope by then they haven't caught it...kids getting sick by the hundreds daily! I sent my kids with individual bottles of antibacterial gel for their pockets and I told them to use it...there better not be someone who tells them not to use it! Oh! I'm sure that some kids have been vaccinated at our cost...It's true what is the Manchester School District doing to protect our kids!!!!
- A concerned parent, Manchester, NH
My son, a high risk patient, never got the H1N1 vaccination, every time I called his physician's office I was told 'we don't even have protocol for that'. Guess what? He got the FLU - high fever for four days, sore throat, coughing, body aches, headache. He tested negative for the seasonal flu. Sounds like H1N1 to me!!! My 10 year old wasn't taken care of properly, yet the Gitmo gang got theirs?!?!
- A mom, Bow, NH
It needs to be mentioned that some of these districts are not taking any steps to keep the breakouts to a minimum. No soap in the student bathrooms, cleaning crews are not wiping down doorknobs, faucets and drinking fountains, etc. Teachers are now using antibacterial soap as bathroom passes and purchasing hand sanitizer themselves. I don't blame the teachers for not wanting to get sick themselves!
- Smith, Manchester
If we were detainees at Gitmo, we'd be all set to get our flu shots already. 58,600 doses have been shipped for NH's population of 1,315,809+ (2008 census figures) Totally absurd.
- a citizen, Raymond, NH
It's not clear to me why those with flu-like symptoms are not being tested for the flu or for H1N1. I would want to know if I or my children had H1N1 so that I would know that we do not need to be vaccinated when the vaccine finally becomes available. Also, people may mistakenly assume that they have the flu or H1N1 and not choose to be vaccinated when the time comes.
- Betty, Keene
Need to remind employers to not be so tough on their employees if they stay home with sick children or they are sick themselves....
- Susan, Manchester, NH
Mine was one of the 1000. We were feeling bad about keeping her out for two days...not so much anymore.
- michael, londonderry
I am also a nurse in Manchester and am glad to see that people are staying home or keeping the children home from school. For the last few months all the news, media and doctors have been telling the public is to KEEP YOUR CHILDREN HOME OR STAY HOME YOURSELF IF YOU FEEL SICK! That is what is happening! Also people need to remember is not everything is H1N1 or the Flu. You can have the comon cold this time of year! People need to use common sence and remember to relax. Thank you to all who have stayed home or kept there children home when not feeling good and not getting someone else sick.
- LT nursie, Manchester
People have been overusing the phrase "I had / have the flu" for years now. For every cold many people get they declare it the flu. I suspect with this outbreak of a REAL flu people are going to see what it truly is to have the flu.
Hopefully all who DO get a strain of Influenza this year are smart enough to stay out of public places and are all able to recover quickly.
On the plus side (if there can be one for situations like this) I also suspect schools and businesses will back off of being skeptical when someone stays home sick. All of us who have so far been lucky enough to stay uninfected appreciate your staying home and getting better.
- A Nurse, Manchester
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