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Flu outbreak hits Eagle View School
Staff Writer Nearly one out of four Eagle View Elementary students in Breezy Point, or 23 percent, was home sick Tuesday with flu-like illnesses.
Joyce Olson, Pequot Lakes School District nurse, said the district had four students in one classroom out sick with flu-like symptoms on Oct. 21, meeting the threshold to report to the state health department of three or more students sick with the flu in one classroom. It snowballed from there.
"It started out in second grade and now is mushrooming all over the elementary," Olson explained. "It's been real busy here. Real busy."
On Monday the district had about 140 students out sick with the flu. On Tuesday, 162 elementary students, or 23 percent; 17 middle school students, or 5 percent; and eight high school students, or 1.5 percent, were sick with flu-like illnesses, said Olson. Since the middle school also met the 5 percent threshold, those illnesses were reported to the state department of health.
Olson said as of Wednesday afternoon, 150 elementary students, or 21 percent; 20 middle school students, or 6 percent; and 12 high school students, or 2 percent, were out sick with flu-like illnesses. She said those numbers may climb since the school day wasn't over yet. On Tuesday alone she sent 20 elementary students home sick.
Olson reminded parents to keep their children home for at least 24 hours after their fever has been gone without using fever-reducing medicine. She said for most of the children, the illness is lasting about five to seven days. Symptoms have included a fever of 100 degrees or greater, cough, sore throat, stomach upset, general malaise, headaches and feeling flushed.
Eagle View Principal Don Lenzen said state health officials are advising against closing schools unless the schools are so short staffed that they're forced to close due to the flu. Eagle View has had about eight to 13 staff members out sick with the flu over the last couple of days.
"We just have to play it by ear as we go on," said Lenzen. "If we come to a place where we can't staff any more then we need to consider closing school and we're not there yet. We're not talking about closing school at this time."
Olson said that the district hasn't seen large numbers of flu-like illness in the high school yet but that could change.
The district has posted on its Web site, http://pequotlakes.k12.mn.us, flu information, including the Minnesota State High School League position statement on tournaments and H1N1 flu outbreaks. According to the statement, teams must forfeit a contest if unable to compete but forfeits are not required if a sufficient number of healthy athletes will allow a team to continue competition without its sick teammates.
Pequot Lakes High School will host the 8AAA semi-final football game vs. Thief River Falls at 2 p.m. Saturday.
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5858.
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