Swine flu causes several student absences

Stephanie Flemmons, sflemmons@acnpapers.com

The Swine Flu epidemic has caused several Plano students to stay at home to fight off the bug.

The Plano Independent School District reported almost 1,500 absences district-wide on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, 3 percent of the entire student population in the district. According to district records the rate of absences from Sept. 1 to Sept. 15 last year was only one-half of 1 percent higher than this year – but that half percent haunts a district with 54,881 students enrolled.

The district has decided not to lock its doors. Rather, it’s supplying large doses of hand sanitizers in classrooms.

Lesley Range-Stanton, PISD’s director of communication, said the district is following the recommendation of the Center for Disease Control and did not have a change in policy.

Amy Wilson, a Plano mother taking care of two children and a husband infected with the Swine Flu, said she believes the district is being diligent with sanitation products, ensuring that when a student sneezes or coughs, they immediately wipe the germs away.

“I don’t think they should close the schools down when one child gets sick,” Wilson said. “Our schools are doing all they can. I think parents should keep their kids home until they are completely well instead of rushing them back to school.”

Stanton said parents are asked to keep their children home for 24 hours without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.

Despite the rapid spread of the viral bug, Wilson said she believes the symptoms of the illness do not compare to the seasonal flu. She said she is concerned that students are attending class carrying the virus, but are unaware since the symptoms are similar to allergies.

“It has been my experience in this household that it’s less severe,” Wilson said. “My children’s fever is not as high. My 13 year old had the seasonal flu in March, so she can freshly compare.”

The staff at Children’s Medical Center in Plano believe some parents are overreacting when their child experiences flu-like symptoms and are crowding emergency rooms.

“If your child’s flu-like symptoms are not severe, we recommend that you seek care from a primary-care physician,” said Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, chief of pediatric infectious diseases. “Because of increased volumes, patients in the emergency department are experiencing longer wait times.

He said the only patients who come to Children’s Medical Center emergency department with flu-like symptoms who will be tested for the flu are those with severe diseases, underlying medical conditions or those in close contact with others who have underlying medical conditions.

“Children under 2 may or may not be tested,” he said. “The decision to test will be based on their clinical presentation.”

Dr. John Moon, a family practitioner at Village Heath Partners, said although the Swine Flu symptoms have not proved to exceed the severity of the seasonal flu, he said it is still important to get to a doctor.

“Anyone with a chronic illness can get more sick,” he said. “Parents still need to be concerned and have a plan ready in case someone gets the Swine Flu.

Moon said to avoid the Swine Flu, everyone should be conscious about washing their hands and staying within arm’s length of anyone who is infected.

Village Health Partners staff released a condensed version of the CDC’s flu action plan to fight against the Swine Flu. For information visit www.villagehealthparners.com.

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