H1N1 hits Ripley schools
By MICHAEL ERB merb@newsandsentinel.comRIPLEY - Health officials in Jackson County have confirmed more than 70 cases of the H1N1 swine flu within the Ripley area, with the majority being students.
Blaine Hess, superintendent of Jackson County Schools, and Wendy Crawford, emergency preparedness coordinator for the Jackson County Health Department, said 45 cases of H1N1 have been confirmed at Ripley High School. Fourteen cases are confirmed at Ripley Middle School, with another five cases pending, and seven cases were confirmed at Ripley Elementary School. Another four cases have been confirmed at Kenna Elementary.
"We've seen a spike in absences in the Ripley area," Hess said. "So far we've still been OK in Ravenswood."
At Ripley High School Tuesday, 238 students were absent. At the middle school, 195 students were absent, and at Ripley Elementary, 101 were absent.
Hess said he was unsure how many of those absences were due to illness or from parents keeping students home.
Crawford said another four cases of H1N1 have been confirmed in Jackson County but were not students. Only two cases of Type B Influenza have been confirmed so far.
"It is still awfully early in the flu season," she said.
Crawford said so far no one has been hospitalized due to the H1N1 virus.
Hess said steps are being taken to disinfect surfaces in the schools and classrooms, such as desks and doorknobs, and hand sanitizers are being made available to students throughout the day. Bus drivers have been disinfecting railings and seats, and ill students are quickly isolated so as not to infect other students before parents can take them home.
Hess said there has been a slight increase in teacher absences, but he did not know if there were any confirmed cases of H1N1 among school personnel.
"What is going around the schools will eventually hit your school staff," he said.
Hess said additional information from the county health department will be sent home with students today.
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deerwatcher
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10-09-09 9:03 AM
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If it takes weeks to get results? You are over it, when they tell? Does the schools use bleach to clean door knobs, light switches and desk? Are coughers handed out a mask? Yes, a mask really does work. There are studies.
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