Wednesday, February 03, 1999
Flu-like illness shows up at schools
Absences high at Delhi, Goshen
BY BERNIE MIXON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
DELHI TOWNSHIP — Flu-like symptoms are to blame for a significant increase in student absences and students sent home from Delhi Junior High over the past two days.
Goshen High also postponed its varsity, junior varsity and freshman girls' basketball games Monday at Loveland. Of 32 players, 13 were out sick. The games are rescheduled for Tuesday.
While health officials say they have not seen a flu out break, there have been some confirmed cases of the flu, as well as people complaining of flu-like symptoms.
“We have culture-confirmed about 10 to 12 cases, but it's not a huge outbreak at this point,” said Judith Daniels, medical director for the Cincinnati Health District.
Runny noses, coughing and sore throats — normally associated with the flu — are hitting school districts sporadically, causing increased absences in parts of Hamilton and Clermont counties.
University Hospital officials have seen some occasional cases but not an onslaught of actual flu. Emergency room visits at Children's Hospital Medical Center have been up, with a good portion of the increased visits being flu-related.
At Delhi Junior High, which enrolls about 900, “we sent home 35 kids (Tuesday) from the health room,” said Marlene West, a district school nurse. “It's been mostly fever, sore throats and headaches — mostly respiratory symptoms, flu-like symptoms.”
Some of the reasons for the illnesses could be “close quarters and lack of good personal hygiene,” Ms. West said.
When the day began Tuesday at Delhi Junior High School, 161 students were re ported absent, not counting the 35 who were sent home. On Monday, 162 were absent and another 25 students were sent home.
Tuesday at Oak Hills High School, where 1,795 attend, 273 students were absent and 28 were sent home. On Monday, school officials reported 305 absent and an additional 34 students sent home.
The district's elementary schools saw an increase in absences but nothing like the numbers reported at Delhi and the high school, Ms. West said. Figures for Bridgetown Junior High were not available.
Oak Hills wasn't the only district with increased absences. Ursuline Academy also is experiencing an increase.
“For us, we do have more than normal, but we are not at a point where we are getting ready to close. Yes, it's more than normal. It has not hit our faculty ... (We are not) canceling anything. It seems more (prevalent) among sophomores and juniors — that middle group,” said Sister Patricia Homan, student services director.
In Clermont County, Goshen school officials have seen a significant increase of absenteeism due to the flu.
At 400-student Green Elementary, 57 students were out and another 20 were sent home early on Tuesday, Principal Sara Runge said. The absentee rate typically is about 15 to 20 students per day.
“As parents call, we're trying to get the work together for kids so they don't get too far behind,” Ms. Runge said. “We have proficiencies coming up.”
Elsewhere in the county, the Clermont Northeastern Local School District has not seen a flu-related increase in absenteeism.
The hit-or-miss nature in the schools is not unusual, according to Dr. Beverly Connelly, director of the infection control program at Children's Hospital Medical Center.
Outbreaks can happen when “an infectious agent is introduced into a large group of people who are susceptible,” Dr. Connelly said. “Oftentimes not every school has it happen at the same time.”
But school outbreaks can be predictors for the rest of the community.
“When the flu is in the community, it is the schools who make it known first because there is a high absentee rate. That tells us flu circulates in the community.”
Last week, Pendleton County schools closed for two days because of the flu.
Tom O'Neill and Walt Schaefer contributed to this report.
Suburbanites, you can help your library
E-check leads to bribe charge
Innocent man spends week in jail
Better world at the tip of his tongue
Cold, hard look for regional rail
New transit center, big question
Abortion foes ordered to pay for Web site threats
Accusation not the first for teacher
Auto racing meeting becomes lovefest
More Morrow cop violations surface
Costs force networks to get real
Father gets 26 years in baby death
Groundhogs scarce here, so substitute squirrels
Psychedelic mushrooms confiscated
School bond issue defeated
Soccer team takes new home - new name next?
Union rips paid leave for officer
Blood drive counting on Fairfield
Boone housing plan: 1,200 units
Covington alternative for 12th St. is promoted
Flu-like illness shows up at schools
Nursing home rehab closer
Opening account lands suspect in jail
Storks frequent fliers at St. Elizabeth
Tax conspiracy trial goes to jury
TRISTATE DIGEST
Wayne schools considering levy
West Chester searches for new identity
