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PARKERSBURG -- Local hospital and school officials are reporting a continued flu activity in light of the first reported pediatric flu death in West Virginia.
The child was a student at the Ritchie Elementary School in Wheeling where Ohio County Health Officer Dr. William Mercer said an investigation indicates the student died of Influenza A, according to The Wheeling Intelligencer.
Student attendance numbers in Wood County Schools, which are regularly monitored and cases are reported to the health department, don't indicate "anything particularly alarming right now," said Julie Bertram, health services coordinator for Wood County Schools and school nurse supervisor.
The school system does encourage cleanliness and frequent handwashing to prevent the spread of the virus, she said.
Marietta Memorial Hospital and Camden Clark Medical Center in December instituted patient visitation restrictions because of the volume of flu cases.
At Camden Clark, the number of cases is down since the December spike, but the visitation restrictions remain in effect, Debbie Life, an infection preventionist at the medical center, said. Cases predominantly were of the more severe Influenza A, she said.
"Now we're starting to see a few cases of Flu B," Life said.
Flu A and B are different strains.
In Wheeling, Mercer told the Ohio County Board of Education on Monday that grief counselors were available for students at the school.
"The passing of a child is the most difficult of losses, but that is what is being dealt with today at Ritchie Elementary School," Ohio County Schools Superintendent Kimberly Miller said. "The excellent staff at Ritchie is prepared and committed to providing the appropriate counseling and support to students who may need it following this deeply saddening news."