The school year is young, but health officials and school administrators are keeping a close eye on student illness. Some schools already have a reason to be concerned.
Arkansas School for the Deaf made the decision to close earlier this week because the majority of the high school kids are sick. Over the past few days students, teachers, dorm staff and nurses have developed flu like symptoms. This is their second round this year and their neighbor, the School for the Blind, is now observing their kids a little closer.
Seating at local health clinics is getting full with kids complaining of flu-like symptoms. Doctor Jerry Byrum with All for Kids says his patient intake has nearly tripled.
He adds, "We haven't seen one child in our practice that has actually had to be hospitalized for it, so it's pretty mild." Dr. Byrum says everyone is susceptible and that's why it's going to be a big flu year.
"Kids are getting over it pretty well, and they're getting well really without treatment," Dr. Byrum adds.
Officials with the Arkansas School for the Deaf confirm about 40 precent of the student body is out with flu-like symptoms. With the advice of the Arkansas Department of Health, they decided to close this week through next Wednesday.
Jim Hill explains, "If the count were to get high enough that it seemed to be a health hazard to the staff as well as the students, we have procedures in place to close the school down."
Hill is the Arkansas School for the Blind Superintendent. Even though his school doesn't share a building with the School for the Deaf, he is alarmed.
He explains his concern, "We've had 10 students that had flu-like symptoms Thursday and there have been a few days when we had to scrape to get substitute teachers."
Hill says both schools have implemented hand washing and added disinfectant stations in every room, "We also have janitors wipe down the railing on the stairs, door knobs and disinfect bathrooms three times a day."
But Hill says his students will catch it sooner or later; he just doesn't know to what degree.
Dr. Byrum adds, "The biggest way for you to catch the flu is by touching your nose or your mouth. So if you have just shaken someone's hand or a door that had the virus on it, all the sudden you just gave yourself the flu."
Dr. Byrum says people without an underlying illness don't need Tamiflu because it will only shorten the flu by one day and it contributes to resistance.
Research shows if you're over 60-years-old, you are more than likely immune to H1N1 because of past immunizations. Everyone else is highly susceptible.
