By P.J. DICKERSCHEID - Associated Press Writer - Associated Press
Monday, November 9, 2009
A high number of students and teachers suffering from suspected swine flu prompted Tyler County to close all four of its schools Monday.
Dorothy Lockett, nurse administrator for the Wetzel-Tyler Health Department, said the school district logged absenteeism rates last week of more than 50 percent in its preschool programs and upward of 40 percent in its other schools.
As a result, all of the district's 1,590 students and 123 teachers were notified Friday that schools would be closed through Wednesday in an attempt to stop the spread of the potentially deadly H1N1 virus, Lockett said. Basketball tryouts also have been postponed.
School and health officials will re-evaluate the situation on Thursday, when the county's two elementary schools, middle school and high school are scheduled to reopen.
Lockett said officials started noticing an increase midweek in the number of students complaining of flulike symptoms "around noon when the Tylenol started wearing off." By Friday it was having trouble finding enough substitute teachers to fill in for ill teachers.
"We're hoping this break will help stop the spread," Lockett said.
The state Department of Health and Human Resources reports the virus is now widespread throughout the state. Roughly 13,000 cases of influenza-like illnesses have been reported so far this year. That's more than six times the number of cases reported by this time in each of the three previous years.
Dr. Dee Bixler, director of infectious disease epidemiology for the West Virginia Bureau for Public health, said she is keeping a close eye on data being gathered weekly from across the state, trying to determine whether influenza is on the rise, falling or leveling off.
"Right now, it's just too soon to tell," she said.
Schools throughout the state are being encouraged to keep schools open as long as it is safe to do so.
Tyler County is the third school system to cancel classes this fall because of high absenteeism.
Gilmer County Schools canceled classes in late October and Mason County school officials temporarily closed an elementary school in early October.
Last week, Gov. Joe Manchin announced stepped-up education efforts in West Virginia's fight against the swine flu.
The state's 280,000 schoolchildren took home letters and fact sheets aimed at informing parents about the H1N1 virus, and assuring them of the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine that is gradually becoming available.
As of Wednesday, West Virginia had distributed 155,725 vaccine doses throughout all 55 counties, according to a Web site that state health officials launched as an additional resource.
Health officials have attributed seven West Virginia deaths to the swine flu.
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On the Net:
West Virginia Swine Flu Resource Center: http://www.wvflu.org
National Swine Flu site: http://www.flu.gov